Focus on MCS - Who are they and what do they do?
MCS, and the industry it works with, face interesting times.
The UK domestic renewable energy sector has radically changed since our organisation was formed in 2007. Since then nearly 1.2 million homes have been fitted with renewable energy technology and the cost of installations has dropped by approximately 65%.
Whilst hugely positive, these changes have led to some immediate challenges for us and our sector, as the UK Government has amended its renewable energy policies away from consumer incentives.
Established subsidy schemes like the Feed in Tariff (FiT) and Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) have either closed (FiT) or will come to an end (RHI) in March 2022. The Smart Export Guarantee will go some way to replacing the FiT (with MCS at its core), but it’s also fair to say that the domestic renewable energy market has fundamentally altered, with Government-backed incentives no longer the key consumer driver they were.
So, what does the future look like and what role will MCS play?
The Government announcement in June 2019, affirming its commitment to net zero carbon emissions by 2050 is a really important step. Domestic energy will play a huge part in achieving this target and that’s why we have set ourselves an equally ambitious goal: To see MCS certified products and installations in every UK home and community.
Achieving this goal won’t be easy but I firmly believe two factors will be central to future success – quality and confidence.
The certification schemes we operate are a mark of quality. Since 2018 that’s even more the case, as we’ve redoubled our commitment to effective compliance and enforcement. We want to make the schemes we operate stronger, fairer and simpler so the quality of the installers and product manufacturers we work with really shines through. We also want to embrace emerging technologies like battery storage so that we can offer assurance across the full spectrum of renewable energy products and services.
Working in this way is how we’ll build consumer confidence. Deciding to invest in renewable energy is a big step for many, made more difficult by confusing language and complex financial models. As an organisation we want to cut through all of this, which is why we see our central purpose as: ‘Giving people confidence in home-grown energy’.
Something ‘home-grown’ is something that matters to people personally – something they can take pride in. That’s exactly the feeling we want to create across the UK as we help more and more people embrace a home-grown energy future. It’s an exciting prospect and one we at MCS are fully committed to making a positive reality.
With energy costs constantly rising and climate change affecting us all – low-carbon technology has a bigger and bigger role to play in the future of UK energy.
We’re here to ensure it’s a positive one.
Working with industry we define, maintain and improve quality – certifying products and installers so people can have confidence in the low-carbon technology they invest in. From solar and wind, to heat pumps, biomass and battery storage, we want to inspire a new generation of home-grown energy, fit for the needs of every UK home and community.