Member Article

North East Solar Company Wins National Contractor of the Year Award

Advanced Renewable Power (AR Power) based in Washington was set up by husband-and-wife team Mark and Maria Dunville. In its 12 years in business, the installers of commercial and industrial solar energy systems have grown exponentially in the sectors with contracts now totalling to around £10 million per annum. In the last operating quarter the firm has handled more than £2 million worth of business with more in the pipeline.

The firm were delighted to win ‘Contractor of the Year’ at the National Solar and Storage Live Awards last month. The event held in Brmingham was hosted by newsreader Krishnan Guru-Murthy and recognised the most innovative and impactful solar and storage projects and contributors throughout the UK. The awards were attended by the country’s biggest players in the industry which makes AR Power’s achievement outstanding considering the fierce competition from industry leaders with national footprints.

AR Power was cited as having exemplary best practice, outstanding customer service and a trail of brilliant, completed projects. Some of the company’s recent projects include the installation of 11 solar systems at key buildings owned by Newcastle City Council such as swimming pools and the Theatre Royal. In addition, the new installation at drawer manufacturers BHK (UK) in Peterlee was the firm’s largest project to date and ranks amongst one of the largest rooftop installations in the North East with 2344 panels and a staggering 1.3MW Solar PV power output.

Technical Director Mark Dunville said “We are delighted to win this major accolade. It’s all about our team and the way we focus on quality workmanship and customer service, which comes down to our people and the culture we’ve created. We always pay attention to detail and put the same amount of care into every project regardless of its size or scale.”

AR Power have also teamed up with Zestec, the specialist clean energy investor arm of Octopus Group, to install solar PV systems at no upfront cost to the end customer. This is done under a Power Purchase Agreement (“PPA”) whereby Zestec will fully fund the cost of the installation and sell the power generated by the solar panels back to the business or organisation at a fixed reduced cost, saving them money in the long term.

More good news for AR Power is that they have recently appointed Phil Armstrong as their Operations & Maintenance Engineer. Phil will look after the ongoing maintenance of commercial systems with a view to growing the capabilities and service offerings in the near future. He will also oversee a growing demand for annual service checks whether AR Power have installed the system or not.

Annual checks are important to ensure everything is working correctly and providing the best return on investment. Phil’s role will be to oversee site inspections, carry out safety checks and report signs of wear and tear, heat damage, discolouration, and unusual smells, and conduct a visual inspection of internal components for corrosion, wear, and damage as well as a comprehensive roof condition report.

“It’s been a great year for AR Power with our award, new staff and a new work stream. We’ve come a long way in the industry and I’m very proud of the team for their dedication to getting us to where we are now,” added Mark. “We are very much a nationally operating company now and we’re looking forward to installing more systems and creating excellent working relationships across the industry.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Keith Newman .