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About Us

WELCOME FROM CEO

Ian Rippin CEO

MCS, and the industry it works with, face interesting times.

The UK domestic renewable energy sector has radically changed since our organisation was formed in 2007. Since then nearly 1.2 million homes have been fitted with renewable energy technology and the cost of installations has dropped by approximately 65%.

Whilst hugely positive, these changes have led to some immediate challenges for us and our sector, as the UK Government has amended its renewable energy policies away from consumer incentives.

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VISION

To see MCS certified products and installations in every UK home and community.

MISSION

To give people confidence in low-carbon energy technology by defining, maintaining and improving quality.

VALUES

1. We are expert – ensuring quality through robust technical knowledge

2. We are inspiring – helping to reshape energy in UK homes and communities

3. We are collaborative – working with industry and government to create positive change

4. We are principled – operating in a way that’s clear, open and fair

5. We are determined – supporting the UK’s drive towards a clean energy future

WHAT WE DO

MCS is a standards organisation.

We create and maintain standards that allows for the certification of products, installers and their installations. Associated with these standards is the certification scheme, run on behalf of MCS by Certification Bodies who hold UKAS accreditation to ISO 17065.

MCS certifies low-carbon products and installations used to produce electricity and heat from renewable sources.

MCS is a mark of quality. Membership of MCS demonstrates adherence to these recognised industry standards; highlighting quality, competency and compliance.

History of MCS

2002

The Energy Saving Trust run ‘Major Photovoltaics (PV) Demonstration Programme’ for those interested in installing solar photovoltaic panels to generate micro-electricity

2003

The UK Government introduces an initiative called ‘Clear Skies’ to support the growth of small-scale renewable technologies, such as solar thermal, wind, small-scale hydro, biomass and ground source heat pumps.

April 2006

The Low Carbon Buildings Programme was introduced in support of the Government’s strong commitment to achieving significant reductions in carbon. It offered grants towards the cost of installing domestic microgeneration technologies.

September 2006

BRE Global are awarded a contract to develop the ‘Microgeneration Certification Scheme’ (MCS), which underpinned the Low Carbon Buildings Programme, CERT (Carbon Emission Reduction Target), and wider government measures. This new scheme evaluates installers under robust criteria for each of the microgeneration technologies, allowing consumers greater protection and ensuring the effective spend of grants.

February 2008

MCS begins to evaluate products

September 2008

BRE Global’s contract ends and the then, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) appoint Gemserv Ltd as the new Microgeneration Certification Scheme Licensee.

October 2008

The scheme is re-launched and redeveloped as a quality assurance scheme to progress the microgeneration industry and help raise awareness. The scheme is now also open to other certification bodies who joined to assess and certify installers and products under the robust MCS standards. This increased competition in the market place.

June 2009

The Government’s Renewable Energy Strategy is published making it mandatory for consumers wishing to be eligible to receive the new electricity–based financial incentive, the Feed-in Tariff (FiT) to have their installation of microgeneration technologies carried out by a certified MCS installer with an approved MCS product.

April 2010

An MCS Installation Database (MID) goes live to installers for the registration of all their installations, which in turn generates an MCS certificate for consumers to keep as part of the records for the installation, and to use as evidence when applying for financial incentives.

May 2010

The Government announces that the future financial incentive for heat-based microgeneration technologies, the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), will require an MCS installation with an approved MCS product.

July 2013

MCS has its 500,000th registration made on the MCS Installation Database

April 2014

The Domestic RHI is successfully launched by DECC. MCS makes the recently updated standards mandatory, including a new domestic RHI metering guidance document, to ensure heat metering is completed accordingly by installers where required in order for customers to access the RHI.

January 2015

The MCS Steering Group unanimously agree that MCS should set up a Charity with MCS Service Company Ltd being wholly owned by that Charity. This would enable the scheme to make use of its reserves that had been built up and held on trust for DECC for the betterment of the Scheme.

March 2015

MCS Service Company Ltd officially begins trading.

October 2016

Registrations on the MCS Installation Database reach 1 million.

April 2018

MCS is made independent of government as the Novation process is completed with the scheme transferring to The MCS Foundation and the MCS Service Company.

October 2018

MCS appoints its first Chief Executive, Ian Rippin who sets a clear ambition to make the scheme stronger, simpler and fairer.

January 2019

The scheme relocates from London to a new headquarters at The Innovation Centre at Sci-Tech Daresbury in Liverpool City Region with a new ‘in-house’ delivery team.

February 2019

MCS announces its development of a certification scheme for battery energy storage systems in a move set to complement their certification of other microgeneration technologies.

Watch this space...

Our people are our power

Our people play an important role in achieving our strategic priorities, to deliver our mission, vision and values.

The team strive to inspire a new generation of home-grown energy, fit for the needs of every UK home and community.

The Board

Ian Rippin

Chief Executive

Adrian Ramsay

Chair

Jackie Graveney

Non-Executive Director

Sandra Walmsley

Trustee Director

Stephen Trotter

Non-Executive Director

THE MCS FOUNDATION

The independent, grant making MCS Foundation was created by the government as part of changes in the ownership of MCS (Microgeneration Certification Scheme Service Company Limited). MCS Charitable Foundation is the sole shareholder of MCS, receiving a percentage of the annual profits, which it will award in line with its charitable objectives.

The aim of The MCS Foundation is to protect and conserve the environment, by increasing confidence and awareness amongst the UK public of the value of renewables and low carbon technology.

Their vision is a world where everyone has access to affordable and reliable renewable energy and low carbon technologies – for the benefit of our environment, our communities and the UK public.

They plan to achieve this by setting quality standards for microgeneration products and installers, raising public awareness of renewables through education and engagement programmes and by promoting study and funding research into renewable and low carbon technology in order to drive innovation and widespread adoption.

Visit their website: www.mcsfoundation.org.uk