What is the MCS?

The Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) is a programme recognised on an international level for its quality assurance scheme, which is maintained by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC). The MCS guarantees microgeneration technology systems that are capable of producing electricity and heat from renewable energy sources like solar pv panels.

The MCS also serves as an eligibility requirement for the UK’s various financial incentives, referring here to the Feed-in Tariff and the Renewable Heat Incentive. As the consumer and primary beneficiary of any small-scale renewable technology, installation and maintenance must be done correctly. The sole purpose of the MCS scheme is to cover areas such as the supply, design, installation, working principles, commissioning, and handover of the microgeneration renewable technologies.  

Before you start buying all the components for your renewable system, you must have the most accurate and clear information and sufficient time to comprehend which implications does a technology such as this one accompany. Mostly, you must have a clear idea about the performance your system should have, and which one of them is most likely to deliver for you with your financial boundaries. The MCS is meant to certify both products and installation companies to make sure installation will be done at a high standard.

In order for your application to be taken into consideration, you will need to provide a MCS certificate number which confirms that your heating system has been installed to the proper MCS standards. Applicants who cannot provide a MCS certificate will not be considered qualified for the Domestic RHI. This is due to the fact that, at the moment, MCS represents the only certified body approved by DECC for the Domestic RHI scheme. If you are interested to become a MCS certified installer company, it will need to prove to a certification body such as HETAS that your business and practices meet the prerequisites of the MCS.

For example, after your system has been installed, a MCS inspection will be scheduled so that they can assess your household and premises in order to ensure that procedures, policies and requirements of MCS are met and the work carried out is consistent with your system’s design. After you receive their approval, you will start receiving annual assessments and reviews to confirm that the high standards are being maintained. Just to be perfectly clear, only installations which are executed by MCS approved installers can claim financial support from either the Feed-in Tariff - for electricity - and the Renewable Heat Incentive - heat only. Customers are drawn to seeking approved installers because without the financial incentives they are unlikely to proceed with microgeneration work.

Planning Permission - there are increasing circumstances in which planning permission is waived under "permitted development" rules - some of these are only permitted if an MCS Approved Installer is used.

Building guarantees (such as NHBC) and property insurance are also beginning to reference MCS approval in their guidelines and policies.

Carrying the MCS Approved Installer logo does much more than simply display allegiance to a brand; it demonstrates to your customers that you are competent, trustworthy, reliable, and safe - and they will be assured that their installation complies with the industry standards.

The MCS encompasses 3 key aspects associated with the delivery of a compliant installation:

If you have installed a heating system following the launch date, it is of the utmost importance to meet the MCS standards, and for every system they are as follow:

After you installation has been finished, you must receive a copy of your Compliance Certificate. It will certify that your heating system meets the MCS standards and possess vital information about it. There will be no need to submit the copy of the Compliance Certificate since your documentation will be available online via MCS.

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