'Uncertainty is the only certainty'

'Energy conservation starts with solar shading!'

Searching for inspiration for this column, my eye falls on Somfy's magazine about our industry in 2023 and actually specifically on the headline: 'Uncertainty is the only certainty'. This cry, I think, perfectly describes the feeling not only in our industry, but within society as a whole. What will happen if another gas shortage threatens towards winter? Will Covid-19 make another comeback? How will the war between Russia and Ukraine develop? All factors that directly and indirectly also affect our industry. Talking (or writing) about it probably only increases the uncertainty, so unintentionally I am also contributing to it, not necessarily my intention. 

Where do our opportunities lie in these 'uncertain' times? With the start of spring, the first Global Shading Day was organized on the initiative of the European Solar Shading Organization, ES-SO. With this we want to - Verano warmly supported this initiative - raising awareness of the added value of solar shading in the fight against building overheating. Saving energy starts with solar shading! 

Not only can efficient solar shading save on energy bills, it also provides a better indoor climate and contributes to positive climate change. In my opinion, this win-win situation is going to play a crucial role for our industry in the coming years. 

But how do we translate this message to the end user as well and understandably as possible? On our website we have a simple calculation tool, which by answering a few simple questions allows the end user to roughly calculate by how many degrees the overheating in the house can be reduced by using screen blinds. After filling in, the savings that can be realized are immediately visible, also broken down by light and dark cloth colors. 

We try to give our partners more security with our partner program, which has been upgraded this year. In addition to several national marketing campaigns, this year we are also featured on national television for the first time. And furthermore, this year we started generating leads for some of our premium partners outside our national borders. 

In addition, we try to offer our partners opportunities - and therefore security - through our product portfolio that includes a number of great new products. Of course, we have high expectations for our award-winning V875 - Belluno, with which we as a company have won a Red Dot Award for the second time in our existence. 

I wish you all much certainty!

PS To go all the way with the trend of the moment, I had part of this column generated with an AI writer. I wonder if Z&R readers can figure out which part that is!