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 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 Code for Sustainable Homes, which is a mandatory requirement for all newly built homes to meet sustainability ratings, including 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 MCS includes the following technologies:
- Air Source Heat Pumps
- Biomass
- Ground Source Heat pumps
- Micro CHP
- Small Scale Hydro Turbines
- Solar Photovoltaic
- Solar Thermal
- Wind Turbines
- Exhaust Air Heat Pumps
How does it work?
The scheme is based around a set of written standards. They contain some requirements that apply to all installers and others specific to the technology you wish to install.
The certification process
- Download the latest scheme documents from the MCS website www.microgenerationcertification.org (free of charge)
- Contact Certification Bodies (CB) for an understanding of how they will work with you to gain your certification and select the one that best suits you, in terms of technologies covered and pricing structure (a list of CBs is available on the MCS website)
- Draw out your business processes in a simple flow diagram and then write down the basic procedures to reflect these processes. Remember to write the working practices in a way that reflects your operations and size.
- Make sure you are part of an Office of Fair Trading Scheme for MCS (see FAQ's further down)
- Once the documentation is in place, arrange for an office and installation site witness assessment
- If non-conformances are issued, resolve these to the satisfaction of the Certification Body to be awarded your Certification and Mark.
- Installer details put on MCS website
- For an installation to be MCS Certificated (and eligible for incentives, grants, etc) you must use an MCS approved product. NIBE have MCS approved products and others can be found on the MCS website.
How do I get involved?
- Become a fully certified MCS Installer Company - Gain your own certificate;
- Work full time for a certificated MCS Installer Company - MCS certification is for the company. There are plenty of existing MCS companies looking for skilled staff; or
- Become a sub-contractor to a certificated MCS Installer Company - If you want to remain independent but feel you would like to work in this field, you could become a sub-contractor to an MCS certificated company. See rules for subcontracting on the MCS website.
FAQs
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 though 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 are 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.
What do I do next?
The dedicated MCS helpdesk team would be happy to answer any questions you have. Alternatively you can talk to a Certification Body about applying, their details can be found on the MCS website.
CONTACT:
MCS website: www.microgenerationcertification.org
MCS helpdesk: 0207 090 1082
Enquiries relating to the installer standard or the costs or timescales to become certificated should be made to a Certification Body.
For more information on the Renewable Energy Directive, Feed in Tariffs or the Renewable Heat Incentive see the Department for Energy and Climate Change Website: www.decc.gov.uk
For more information on building regulations, please see http://www.planningportal.gov.uk. Please note that different building regulations apply in Northern Ireland and Scotland.