EcoVision outlines UK expansion plans

Renewable energy advisory and installation firm EcoVision has revealed ambitious expansion plans that would see it operate from 14 different locations within the UK by mid-2011.

Speaking to BusinessGreen.com, company founder and chief executive Peter Randall said that the firm was aiming to develop a national network of offices capable of meeting the rapidly expanding demand for green microgeneration technologies.

"The government's most recent report on microgeneration predicted 90 per cent compound annual growth rate for the ground source heat pump market," he observed. "Even if they are wrong by a factor of three, it is still a massively expanding market."

The company provides consultancy and auditing services to businesses, public sector bodies and householders interested in microgeneration technologies and also sells and installs a range of zero-carbon and energy-efficient heating technologies such as ground source and air source heat pumps, and underfloor heating systems.

"We are focused on heat pumps as they are a mature technology that is already used prolifically in Scandinavia," he said. "The only issue is the upfront capital costs, but they still offer returns on investment within five to seven years even for retrofitted systems, which is far quicker than other microgeneration systems such as solar panels."

Expanding operations to add to its offices in Gloucestershire, London and Oxford is essential to meet rapidly growing demand for the technology, according to Randall, who has set the company the target of operating in 14 locations across the UK within 36 months. "You need national coverage and a local presence with this type of service," he explained. "We are getting inquiries from Yorkshire, for example, and we can respond to them far quicker with a local presence."

The first stage of the expansion plan was completed earlier this month with the launch of a joint venture in Northern Ireland with environmental services firm Geodelft Environmental. Randall said that the new firm, which is operating under the name EcoVision Ireland, would look to replicate the company's one-stop shop consultancy and installation model across Northern Ireland and the Republic.

Randell also outlined plans to begin operating as a reseller of microgeneration and green technologies direct to builders and other firms looking to install the technology themselves. "We undertook a soft launch of a transactional section on our web site in June and we are looking to expand the range of products we sell," he said. "We have deals in place with a number of suppliers and will probably look to expand the range from September."