20.10.2022 | PV/flat roofs

6 tips which help solar system installers to gain increased turnover from their PV installations on roofs

Even if the connection isn’t obvious at first glance, solar system installers and PV installation companies can acquire significantly more new customers with a partner who is a certified and professional manufacturer of fall protection systems for PV installations on roofs. The reason why is very simple: They are able to cover the subject of safety in the very first meeting with the customer, thereby relieving their potential clients of a large amount of research work.

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Specialist series: Absturzsicherung auf PV-Anlagen

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Guide for PV systems on the roof

Guide: Fall Protection Photovoltaic (PV)-System

This ultimate fall protection guide will help you to achieve a safe PV system on the roof. In the following, we summarise the danger areas on the roof, the liability issue and the safety solutions in a compact way. In addition, you will learn how you can generate more turnover as a solar installer.

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Elektro Scherer puts its trust in the TAURUS rail system from INNOTECH

In its practical implementation, the roof installation of PV systems together with their associated fall protection repeatedly creates specific challenges. In the case of Elektro Scherer, a TAURUS rail system from INNOTECH was attached directly to the K2 substructure of the solar power plant.

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How roof surfaces can be optimally used for the planned PV installation

With regard to PV installations on roofs, the question of competition for area often arises. This refers to competition between various types of use for the available area. The reason is that in principle all PV system operators want to free up the maximum possible amount of space for their solar power plant.

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Why should you, as PV installers, also offer the fall protection system?

We invited experts to a discussion on the subject of fall protection for PV systems on flat and pitched roofs. In this blog post we go into the most frequently asked questions related to this topic.

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Individual or collective protection? Which system is used when for PV installations on a roof?

While dangers like break-throughs or an increased fall risk close to the roof edge lurk on a flat roof, on a pitched roof the inclination itself is the greatest challenge. Discover in the following article how you can professionally protect your maintenance and cleaning staff.

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A professional safety concept for PV installations protects the wallet and the nerves

As a solar system installer, you naturally know every detail of the legal safety provisions relating to PV systems on a roof. In contrast, your clients may well be entering completely new territory which probably raises a number of additional questions. It is therefore all the more important from the outset to integrate the subject of safety into the planning of the PV system, and to create a substantiated and professional safety concept.

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Successful solar system installers are those who offer PV fall protection at the same time

Solar system installers who, in addition to the optimally appropriate PV systems, can also provide the best possible fall protection, not only have a better image than their competitors – they can also use this to create increased turnover.

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Safety increases business for solar system installers as full service providers

PV systems on the roof have been booming for quite some time. No wonder, because having your own solar power plant on the roof not only gives you much more independence in terms of energy supply, but also makes a significant contribution to the energy transition as a whole. If you also focus on the issue of safety on the roof, then as a solar installer you can leave the competition behind. In this article, you will discover how you can achieve this.

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Supporting multiple PV customers simultaneously can often become a huge challenge

Not only private households, but also businesses and companies, are relying increasingly on generating their own solar energy. The presently escalating energy prices will hasten this trend even further. For solar system installers, this creates enormous potential for winning new orders. It can then very easily happen that multiple projects or construction sites have to be managed simultaneously. And that creates a number of challenges.

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Work on a PV system on a roof

Installing one’s own PV system on a roof makes sense for a number of reasons. So that it always provides the best possible performance, workers regularly have to access the solar power plant in order to perform servicing and cleaning tasks. Who is responsible or liable for the consequences of accidents?

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PV systems on a roof – consider all danger areas, in order to protect against falls effectively

The circumstances and conditions of every single order for a PV system on a roof must always be analysed very closely, in order to implement the correct safety precautions. Solar system installers who recognise all risks and can at the same time also propose the appropriate professional and certified solution to their customers have the opportunity to position themselves as a responsible absolute expert in their area. In the medium and long term, this also has a positive effect on the sales performance of solar system installers.

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6 tips which help solar system installers to gain increased turnover from their PV installations on roofs

Even if the connection isn’t obvious at first glance, solar system installers and PV installation companies can acquire significantly more new customers with a partner who is a certified and professional manufacturer of fall protection systems for PV installations on roofs. The reason why is very simple: They are able to cover the subject of safety in the very first meeting with the customer, thereby relieving their potential clients of a large amount of research work.

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Subsequent installation of a fall protection system for PV installations on the roof

It is never too late to make the right decisions and implement them! This means that even operators of PV installations on the roof should consider whether the subsequent upgrade of their solar power plant with a professional and certified fall protection system is feasible and sensible.

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360° solutions as a guarantee for success

Solar system installers capable of including a safety solution with their PV systems hold a clear edge over the competition. You can find out why this is the case in the following article.

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4 steps are necessary for professional fall protection on the PV system on the roof

Discover all the necessary information here. In this article, we explain in summary the four steps that will lead you to your fall protection for PV systems. This much in advance, everything starts with a plan...

