MCS is back for Solar & Storage Live 2023

4 September 2023

MCS is attending Solar & Storage Live 2023, the UK’s largest renewable energy exhibition, 17 – 19 October 2023 at the NEC Birmingham. 

At this year’s show, we will be showcasing our commitment to home-grown energy, training, and quality in the solar sector.   

Join us on stand O8 where we will be discussing how you can become MCS certified for solar PV and battery storage. 

For the second year running we will be partnering with Solar Energy UK to deliver the state-of-the-art Installer Training Hub. We will be hosting a range of sessions on how becoming certified for battery storage can help your consumers make the most of their electricity generated from solar power.  

On day 2 of the show, Green Economy will be joining us on stand. They will be giving away free three-month memberships to the first 20 people who visit them on stand!  

You’ll be able to catch us at a series of panel discussions throughout this year’s show. We have an impressive schedule lined up with a wealth of industry experts to teach you everything you need to know about solar, certification and skills.  

Everything Solar Taskforce 

Tuesday 17 October

On day one of the show, our CEO, Ian Rippin, will be joining Chair Chris Hewett, Chief Executive at Solar Energy UK, and other members of the UK’s Solar Taskforce to discuss what is needed from the Government, the industry, and the nation to reach our target of 70GW solar power capacity by 2035.

This panel will run from 9.50am – 10.20am in the Keynote Theatre. 

Joining Ian and Chris on the panel ‘The Creation of a Solar Taskforce to Power Up Solar Energy’ will be: 

Rt Hon Graham Stuart MP, Minister of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) 

Ben Fawcett, Head of Solar, EDF Renewables 

Alex DeSouza, General Counsel – EMEA, Lightsource bp 

Mark Wakeford, Chairman, EvoEnergy Ltd 

Later that day, from 4.20pm – 4.50pm, Ian will be joining solar industry experts on another panel at the Keynote Theatre on how the Solar Taskforce can ensure that we develop and deliver the skills and training needed for the future solar workforce.  

Ian will be joining the panel, ‘UK Solar Taskforce to Develop and Deliver the Skills Needed for the Future Solar Workforce’ with: 

Mark Wakeford, Chairman, EvoEnergy Ltd 

Jim Brown, Director, Energy Skills Partnership 

Andrew Eldred, Director, Workforce and Public Affairs, ECA 

John Davies, Chief Executive Officer, 2DegreesKelvin 

Thursday 19 October 

On day three, Ian will be joining Chair Gemma Grimes, Director of Policy at Solar Energy UK, to give a comprehensive overview of the opportunities to help reach the UK’s solar power ambitions and barriers we must overcome. The panel will investigate the role solar technologies and energy storage can play as the UK decarbonises and transitions to Net Zero. The panel will run from 10.30am – 11.00am at the Keynote Theatre. 

Ian will be joining Gemma on the panel, EAC (Environmental Audit Committee). Inquiry Examining Solar Energy Technologies’ along with: 

Jonathan Scurlock, Chief Adviser, Renewable Energy and Climate Change, National Farmers Union 

Gareth Williams, Managing Director, Caplor Energy 

Later that morning, MCS Scheme Manager, Alex Hughes, and Scheme Analyst, Adam Padilla, will be co-chairing a panel on the latest MCS data on solar PV. Solar PV uptake continues to grow at pace on homes and small businesses across the UK. 2022 saw more registered installations than 2020 and 2021 combined, and more than 100,000 small-scale certified solar PV installations were recorded in the first half of 2023 alone. 

Join us from 11.30am-12.00pm at the Everything Installer Theatre, to learn about the policy packages that are driving this uptake, why Scotland and Wales are leading the way and what lessons the home nations can learn from each other. 

Future Leaders:

On Thursday afternoon, 2.30pm-3.00pm, we’re excited to share that the Future Leaders Cohort will be taking the stage to discuss creating high-quality informative resources for children and parents relating to net zero and carbon literacy. 

The Future Leaders Programme is a nine-month, immersive experience, which equips participants with a unique set of leadership skills to tackle climate change related issues. Join the panel to hear from Richard Cartlidge, the director of the programme and Ian Rippin, CEO of MCS, who will discuss why Future Leaders was created and uncover the programme’s successes so far. The cohort will then take to the stage to ask you the question what more can we do together to empower the next generation to achieve Net Zero? 

This panel will take place at the Commercial and Industrial Solar Theatre. 

In attendance from the Future Leaders Cohort, will be: 

George Bailey, Head of Operations, Kiwa CMT 

Olivia Broad, Portfolio Co-ordinator, Environment Agency 

Charlotte Bislick, Project Services Manager, The British Board of Agrément 

Jonathan King, Registration Services Manager, OFTEC 

Ceri Henderson, Team Leader, Certsure LLP 

More details on our range of dedicated Solar & Storage Live events and networking opportunities will be shared across our social media channels in the coming weeks. Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter to stay up to date.  

Register for Solar & Storage Live 2023 here. 

For more information on the event, including a full list of exhibitors, visit the official website here.