MCS Charges Ahead with Battery Storage Certification Scheme
25 February 2019
NATIONAL CERTIFICATION scheme MCS (Microgeneration Certification Scheme) has today announced its development of a certification scheme for battery energy storage systems in a move set to complement their certification of other microgeneration technologies.
With a pilot, set to launch mid-2019, the new battery storage scheme will better equip the industry to roll out energy storage installations whilst ensuring consumer protection.
MCS is a quality assurance scheme, supported by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS). It provides the framework for the certification of microgeneration technologies used to produce electricity and heat from low carbon sources.
The announcement comes following the growing adoption of energy storage technologies to maximise renewable energy in the UK and create a flexible electricity grid.
The MCS certification scheme for battery storage systems will also build upon a project funded by the MCS Charitable Foundation which explores self-consumption of solar PV electricity with and without battery storage systems.
Chris Roberts, MCS Director leading on this new project said: “We have been working hard on the development of this certification which really complements existing technologies. The move reflects the convergence between technologies as internet connectivity develops and smart meters are rolled out.”
Ian Rippin, chief executive of MCS added: “As we continue to support the sector, our battery storage scheme will be backed by scheme requirements managed independently and impartially. This is all about enabling the industry to deliver the best outcomes for the consumers that it serves.
Registrations under this scheme will sit alongside existing small-scale renewable energy installations that are currently held centrally within the MCS Installation Database. For Installers this represents a one-stop-shop for all of their registrations without the need to access a different system. For consumers, it delivers the benefit of being able to search for all of their renewable energy needs, including battery storage solutions, in one place.”
Chris Hewett, chief executive at the Solar Trade Association welcomed the news. He said: “For our members, this is a natural extension to the existing MCS scheme. Increasingly consumers are seeing the benefit of marrying solar to battery storage, so I welcome the evolution of the MCS to embrace this. I’m particularly pleased that this represents a one-stop solution as it is very important to our members that certification processes become faster and more cost-effective.”
This robust certification is set to wrap around installations and products in order to truly protect consumers and drive best practice.