Callidus Expands to Support Residential and Commercial Demand
Callidus are one of the original solar companies, founded in 2011 when Solar started to trend in the UK backed by the government feed in tariffs. We have survived all the turbulence this brought about and continue to provide solar systems to the residential & commercial sectors across the UK. When the original feed in tariff scheme was set to end, we witnessed an unprecedented demand and wondered how we could sensibly manage the workflow and enquiries.
In February 2022 the energy crisis started to hit, and news very quickly reported on Ukraine and the problems it would cause. In the months to follow, our enquiries increased by over 700%, and we realized very quickly that this was not going to be a short term demand hike. We invested every penny in securing stock and other premises to store the new stock and a new website with improved features and information for our customers. As this was happening, we ordered a few new vans and started training more people to work with the products we sell, from Panel installers, roofers and specialist electricians.
By April 2022, our new office was planned, and construction designs were in place. New teams were trained and ready to work on homeowners’ roofs, installing the Solar panels that would make such a huge difference to our customer’s electricity bills. Our new office and showroom at Units 3 & 4 Swift industrial estate in Newton Abbot are now open, and you can pop in and see our Callidus board in full operation.
Buying product, securing the best prices we could for our clients and not running out of stock has been the biggest challenge of 2022. Although we got a second premise, it was clear with the panel numbers we were buying that this would very quickly be outgrown and therefore plan C came into effect of finding another location to store the product. In August 22 we engaged with a Plymouth based storage facility, and they have helped take the load as we have already purchased over 10,000 Solar panels in 2022, and this could be set to double in 2023.
We practice what we preach. In September 2022, we installed a 55 panel system (around 22kW) to our new Swift unit roof and added in a Callidus board with around 30kWh of lithium battery storage and then we turned off the grid. We needed to see how far we could push our system in a true working environment. With 10 people on computers, lights, forklift trucks on charge and obviously a kettle that seemed to be permanently boiling, we are 8 weeks on, and the grid is still OFF. Now we are not massive users, and there is no doubt that toward the end of November into December and January, we will need to turn the grid on at times to support us, but that will be it. The system looks like it will take us completely off grid for 9 to 10 months of the year.
On average, we are now employing 20 more people than this time last year, also helping support the local community and creating job opportunities. We are always looking for great people to join our business, so if you have a passion for Solar, are an electrician who wants to try something different, or you are a roofer with experience working up high, then give us a call on 01626 905454. You could be the next member of our friendly team.
We would like to thank all our clients that have supported us over the years and hope that we can continue to support all the new and previous customers for many years to come.
If you want a free quote to take your business mainly off grid, then use our online quoting engine. Contact us today, and one of the team members will be in touch to help with any enquiries you may have.
