Ian Rippin has announced he is standing down as CEO of MCS (Microgeneration Certification Scheme), the UK's quality mark for small-scale renewable energy systems such as solar panels and heat pumps, after more than eight years in the role1. Lisa Cooke, currently MCS' Chief Operating Officer, has been recruited to succeed him and will lead MCS as its Managing Director, formally taking up the post on 1 August1.
Rippin was MCS' first Chief Executive, appointed following its separation from Government in 20181. MCS states that under his leadership annual certified installations have increased by more than 500%, with nearly 6,000 MCS certified businesses now delivering installations across the UK1. Cooke joined MCS shortly after Rippin in 2018 and has led the redevelopment of the MCS installer Scheme, which MCS says is now being rolled out to thousands of businesses1.
Rippin said the redeveloped installer Scheme is "set to transform the consumer protection landscape in the UK", adding that "now is the time for MCS to move to a new phase with new leadership"1.
"I am honoured to have been appointed as MCS' Managing Director at such a critical time. With 2026 already tracking to be the sixth consecutive record-breaking year for certified installations and the case for home-grown energy strengthening by the minute, MCS has a critical role to play in accelerating the UK's transition to home-grown energy."
Cooke said the redeveloped installer Scheme was intended to "put consumer protection at its heart"1. MCS states that 2026 is already tracking to be the sixth consecutive record-breaking year for certified installations1.
| Role | Name | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Managing Director, MCS | Lisa Cooke | From 1 August 20261 |
| CEO, MCS (standing down) | Ian Rippin | Full-time role ends December 20261 |
| CEO, MCS Group and The MCS Foundation | Dr Garry Felgate | Joined April 20251 |
Rippin will support Cooke through a handover and transition period until the end of 2026, when he will leave MCS in a full-time capacity; after that he will continue to support the wider MCS Group in a part-time consultancy role1. Cooke will be supported by MCS Group CEO Dr Garry Felgate, who joined in April 2025 to provide leadership to both MCS and The MCS Foundation, and will also join The MCS Foundation's Senior Leadership Team1.
Dr Garry Felgate, CEO of The MCS Foundation, said Rippin had "transformed not only MCS, but the small-scale renewable industry itself", and that Cooke had been appointed from within1. Karen Shearer, Chair of the Board of Directors of MCS, thanked Rippin for his leadership and congratulated Cooke on her appointment1.
Why it matters for households
MCS certification is the quality mark that sits behind most household solar panel and heat pump installations in the UK, and it is the route by which installers become eligible for government-backed schemes1. A change of leadership at the top of the scheme therefore touches the body that sets the standards installers must meet and that certifies the businesses householders are most likely to encounter when buying a small-scale renewable system.
MCS describes itself as the UK's standard setter and quality assurance scheme, and Cooke's statement frames its role as extending to consumer protection1. The redeveloped installer Scheme, which MCS says is being rolled out to thousands of businesses, is the mechanism through which that protection is delivered1. For a household weighing up a solar or heat pump installation, the practical relevance lies in how the scheme is enforced and how complaints and standards are handled, rather than in the identity of the chief executive.
The scale figures MCS gives, more than 500% growth in annual certified installations and nearly 6,000 certified businesses, indicate how widely the scheme now reaches into the domestic market1. MCS has not reported any change to certification requirements, fees or consumer complaint routes as part of this announcement.
What happens next
Lisa Cooke takes up the role of Managing Director on 1 August 20261. Ian Rippin remains in a handover and transition period until the end of 2026, then leaves his full-time role and continues with the wider MCS Group in a part-time consultancy capacity1. Cooke will shape and deliver MCS's next long-term strategy, according to MCS1. No further dates have been reported.