A Yorkshire-based PV installer is thought to have become the first solar company in the UK to run a TV advertising campaign.

Eclipse Energy ran its first advert in the Yorkshire region ahead of ITV soap Emmerdale last night and it has plans for a continued TV campaign.

“We’ve got some good spots [booked] including Coronation Street, we’ve paid for 35 spots but I believe it will take a couple of campaigns to get it going,” Chris Cash, managing director of Eclipse Energy told Solar Power Portal. “We don’t expect the phone to be ringing off the hook, realistically if we can break even in the first month we’ll be more than happy. Perhaps a few more campaigns in we’ll start to really see the benefit,” he added.

Worksop-based installer Spectrum Energy has also tweeted today that its first TV advert will air in the next month.

With the UK solar industry maturing, Cash welcomed the signs that the sector was becoming more proactive at targeting the public.

“The reality is that it’s down to the industry not the government to get the message out there that solar is a good investment,” said Cash. “People shouldn’t keep complaining about the drop in the feed-in tariff; it’s done, now its time to move on. The message is clear and the more of us that tell it the better. It all helps the industry. If people understood solar better they would buy it all day long.”

Video: The Eclipse Energy advert