MCS talks Scheme redevelopment at Solar & Storage Live 2024

30 September 2024

MCS Technical Manager, Lucy McKenzie, Compliance Analyst, Sarah Lees, and Helpdesk Analyst, Jen Howard, at Solar & Storage Live.

From 24-26 September, MCS exhibited at Solar & Storage Live 2024, the UK’s largest renewable energy exhibition at the NEC Birmingham. 

The MCS team made their way to Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre to spend three days meeting contractors, manufacturers and trade body representatives on stand. Members of the MCS team also joined industry experts on a range of panels, discussing quality in the solar sector, solar uptake across the UK, and the training is needed to develop the future solar workforce.

As the country’s largest trade show for renewable energy, Solar & Storage Live is an important opportunity to bring together experts across the solar industry Here are some of the highlights we enjoyed from the event:

Day One – Tuesday 24 September

As the first day began, colleagues from our Scheme, Helpdesk and Compliance teams took to our stand to answer questions about becoming certified, the launch of the new Scheme, skills and training, and much more.

In the morning, our Senior Helpdesk Analyst, Jordan Williams, led the first of eight sessions in the Installer Training Hub. This initiative, in partnership with Solar Energy UK, provides training on key topics within the solar and storage industry. Jordan’s session, titled ‘Becoming Certified for Solar PV & Battery Storage’ focused on the importance and benefits of obtaining MCS certification for these technologies.

Over the course of the three days, our Technical Manager, Lucy McKenzie, and Sector Skills Manager, Stephen Knight, also delivered presentations in the Installer Training Hub. Lucy’s talk, ‘Technical Truths: What You Need to Know About the MCS Technical Standards for 2025’ provided key insights into upcoming changes to MCS Standards. Stephen’s presentation, ‘Low Carbon Skills: What Do You Need for MCS Certification?’ focused on the essential skills required for becoming an MCS certified contractor.

Considering the recently updated timeline on the redevelopment of MCS, a key focus at Solar & Storage Live was helping our stakeholders understand the upcoming changes to the Scheme. To support this, members of the MCS team hosted 20-minute workshops at our stand, offering visitors valuable insights into the redevelopment of the Scheme and how these changes may affect them.

The sessions hosted were:

  • Understanding the changes to MCS & how your business can prepare for the redeveloped scheme with our CEO, Ian Rippin.
  • Technical truths: what you need to know about the MCS Technical Standards with our Technical Manager, Lucy McKenzie.
  • Strengthening consumer protections: how the redevelopments will impact your consumers with our Operations & Communications Director, Lisa Cooke.
  • The new assessment regime: how certified installers will be assessed with our Head of Scheme, Alex Hughes.

Throughout the first day, our CEO, Ian Rippin, participated in two speaker sessions, starting with ‘An Update on the Changes to MCS’ in the Everything Installer Theatre. This session offered a more in-depth exploration of the six key changes to the Scheme, compared to the workshops at our stand. It also provided contractors with the opportunity to hear directly from our Chief Executive Officer and ask any questions they had about the upcoming changes.

Following on from this, was a ‘Solar Taskforce Rooftop Subgroup to Address Barriers to Increasing Deployment of Commercial, Industrial and Domestic Solar’. Ian was joined by fellow members of the UK Solar Taskforce: Tim Warham, Senior Policy Adviser at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Josh King, Managing Director at Gensource, and the panel was moderated by Gemma Grimes, Director of Policy at Solar Energy UK. The Solar Taskforce was created by the Government to drive forward the actions needed by government and industry to meet the solar deployment ambition of 70 gigawatts by 2035.

Day one concluded with a drinks reception on our stand, all members of the MCS team gathered to connect with key stakeholders and industry representatives. This informal setting allowed us to engage in meaningful conversations and address any questions attendees had, especially around the upcoming changes to MCS.

Day Two – Wednesday 25 September

To kick off day two, we hosted our first-ever breakfast reception at the event, designed to engage professionals in the green sector and explore opportunities to grow the workforce. At MCS, we’re frequently approached by training providers seeking to offer their expertise, whether through site visits, staff training, or simply sharing their knowledge and advice. Experienced installers have numerous ways to contribute to the growth of the renewables sector. That is why we are inviting those interested in ‘giving back’ to join our expanding network of industry champions. You can register your interest by emailing us at givingback@mcscertified.com.

As well as delivering her sessions in the Installer Training Hub and on the MCS stand, our Technical Manager, Lucy McKenzie also joined a panel on the ‘Optimised Retrofit Programme’. Lucy joined Malcolm Davies, Senior Programme Manager for Welsh Government, and Rachel Shorney, SPM Stakeholder & Community Engagement Manager at SP Energy Networks in the Everything Installer Theatre to talk about factors effecting the deployment of battery storage, including changes to PAS 63100. When talking about making installing these technologies more affordable, Rachel said “We have a flexibility scheme and are keen to look at people using electricity at different times of days – once we have a smart meter in every property, we can look at providing cheaper options.”

Day Three – Thursday 26 September

On the final day of the show, as the week began to wind down, we concluded with the last two sessions in the Installer Training Hub, led by Jordan and Stephen. The event wrapped up with a panel discussion hosted by our Scheme Insights Manager, Adam Padilla.

Adam was joined by homeowner Stephen, and MCS certified contractor Craig Michael Renewables. Stephen used our ‘Find a Contractor’ tool to find a business to install solar PV with battery storage on his home in Telford, and after reviewing multiple quotes and engaging in conversations with the contractors, he chose Craig Michael Renewables. Stephen and his wife have now lived with these low-carbon technologies for over a year. You can read more on Stephen’s installation here.

Over the course of the three-day event, we engaged with hundreds of installers, homeowners and other stakeholders. Solar & Storage Live offers a unique platform to address the challenges facing the solar sector and explore solutions collaboratively. A big thank you to everyone who visited our stand, participated in our discussions, and to Solar & Storage Live for hosting another outstanding event.

For more highlights from Solar & Storage Live 2024, you can visit the Solar & Storage Live website. Don’t forget to follow us on social media, and visit our Events Page to keep up with our busy events schedule.