ECN’s Interview with Stuart Thorogood

Electrical Contracting News magazine recently conducted an interview with Stuart Thorogood from Schneider Electric on his opinions of how 2012 has been for the electrical industry.

Interestingly he estimated that although businesses in many sectors have suffered over the last year, the electrical industry is not one of them and while  times are generally tough, there are signs of improvement.

He gives a number of reasons why the electrical industry has been able to remain in good shape over the last year which includes the feed in tariff, the continued building of an electrical vehicle infrastructure and the smart grid.

Moving on to state that Electrical Contractors have shown ‘resilience’ over the last year, he says he is certain that the UK has the necessary skills to ensure a successful low carbon economy for the future.

For the year ahead he stated that demand for energy will rise, especially with the cold weather, and with energy prices still rising, energy efficiency is going to be a big thing this year.

Things like the Green Deal and the amends to the Renewables Obligation have sparked change in the industry and it’s important that those of us working in the electrical sector continue to keep up to date with the changes happening.

He also says that he thinks that 2013 should be the year to focus on training and especially encouraging young people to enter the industry.

So with Stuart Thorogood’s analysis of 2012 and what he expects from 2013, do you agree with him?

Do you feel that his analysis is right or has he completely missed something important?

Let us know your thoughts, how you feel 2012 was for the electrical industry and what you expect from 2013.

Written by Sara Thomson