The Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) achieved a major milestone in October 2023, with the organisation having certified its 4,000th contractor.
The MCS is a standards organisation for small scale renewable energy and heat assets, as well as contractors, aimed at providing quality confidence in customers installing small scale low carbon technologies such as heat pumps or solar panels.
In providing these certifications, MCS is also able to track a large majority of the UK’s uptake of small-scale renewable technologies. Using this data, the MCS announced that 2023 is on track to be the “best year ever for renewable energy” as the company revealed that installations of MCS-certified heat pumps, solar and battery storage installations in the UK had jumped 62% by August this year.
This followed a record quarter in Q1 this year which saw more than 60,000 small scale renewable technologies installed.
It was also a significant year for small scale renewables in Wales, as October 2023 saw the MCS announce that over 100,000 MCS-certified systems had been installed since records began in 2008.
“MCS is extremely proud to have certified more than 4,000 contractors. It is extremely encouraging to see our certified contractor base continuing to grow at pace in support of the ever-growing demand for small-scale renewable technologies,” said Ian Rippin, CEO at MCS.
“Our mission is to give people confidence in home-grown energy, and this enormous growth in our contractor base shows that UK consumers have more and more confidence every day.”
Octopus Energy recently announced that non MCS-certified installers will be able to access it Smart Export Guarantee tariffs, due to some complications with the certification scheme which included a lack of accredited installers.
The MCS expressed their concern over this move and have recently announced plans for future redevelopment, to iron out complications and see the scheme take a more “active” approach.
The original story was published on Current± and can be read here.