Since the December 12 deadline was announced, several concerns have arisen in the UK solar industry, the most recent of which is that all solar installations must actually be completed by November 25 as DECC will only guarantee to process MCS certifications within 10 days of installation.
At Solar Power Portal we’ve had many frantic calls on this matter, and we can now reveal that all MCS installers can continue to register their systems as normal throughout the period leading up to the 12/12 deadline.
Some of our readers will have read that “This [12/12] deadline is in effect the end of November, as the MCS will only guarantee to process MCS certifications within 10 days” in the REA’s response to the Consultation on Comprehensive Review Phase 1 – tariffs for solar PV, which was published on Tuesday, while others have been sent letters from their supplier outlining this date.
However, in a bid to hear it from the horse’s mouth, the Solar Power Portal did a bit of investigation. Contacting a DECC Licensee we were told that the statements sent out by suppliers, and outlined by the REA, are incorrect. In fact, due to the amount of calls the MCS helpdesk is receiving on this topic it has published a statement on its website:
“Please note that all MCS Installations can be registered on the MCS installation database as normal during the month of November and December 2011. The MCS Database will be in operation as usual, there is no cut-off deadline in relation to the FiTs changes. We are currently speaking with our database developers about ensuring the system functions accordingly to cope with any increased demand that may take place.”
As many of you will have experienced, MCS certification is often almost instantaneous, and will continue to be so throughout this incredibly busy period. So, while the 12/12 deadline is not ideal, at least it’s not the end of November.
