The Renewable Technology Collective became MCS-certified for air source heat pumps in February 2024, according to an Energy Saving Trust case study published on 24 September 20251. The company has been running full-time since January 2024 and operates in Angus, Tayside and Aberdeenshire, where it mainly fits and maintains clean heating technologies1.
The business specialises in air-to-water heat pumps and mainly installs Vaillant and Samsung systems with Homely controls1. Its founder, Peter Emmerson, has 21 years of industry experience and has worked on over 600 heat pump projects across Scotland1. The team consists of Peter and Ally, with additional subcontractors brought in for larger projects1. Plans are in place to start installing ground source heat pumps later in the year covered by the case study1.
Certification took two months, which the case study attributes to Peter's experience, and he received financial assistance through the MCS Certification Fund1. The case study describes the process as rigorous but valuable for ensuring high installation standards, and states that certification has allowed the company to design and install systems more effectively and has boosted customer confidence1. The team holds qualifications including unvented hot water certification, water regulations, electrical safe isolation, BPEC certification, low-temperature design expertise and F-gas certification1.
On installation quality, the case study quotes Peter Emmerson:
"I've seen so many heat pump installations where it's not the heat pump that's at fault; it's poor installation practices and we've had to go in and carry out work to move it to a place where it finally delivers for the customer."
The case study also quotes him on the company's approach to system design:
"We look at the whole system and how we can ensure that it's delivering heat properly, where we can optimise it, areas we can gain efficiency and ultimately reduce people's running costs whilst delivering comfort."
Why it matters for households
MCS certification is the scheme that underpins access to government-backed incentives for home heating in the UK, and it is the marker households are usually told to check when choosing an installer. The certification held by this company covers air source heat pumps only1; the case study does not state that it covers ground source systems, and no date is given for when that work would begin beyond a plan to start "later this year"1.
For a household, the practical relevance is twofold. First, an MCS-certified installer is one route to qualifying for support schemes, so the number of certified businesses in a given area affects how much choice a homeowner has locally. Second, the case study's account of poor installation practices points to design and commissioning quality, rather than the heat pump unit itself, as a common cause of disappointing results1. The company's stated focus on whole-system design, controls and low-temperature operation reflects the areas where heat pump standards, testing and certification and MCS certified installers matter to a home's running costs and comfort.
The case study does not report prices, grant amounts, or the number of installations completed by the company. It also does not report how many MCS-certified heat pump businesses operate in Angus, Tayside and Aberdeenshire, so no comparison of local installer availability is possible from this material.
What happens next
The case study states that plans are in place to start installing ground source heat pumps later in the year, that the company intends to expand its operations and educate more customers, and that a further trainee may join1. No dates are given for any of these steps, and no further announcements have been reported.
Sources1 cited
- The Renewable Technology Collective case study - Energy Saving Trust, energysavingtrust.org.uk