MCS Made Easy
Solar Panels Installer Certification
This page talks through the background, benefits and how to get certificated alongside case studies and resources from firms who have undergone certification themselves.
Overview
The UK is committed to delivering its share of the EU target for 20% of energy from renewable sources by 2020.
Achieving our targets could provide £100 billion worth of investment opportunities and up to half a million jobs in the renewable energy sector by 2020.50% of all our energy is used for heating and hot water and 75% of domestic households' energy consumption is for heating and hot water.
The UK's renewable energy strategy aims for 12% of heat to come from renewable sources. Currently under 5% of UK electricity comes from these sources.
It is estimated that 30% of our electricity may be delivered from renewables with 2% from small-scale electricity generation.
What is the MCS? The MCS is an internationally recognised quality assurance scheme and mark for LZCT installers and products. It was designed with input from installer and product representatives. Similar to the Gas Safe Register, the MCS gives you a mark of competency and demonstrates to your customers that you can install to the highest quality every time.
Why Does it Matter? The MCS demonstrates your competence to carry out an installation to your customers. In this rapidly growing industry, installers and products that carry the MCS Mark are likely to be seen as the preferred option in the market place. This is because MCS is linked to many of the key factors driving demand, such as:
- Feed-In Tariffs, which will provide guaranteed payments to individuals, business and communities for small-scale electricity generation. For technologies where there is an MCS standard, both the technology and the installer must be MCS certificated to be eligible;
- The Renewable Heat Incentive is planned for 2011 and will provide cash back to individuals, business and communities for renewable heat generation. The Government has indicated that the Renewable Heat Incentive is being linked to MCS products and installers;
- The Low Carbon Buildings Programme and Energy Saving Scotland home renewables grant schemes (heat technologies only) require MCS certificated products and installers to be used;
- The Code for Sustainable Homes, which is a mandatory requirement for all newly built homes to meet sustainability ratings, including ratings for energy and CO2 emissions. MCS certificated technologies can be used to meet the requirements of this Code;
- Planning permission for consumers for certain renewable energy technologies has now been made a lot simpler thanks to permitted development rights introduced in England and Scotland; and
- The Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) for Energy Rating of Dwellings recognises MCS certificated products when determining whether products are eligible for inclusion in SAP assessments.
To take advantage of this growing demand you should be considering the certification process and how you can get involved now. The next section provides a flow chart of how the certification process works.
FAQ's
What is an Office of Fair Trading Scheme?
It is a Code of Practice that meets the guidelines set by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) Consumer Code Approval. Signing up to a Code of Practice means you have agreed to offer your customers a high level of service and a method for handling complaints. A list of current codes can be found on the “How to Become MCS Certificated” pages of the MCS website.
I’m signed up to the Competent Persons Scheme (CPS), do I still need MCS?
Yes, the CPS enables you to sign-off installations compliant with building regulation only, which reduces the costs and risk to your clients. CPS at present are not certification to the EN45011 standard, which is the international standard, however, this may happen after the consultation on CPS is complete.
MCS is certificated to the EN45011 standard, which demonstrates that all your practices and skills meet the MCS standards and requirements. This includes correctly specifying the performance of the system offered against the users requirements. Your CPS is not duplicated as the competences you have demonstrated through the CPS are taken by the Certification Bodies as part of your compliance evidence.
How long does MCS certification take?
The length of the process depends on a number of factors. You should contact a Certification Body for more information. However, the time taken for a well structured company takes approximately 4-6 months.
Where can I find an MCS approved product?
A list of all products is available on the MCS website.
How much does MCS certification cost?
To fund the scheme the MCS charge a £100 annual fee. Installers are also charged £5 per installation. This £5 per installation charge ensures that the scheme charges are not onerous for smaller installer companies. The Certification Bodies fees are different for each company. As of March 2010 the prices start from around £650 for one technology (this includes the first year’s MCS annual fee).
How long does MCS certification last for?
You will need to have an annual surveillance visit from a Certification Body to maintain MCS certification.
Who runs the MCS?
The MCS is overseen by key stakeholders. It is led by a steering group of industry representatives. This steering group appoints various working groups who use their technical expertise to review/ develop the MCS standards.
