MCS (Microgeneration Certification Scheme), the standards organisation for small-scale domestic renewable energy and heating across the UK, has appointed Simply Certification as its newest contractor certification body (CB) for the installation of small-scale renewables, in an announcement dated 19 June 20231. The same announcement states that MCS has launched its Scheme Redevelopment Consultation, which is inviting views on proposals to transform the way the scheme operates1.
Simply Certification is the second CB appointed by MCS since 2022, and now offers MCS certification alongside APHC, NICEIC, HETAS, OFTEC, NAPIT and the IAA1. It became UKAS (UK Accreditation Service) accredited in April to assess contractors to MCS standards, and its client base of over 200 construction organisations, plus new clients it attracts, can now gain MCS certification to install low-carbon technologies1. It is licensed under MCS to deliver assessments for air source heat pumps (ASHP), ground and water source heat pumps (G/WSHP), solar PV and solar heating technologies1.
Ian Rippin, CEO of MCS, said:
"Simply Certification join us at an exciting and pivotal time in MCS's history as we launch our Scheme Redevelopment Consultation. This is inviting views on proposals to transform the way that the scheme operates."
Alexandra Gates, Managing Director at Simply Certification, said the company had put in place an MCS assessor infrastructure with a base of assessors stretching from Scotland down to the Isle of Wight1. Richard Wiffen, Scheme Manager at Simply Certification, said its focus and expertise is within the built environment, delivering a range of ISO standards as well as PAS 2030 and now MCS Certification1.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| New certification body | Simply Certification1 |
| Accreditation | UKAS accredited in April to assess contractors to MCS standards1 |
| Technologies covered | ASHP, G/WSHP, solar PV, solar heating1 |
| Position | Second CB appointed by MCS since 20221 |
| Other CBs named | APHC, NICEIC, HETAS, OFTEC, NAPIT, IAA1 |
Why it matters for households
MCS certification is the route by which installers of small-scale renewables and heating are assessed against scheme standards, so the number and reach of certification bodies affects how many contractors can hold that certification and how the MCS scheme operates in practice. The appointment adds a certification body whose assessors cover an area described as stretching from Scotland to the Isle of Wight1, which bears on the practical availability of certified installers across the UK, including those listed among national home energy installers.
The consultation matters because it concerns proposals to change how the scheme itself operates1, and consultations are the stage at which such rules are proposed, decided and changed, as set out in energy consultations. For a household considering generating or heating its own home, the certification framework governs which installers can carry out the work and under what standards, which is part of the wider picture of household energy independence.
What happens next
The announcement does not give a closing date for the Scheme Redevelopment Consultation, nor a timetable for any changes to the scheme. Those details have not been reported in the material published on 19 June 20231.
Sources1 cited
- Simply Certification becomes the newest MCS certification body - MCS, mcscertified.com