WHAT IS THE MICROGENERATION CERTIFICATION SCHEME

 

MCS certification is an internationally recognised quality and safety scheme for small-scale renewable energy technologies. This includes solar PV and solar thermal panels.

Technology which is MCS accredited has been installed to a high standard and will operate both safely and efficiently. The MCS is certified by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

MCS For Solar PV and Solar Thermal Panels In New Builds

If you are a building developer, contractor or architect looking to install a solar PV system in a new build we can provide you with everything you need to ensure your installation runs smoothly and complies with manufacture & industry standards. 

Together with Eco Green Partners, we aim to provide a comprehensive equipment and support package so that all you or your contractor have to do is install the supplied equipment and supply all additional materials to complete the installation to MCS standards.

Our unique package includes a bespoke system design, supply & commissioning of the equipment and MCS certification.

Drawing on our specialist expertise and many years of experience we are able to select equipment based on key factors such as value for money, life cycle costs, performance, reliability, and warranty.

Benefits of MCS Accreditation for Supply & Installation

• Signifies product quality; MCS accredited technology has been tested to ensure it meets the necessary quality and safety standards. Installing MCS certified solar panels will be more efficient, reliable, and safer than those without certification from MCS.
• Proof of competence; You can be confident that your renewable technology has been installed safely when the work has been MCS certified.  This will include making sure that the system achieves the highest levels of energy efficiency and performance.
• Peace of mind; MCS certification guarantees that both your solar panels and their installation meet the highest standards. This means that you will be able to get the most out of your solar panels for a long time to come.
• Consumer protection; MCS offer consumer protection which will protect you in the event that the information you’ve been given about the scheme or the renewable technology is misleading, the generation system is underperforming or the information in the contract and the actual service provided don’t match up. If you have not happy with your MCS product or installation, MCS is committed to resolving the problem fairly and impartially.
• Eligibility for financial incentive schemes; Your solar panels and their installation must be MCS accredited to be eligible for financial schemes such as the Smart Export Guarantee (solar PV), the Renewable Heat Incentive and Green Homes Grant (solar thermal). These financial schemes will help you to earn a quicker return on your investment in solar.

Financial Incentive Schemes for Solar PV and Solar Thermal Panels

Smart Export Guarantee

The Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) is an obligation set by the government for licensed electricity suppliers to offer a tariff and make payment to small-scale low-carbon generators for any renewable electricity they have generated and exported to the National Grid. It replaces the Feed-in Tariff (FIT) scheme, which pays many solar panel owners for the electricity they generate at home.

Once your MCS solar panels are installed, you can earn money for the energy generated that you’re not using yourself through the SEG. Through the scheme, energy suppliers with more than 150,000 customers will pay a set amount for each kilowatt-hour of electricity generated by your solar panels. Energy suppliers set their own rates, as long as it’s more than zero so it’s definitely worth comparing them. Currently, you can get between 2-5.6p per kWh.

The biggest energy companies all offer SEG tariffs. Other companies with SEG customers include Avro Energy, Bulb, E, Green Network Energy, Octopus, OVO, Shell, Utilita and Utility Warehouse.

In order to be paid for your excess electricity you have to sign up to a SEG tariff with a company. If you don’t do this, you will not be paid for your electricity and will export any you don’t use to the grid for free.

Eligibility Criteria for SEG

If you install solar panels, a wind turbine or other renewable generation at home, you should be able to sign up to a SEG tariff. There are, however, certain criteria that you’ll need to meet, including the following:

• Your installation must be 5MW capacity or less (50kW for micro-CHP).
• Your installation must be MCS-certified.
• You’ll need a smart meter or a meter that can provide half-hourly readings for electricity export.

Smart Meters give both you and your energy provider accurate and regular updates on how much electricity and gas you use. They measure your energy use in the same way that traditional gas and electricity meters do, the main difference being that smart meters automatically send this information over wireless networks to your supplier.

Electricity smart meters are connected to the mains and monitor how much power you're using in real time. They mean more accurate bills for you and remove the costs of meter readings, which are currently added to your bills.

When you get a smart meter installed, you'll get a smart electricity meter, a smart gas meter if you use gas, and an in-home display (IHD). These elements will talk to each other wirelessly. 

You should be able save money by being more efficient with energy used at home. However, smart meters will only save you money if you use and act on the information provided by your in-home display to cut your consumption. 

Green Homes Grant

The Green Homes grant can help you with the upfront costs of installing solar thermal.  The grant will pay two-thirds of the costs of energy-efficient improvements, up to the value of £5,000 per household (£10,000 for low- income households). As well as solar thermal, the Green Homes Grant can also be used for renewable heating systems, such as heat pumps. This scheme is currently set to run until March 2022. Solar panels are not eligible for the Green Homes Grant.

Renewable Heat Incentive

The Renewable Heat Incentive provides financial support for people who use certain renewable technologies to heat their homes such as solar thermal systems. The payments are meant to help offset the cost of installing and running your new heating system.

After joining the RHI scheme, you receive a quarterly tariff payment for every kilowatt hour (kWh) of renewable heat you produce. You get these payments for seven years. It's possible for households to install more than one technology and receive payments for each system they use. The RHI can also be used in conjunction with the Green Homes Grant but only if you do not currently receive RHI payments for the specific installation you are applying for with the grant. You are required to apply for a Green Homes Grant and then apply for RHI. This cannot be done the other way round, RHI first and then Green Homes Grant. The cost of the Green Homes Grant vouchers will then be taken off the value of your projected RHI payments.

The amount you’re paid per kWh of heat depends on the renewable technology you install, when you apply to receive RHI, and your home's Energy Performance Certificate. Your payment amount will be estimated, based on your home's EPC rating.

The rates you get can also change annually, in line with the Retail Prices Index or Consumer Prices Index.