Renewables attracts good engineers and it attracts high-pressure sales operations. The certifications exist to help you tell them apart, so it is worth knowing what each one actually covers.
What the badges mean
- MCS — certifies the installation standard and is required for Smart Export Guarantee payments
- NICEIC Approved Contractor — assesses the electrical work itself against BS 7671
- RECC — a consumer code covering contracts, deposits and sales conduct
Questions worth asking
- Who physically carries out the work — employed engineers or subcontractors you will not meet?
- Is the DNO application included, and who submits it?
- What generation figure are you quoting, and is it from an MCS-standard calculation?
- What is the workmanship warranty, and what happens if a panel fails in year eight?
- Is scaffolding included in the price?
Red flags
A discount that expires today. A quote produced without anyone looking at the roof. A payback figure that assumes you use 100% of what you generate. Any pressure to sign on the first visit. A serious installer is happy for you to think about it.
Our team came out of utility-scale solar and battery projects — 50 MW BESS sites and 10 MW solar farms. The standards we work to at home are the ones we worked to there.
