A renewable energy installer is growing its workforce by 50% as it starts adding new products and eyes expansion into England.

Solar Electricity Systems has grown rapidly since being formed in the middle of 2009 and is on course for around £12.5 million turnover in the year to March 2012.

Founder Jim Kirkland, whose background is in the building trade, is confident of further growth despite the UK government recently cutting feed-in-tariff (FIT) rates for photovoltaic panels.

That will reduce potential payments for each kilowatt hour of electricity generated from 43 pence to 21 pence from March.

However the Glasgow business, which recently expanded its premises to 6000 square feet, is also moving into public sector projects and introducing new products.

As a result Mr Kirkland intends to add another 20 staff on top of the 43 people already employed.

He said: "We have the capacity to keep growing.

"In January and February this year we are going to outperform last year which goes beyond our expectations.

"Even at the lower FIT rate customers can still expect a return of between 8% and 10% so we still expect business will be good.

"We are increasing the product mix and as from April we will be doing solar water products and around June we will be doing windmills as well.

"The majority of our business in the past two years has been to consumers.

"Now we are doing business to business and social housing and are about to start some major projects in Scotland and England some of which are covering 500 houses."

The opening of an English office in Preston or Lancaster is scheduled for later this year.