During the period from 2002 to 2009, a renamed
Powertech Solar Ltd moved into a 2,000m2 warehouse on an Industrial estate in
Ferndown, Dorset to establish its name as a pioneer of hybrid integrated solar
water heating systems.
The early evacuated tube collectors produced by a Chinese
manufacture seeking to expand exports, demonstrated that we had to have our own
trained people to follow our western standards of high quality.
By 2003, the brand Apricus was established and the first
solar Keymark EU tests completed, followed by SRCC, for the USA market which my
agreement with the Australian in China gave Powertech to establish exports into
the USA, Sth Africa and Europe from our UK warehouse/office.
A £100,000 investment from the then chairman of Good Energy
Ltd, gave Powertech the money to employ more people and increase imports of
containers to service growing demand.
At the height of the business in 2008, Powertech Solar was
supplying 120 registered installers, with 6 NEW Sub distributors signed up to
have a direct import of a container, while Powertech retained back up stock.
The business provided a wide choice of solar water heating
kits, from the conversion of an existing copper cylinder to solar heated water
to full container deliveries to hospitals and agriculture projects.
In 2007, Eric took the decision to design and developed a
2nd heat pipe collector after trust had broken down between the Australian and
his boss, the owner after establishing exports into the USA, Sth Africa,
Ireland and the EU.
With a lot of experience in manufacturing and exporting,
Eric established a new partnership with a NEW evacuated tube manufacture west
of Beijing, China.
A further $100,000 was invested over the year to own 100% of
my own brand, so we could sell worldwide without any restrictions.
The new brand was called Suntech Solar, with the first
exports completed in 2008 to both our UK warehouse and one of my USA
importer/distributors after gaining solar key mark and SRCC for USA. Once again
I lost trust in the new Chinese partner, I had known for many years before
asking her to be my partner. If you do not have a trusting Chinese born partner
who speaks and writes English, the business will fail, once they start to see
the money coming in.
Its now been 10 yrs this month April 2019, since Powertech
Solar Ltd was placed into administration.
It was a sad day for Eric and his loyal team, along with the
many trained installers and those who invested in a new business, as a future
for this country.
The banking crises of 2007/8 followed by the recession, a
down turn in the property market, falling sales and proposed policy changes by
the department of climate change, is the reason taken to see if the business
could be attractive to a new buyer with the money to continue the progress Eric
and his team pioneered.
Eric is still active in renewables, but with no warehouse,
no team, no manufacturing in China, just working from his test house in Dorset
which is still generating solar heated hot water that supports space heating
during the day time throughout the winter, when it’s not raining, or snowing.
