We recently featured in a piece covering the installation of an Activ8 Solar PV System on the roof of St. Clare’s Abbey Primary & Nursery School in Co. Down, one of our latest Solar PV installations. Gary Connolly, from our PV department discussed the challenges that presented themselves during the initial construction of this project.

With emissions attributed to the transport and agriculture sectors set to increase over the coming years, our ability as a nation to meet the specified EU greenhouse gas targets for 2020 has been brought into question once again by the Environmental Protection Agency.

On the back of recent news concerning our ISO 9001 Accreditation, it is with great delight that we can announce a recent deal we signed with Joule, an Irish company delivering excellence in the manufacturing and production of cylinders. Incorporating Joule cylinders as part of the Activ8 Solar package allows us as an Irish company to partner up with another Irish company to deliver a high quality product as part of a high quality service.

‍We spoke recently at our delight in attaining ISO 9001 accreditation, something that most people recognise. When people see the ISO stamp, they know they are dealing with a well-oiled organisation rather than a one-man band. The ISO 9001 is an accolade that directly reflects our commitment to our “Quality Management Systems”.

It has emerged, in line with the yearly trends, that 2015 was the hottest year that the planet Earth as a whole has experienced since the creation of reliable records in 1880. As a company positioned in the renewable energy business, this brings up a number of questions, issues and general discussion points about how statistics like this effect what we at Activ8 Solar Energies do as a company.

We are delighted to announce that we have officially secured ISO 9001 accreditation through the National Standards Authority of Ireland. This accreditation, ISO 9001 is awarded to companies for exceptional Quality Management Systems, strengthening our reputation within the Irish solar industry for our dedication to quality of service.

We were recently featured in the Irish Examiner with the newspaper highlighting poor representation at the COP 21 in Paris, but more importantly, showcasing Irish consumers willingness to go green.

Ireland is in a strong position currently thanks to our growing economy. Evidence of this was seen in the generous nature of the most recent budget. It would have been possible for the government to increase incentives and really push an agenda of change in relation to climate change and our 2020 targets, with a view to reaching our 2030 targets also.

In 2013, the Irish Government launched the Home Renovation Incentive (HRI) scheme which gives a Tax Credit of 13.5% off the price of home improvement works carried out on your home. And with Activ8 Solar Energies as a Qualifying Contractor, solar panel installations meet the home improvement criteria perfectly, making now the right time to take advantage of the scheme and save some money.

Through Activ8 Solar Energies we have created a sustainable business model in the solar thermal industry, with thousands of installs and continued business growth throughout the downturn. We have seen other companies come and go in the tough economical climate of the recession.

The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) recently released new data revealing the extent to which the production of renewable energy in Ireland has helped cut the carbon content of electricity production. The exact figure revealed amounts to a total of 2.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions were avoided in 2014 as a direct result of the embracing of renewable and sustainable electricity.

A small grant similar to that of solar thermal could see a considerable growth of the Solar PV industry.