MCS – as an MCS solar installer we respect and work closely with the internationally recognised quality assurance scheme – The Microgeneration Certification Scheme. The Department of Energy and Climate Change wholly supports the MCS self-certification. It is these two bodies that certify the use of all equipment suitable for any renewable installation. Not only do the MCS certify the products but also the companies installing the products and to be fully compliant, any MCS solar installer must follow a set procedure and strict guidelines, any deviation from this and their licence will be stripped.
The MCS self-certification code of compliance covers all electrical renewables up to a maximum capacity of 50kW. For example, the renewable can include any of the following:
- Biomass
- Heat Pumps (Air Source and Ground Source)
- Micro Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Systems
- Pitched Roof Mounting Systems
- Solar Photovoltaic
- Solar Thermal
- Wind Turbines
For you to claim any of the government funds/grants or incentives your installer must be MCS accredited and an MCS Certificate issued within 10 working days of your system being commissioned.
Benchmark – The Benchmark / Competent Person Schemes (CPS) were introduced to allow SMEs to ‘self-certify’ the work they have carried out on a property without waiting for a building inspector. In the long and short of it, any SMEs wanting to change the structure of a building or add to that building must submit a notification to the benchmark stating that the work carried out complies with all current building standards and legislation. A competent person wishing to install under benchmark must be registered on a scheme affiliated with and approved by The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG).
Once the work has been submitted benchmark guarantees the work for a minimum of 6 years. Again, a certificate should be raised and issued to the householder within 10 working days of the system/installation being commissioned.
