TÜV Rheinland has been unveiled as the new renewable product certification body for the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS).
The company is the first MCS product certification body based outside of Europe. The partnership will focus on the certification of solar panels at first, and a plan to cover heat pumps in future.
MCS is the accreditation body for small-scale renewable and heating installations in the UK, setting standards for installers and product manufacturers. Product certification to MCS standards is managed by 71 manufacturers of solar products. TÜV Rheinland will assess products to ensure that they comply with the quality standards required by MCS and will issue products with the MCS certification mark.
Ian Rippin, chief executive of MCS, said: “The UK’s demand for solar powered homes has never been higher, and is set to increase further under UK government plans to increase solar capacity by nearly fivefold to 70 GW by 2035 as part of wider plans to power up Britain with cleaner, cheaper, and more secure energy sources.”
He added: “Accredited product certification bodies play a critical role in strengthening the UK supply chain for renewable technologies and will help broaden choice for installers and consumers alike. This is a significant relationship for us, TÜV Rheinland is a large and well-respected certification body, and the partnership will help us to champion quality and grow the number of certified products.”
Technical experts from TÜV Rheinland, Dr. Christos Monokroussos and Li Weichun, have joined the MCS Solar PV and Battery Storage Working Groups, and bring their expertise to help MCS formulate new standards.
Kimmo Fuller, executive vice-president of TÜV Rheinland Business Stream Products stated: “Our partnership with MCS is an opportunity to take renewable energy technology to new heights in the UK. Our longstanding commitment to sustainability and global presence in renewable energy will contribute to innovation, product reliability, and efficiency. We’re reinforcing the vision of MCS certification as the gold standard in homes and communities across the country.”
The rollout of heat pumps in the UK has been going slowly, with only around 17,000 people using the government subsidy to install a heat pump out of 90,000 available vouchers. Despite the slow pace of heat pump growth, MCS recorded 2022 as a record-breaking year for heat pumps with more than 30,000 MCS-certified installations registered.