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The right fall protection creates more space for the PV system

Here is an example from practice. ADREX relies on its proven one-stop-shop principle, in order to largely relieve its customers of all tasks related to their own roof-mounted solar power plants. This obviously also includes the selection and installation of a professional fall protection system for the PV installation.

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Correct servicing and inspection of your PV fall protection system protects you from many problems

The fall protection for your PV system on a roof is 100% safe only if it is also inspected regularly for signs of potential wear and tear, damage, or corrosion, and for loose mounts. Discover what matters.

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The professional way to install a fall protection system for your PV system on the roof

The detailed planning of the fall protection system for your PV system on the roof is followed by what is probably the most tantalising moment of the endeavour to make your solar power plant as safe and efficient as possible: the installation; the project is finally taking concrete shape. Discover what matters in the process.

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The installation of a fall protection system for your PV system on the roof requires a certain amount of expertise!

The same rules that apply in all other areas of life and work also hold true in the area of fall protection systems for PV systems installed on a roof: Solid initial and further training are of pivotal importance, especially when it comes to the correct installation and proper servicing / cleaning of the system and its individual solar panels.

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The aspects to focus on when planning a fall protection system for the PV system on your roof

The goal to harvest as much power as possible from your own solar power plant therefore hinges on the ability to maximise the utilisation of the roof surface, while securing the trouble-free operation of the solar power plant for the long term. This requires a comprehensive plan which factors in all details and also includes a professional system that protects against falls from a height.

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Fall protection systems for your PV system installed on the roof

There are questions that come up again and again when it comes to the safety of PV systems on the roof. We have summarised the 6 most frequently asked questions by installers and solar technicians and also show the challenges of PV systems on flat and pitched roofs. The focus is always on possible safety solutions to mitigate these.

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PV systems on a flat roof can be efficient and safe at the same time

In the examination of current practice below, we show you two individual solutions for flat roofs, together with the respective challenges which may be created by one’s own solar power plant. Discover the TAURUS rail system and the AIO lifeline system using Autohaus Nägele & Sohn GmbH and Autowelt Reibersdorfer as examples.

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5 tips relating to your PV system on the roof

How to save time and money. Installing a photovoltaic system on your own roof is always a good idea, because in this way a previously completely unused surface is availed of for the sustainable production of electricity for your household or company. But so that this success story really comes into being, as early as the planning phase of your PV system you should also create a professional safety concept, or get one created.

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Professional fall protection for your PV system on pitched roofs

Installation tasks on the photovoltaic system, as well as its servicing and cleaning, represent a particular challenge. An selection of possible security solutions including advantages can be discovered in the following article. In addition, the topic of access to the PV system on the pitched roof is also covered.

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Fall protection photovoltaics

Not all roofs are the same. In the same way that roof forms differ greatly, the dangers concealed during installation and servicing and cleaning tasks on PV systems are just as variable. For this reason, we present solutions for all cases here.

With INNOTECH, solar system installers have a partner at their side who covers the complete range of solutions for fall protection systems for PV installations on a roof.

Christoph Ortner

Ultimately, that creates confidence and wins the solar system installer a significant image advantage compared with his competitor who, in practice, generally involves himself only peripherally with the very important aspect of safety, and sells only his own product, the PV system. The following tips are intended to help solar system installers to acquire new customers – by acting responsibly through providing professional protection for their PV system. But even existing solar power plants on a roof can be retrofitted with a certified, solid safety system. In this way, the solar system installer again has the possibility of building up contact with his customers, in order to make them aware of these circumstances. The end effect is to bring the solar system installer potential turnover which cannot be ignored. 

 

Tip 1: Convince your customers also to install suitable professional fall protection at the same time as the PV system.

In the course of their consultancy, solar system installers are obliged to inform their customers about the topic of safety and about the responsibility which they take when installing a PV system on their roof. However, this information alone does help the future PV system operator any further. Quite the contrary. In this way, from their customers’ perspective, solar system installers may open a completely new chapter with many additional questions which unfortunately remain mostly unanswered. 

As a solar system installer, you can eliminate this unfortunate state of affairs! You do this by offering the appropriate fall protection for the respective PV system at the same time – in this way you practically become the full service provider for your customers. And they will appreciate this, because they then no longer need to gather further information about potential liability for work on the roof. Instead, they know after the meeting with their PV installer that they received very good advice and that they have absolute legal certainty. In addition, they can be sure that their solar power plant on the roof is always able to provide optimum performance, because important servicing and cleaning tasks can be performed in safety at any time. That gives a good, secure feeling. 

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The benefits at a glance: 

 

Sales arguments: 

  • Logistics benefits for the customer - The installation of both systems – the PV and the fall protection systems – takes place in a single step. This means that no further logistics, construction measures, or additional journeys are required. This saves a huge amount of time and money! 

 

  • More rapid commissioning - the system operator can commission the solar power plant significantly faster through the simultaneous installation of a professional safety concept. 

 

  • Everything from a single source - For the customer there is a single contact partner -> Significant savings of costs and time

 

The benefits for you:

 

  • Satisfied customer – good image – further recommendations by the customers! Not only is that the best publicity, it’s also completely free. 

