MCS
Following the announcement that the Green Homes Grant would close to new applications on 31st March, Griff Thomas from GTEC has urged heating installers look beyond government consumer initiatives and keep faith in renewable technology as the future of heat in the UK.
The report identifies commonalities in areas where small-scale renewables are particularly prevalent or scarce creating, what MCS calls, forests or deserts of renewable technologies.
The webinars, hosted by OFTEC and in partnership with MCS, consist of three short sessions developed in response to feedback from technicians and will primarily focus on heat pump technologies.
MCS is to consult on a new route to certification, removing one of the current barriers to participation in the scheme.
Rumours have surfaced today that the Green Home Grant Voucher Scheme (GHGVS) will be scrapped in Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s budget announcement, coming next week. Highlighted by nearly 20 organisations representing or working within energy efficiency and low carbon heating sector, scrapping the scheme will put jobs in jeopardy and endanger the UK’s abilities to reach net zero targets at risk.
Premature closure of the Green Homes Grant Scheme would put jobs in jeopardy, dash the dreams of homeowners and put the UK’s Net Zero target at significant risk
It has been just over three months since the government’s Green Homes Grant was rolled out for consumers and installers alike, yet the scheme has already been beset by teething problems. The most pressing issue is that of installer uptake and availability. Under its terms, installers must be Trustmark, PAS or MCS certified to carry out the eligible home improvements; however, consumer demand for the scheme has seemingly outstripped supply.
REI spoke with the founders, Richard Smith & Bobby Worcester, to find out a little more about what they offer
Building services training provider, GTEC, in partnership with the MCS, has won an almost £1M bid to help existing trades people access discounted training in heat pumps and solar thermal, in order to meet the demand presented by the Green Homes Grant (GHG) – the government’s scheme to improve the energy efficiency of UK housing stock.
At the recent Solar & Storage 2020 live conference (2-4 Dec), one point that was consistently raised in the webinars was the critical role installers play in the road to net zero.
MCS launches new partnership with the Independent Warranty Association (IWA) to ease access to insurance backed guarantees (IBG)
Following the Government announcement of national restrictions to commence on the 5th November, MCS took to social media to highlight that tradespeople are allowed to continue working and access customers’ homes, if the customer is in agreement and the guidance on distancing is followed.
Following the launch of the government’s Green Homes Grant on 30th September, Ian Rippin, CEO of MCS, calls for improvements to be made for the long-term benefit of installers and consumers alike and highlights the challenges presented by the scheme;
“Since the launch of the Green Homes Grant, we have been fielding calls on a daily basis from installers seeking clarity and expressing their concerns over what they feel are flaws in the scheme.
MCS have collaborated with the Independent Warranty Association (IWA) and undertaken system development to enable contractors to raise an IBG for their consumer at the point of raising the MCS certificate for an installation.
A survey conducted by MCS has revealed that almost half of their certified contractors believe that the Green Homes Grant should be extended to 18 months or more.
National certification scheme MCS (Microgeneration Certification Scheme) has published a new update of their Solar PV Standard. The timely new standard comes as strong signs of recovery can be seen after a turbulent 18-months for Solar PV installers.
The latest government update opening the new Green Homes Grant scheme up to domestic renewable technology installations including Heat Pumps and Solar Thermal, places MCS certified contractors at its core to ensure quality.
The early signs of recovery witnessed in the UK’s domestic renewable energy installation market has positively continued into June as the country continues to emerge from lockdown.
The guide has been collaboratively crafted by MCS in partnership with Renewable Energy Consumer Code (RECC), Energy Saving Trust and Heat Pump Association (HPA). It streamlines advice by providing a single source of best practice on technical guidance and consumer protection.
The Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) is reporting early signs of a recovery in the domestic renewable installation market.
The Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) has called for a review of the limited £100 million funding that government has provisionally made available for its proposed Clean Heat Grant scheme (CHGS).
MCS is inviting installers to take part in a number of interactive webinar sessions designed to explain the impact of changes recently made to the scheme requirements.
The chief executive of MCS said he could see some early signs of recovery in the UK’s domestic renewable energy installation market as the government’s coronavirus lockdown restrictions begin to lift, but warned investment in a green economy was needed to increase economic and environmental resilience.
It follows the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) launching the ‘Future support for low carbon heat’ consultation, detailing its proposals for support mechanisms following the closure of the non-domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI).