MCS removed Hero Renewables Limited from the Microgeneration Certification Scheme on 10 February 2022, following breaches of its standards1. The company, registered as company number 08635152, is no longer MCS certified1.
MCS said it acted after receiving numerous complaints about the company. Its compliance team investigated several installations completed by Hero Renewables and found what it described as significant failings and non-conformities against the standards1. Hero Renewables was suspended from the scheme on 16 December 2021 and given until 31 January 2022 to provide a comprehensive improvement plan covering both the specific non-conformities and how future installations would avoid the systemic failings behind them1. MCS said the company did not provide an adequate response to that request, and it then removed Hero Renewables entirely from the scheme1.
"Following complaints relating to Hero Renewables, we investigated and identified issues with installations that did not comply with our standards. To safeguard consumer interests, we work to ensure that installations carried out by our certified contractors are delivered to a high quality and in line with the MCS standards."
MCS directs anyone seeking further information or advice to its helpdesk on 0333 103 8130 or at hello@mcscertified.com1. No figure has been reported for the number of installations affected, the number of complaints received, or the value of any work involved.
Why it matters for households
MCS certification is the route by which a household installation can be recognised under the scheme, and it is the certification that sits behind access to certain consumer protections and to some government incentives for renewable installations. A company that is no longer MCS certified cannot issue MCS certificates for its work, which affects the paperwork a household would hold for an installation. The MCS Certification for Solar PV Installations page sets out what that certification covers, and MCS: The Microgeneration Certification Scheme Explained explains how the scheme and its compliance process work.
For a household that already has an installation from this company, the practical questions concern the certificate and any warranty or remedial route, and MCS has not reported in this statement what happens to certificates already issued or to installations already completed. For a household considering a new installation, the removal means this company cannot currently be found as a certified contractor. Checking a company's current status on the scheme is the point at which certification is verified, and the installers and retailers section covers how installers are listed and what certification means for a household's energy independence.
What happens next
MCS has not reported any further steps, any timetable for a possible return to the scheme, or any process for households with existing installations from Hero Renewables. The statement gives the helpdesk contact for further information1.
Sources1 cited
- MCS statement on Hero Renewables Limited - MCS, mcscertified.com