 

  • New customers - by extending your range of services, you become a full service provider and you get “a new image”.

 

  • Increased turnover - By combining PV and safety solutions you increase your potential turnover. Depending on the project, this can create additional turnovers of € 1,000 for small systems. For large projects, our experience shows that turnovers of even € 80,000 can be achieved for fall protection systems for PV installations. 

 

Tip 2: Use the ballasting of the solar panels as the ballast for the fall protection system as well.

All roof-installed systems must be appropriately weighted, in order to dissipate any suction effects caused by strong winds and prevent an undesired lifting of the panels. And this naturally also applies to the fall protection system for the PV system on the roof. This too requires ballasting. Here INNOTECH takes a very efficient and modern course, and uses the PV system’s dead weight to ballast the fall protection system. In this way, the safety solution and the solar power plant are combined together into a very stable entity, in order to absorb 100% of the forces arising from a fall in the event of an emergency. This of course works best when tip 1 is implemented.

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Tip 3: Use the collaboration with INNOTECH to obtain additional new business and increased project volumes.

As early as the inspection of the respective roof, the solar system installer can record and report potential safety loopholes and obstacles, in order then to simultaneously present the appropriate safety solution. Compared with the overall project, this mostly results in modest additional sums required to make a roof and the PV system installed upon it really safe. But please make no mistake! This is not a matter of packing as much as possible into the shopping list of the operator of or client for the PV system, with the aim of driving the turnover as high as possible. No – don’t fall into this trap, because that would be counter-productive in the medium term.

Instead, it is a matter of indicating to the customer risks which could have enormous impacts in an emergency, but which can be eliminated relatively simply and cost-effectively. In this way, the customer knows that he is in safe hands and is not being taken for a ride! And on occasion, with such tips, you as a solar system installer even save your customers hard cash in the long term. This is because damage to the roof cladding does not arise with a comprehensive integrated fall protection system installed directly on the substructure of the PV system. In the medium to longer term, this ensures chip-free work and also avoids leak points on the roof.

 

Tip 4: Take advantage of the support from INNOTECH!

It is completely obvious that solar system installers are clearly not experts when it comes to the very sensitive matter of fall protection systems for PV installations on a roof. But that is no problem at all. Whenever uncertainties or questions arise in this regard, INNOTECH is always at your side with support and advice. As per the motto “360° service for absolute safety”, our experts help all solar system installer partners to solve challenges together. The support from INNOTECH begins with the project initiation, and goes all the way to the full documentation of each project. All products and components of the fall protection system are manufactured in Austria. This is also a benefit that your customers will almost certainly appreciate, especially in times like the present!

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Tip 5: Develop reference projects together with INNOTECH, and put yourself in the limelight.

The implementation of joint projects has benefits for everyone involved. On the one hand, this creates meaningful references for you as a solar system installer, and also for INNOTECH, while the customers benefit from both sets of expertise, without having to research and commission both activities themselves separately. On the other hand, the collaboration can also significantly extend respective networks, and this too can be a great benefit in terms of customer acquisition. In addition, the reference projects thus created can also be used as professional case studies for an absolutely safe PV system on a roof, as well as for potential publicity campaigns.

It thus becomes possible to exploit the reach of both companies, and to simultaneously achieve greater awareness.  However, the most important thing is that mutual trust is also built up through the actual implementation of projects in practice. This is a trust which also gives the potential PV operators a positive feeling, because in this means that they are always on the safe side. Furthermore, with INNOTECH, solar system installers have a partner at their side who covers the complete range of solutions for fall protection systems for PV installations on a roof – from simple systems, to standard solutions, to convenient all-round solutions. The end customer is therefore offered a wide range of options from which to choose. And: he can be sure that all products are appropriately certified and legally compliant. 

 

Tip 6: New customer acquisition that works.

The market is always changing, which is why it is important to define it realistically, as well as also breaking new ground. Because not everyone has the same penetrative power as giants like Apple, SAP, and Bosch, to name just a few. But how can new customer acquisition work successfully? At the very outset, you have to get to know your customers and define prospective customers. For this, an exchange of information with your customers is essential. In meetings, enquire about their problems and wishes, and also ask them about their sources of information. In this way, you are in turn able to position proposals exactly where your customers obtain their information. 

Furthermore, you should provide only the concrete information relevant to the customer. The focus is always on the benefits for the customer, and so at this point the technical features are of secondary importance. 

 

Summary

Solar system installers who collaborate with a profession, trustworthy manufacturer of fall protection systems for PV installations on a roof can present themselves as full service providers, and thereby make their customers’ lives significantly simpler. But this also has benefits for the solar system installer himself, because he can thereby significantly improve his image, and correspondingly distinguish himself from the competition. This in turn can have a significant effect on turnover.

Contact us immediately for further information. Our experts are very happy to go through the relevant collaboration options with you, and will answer all your questions. And: Download our checklist/tips on this topic now.

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