The IAA will be able to certify contractors for the installation of solar PV and solar heating. Image: MCS.
MCS has appointed the Insulation Assurance Authority (IAA) as a certification body for the installation of small-scale renewables.
The partnership represents the first new-to-scheme contractor certification body in over a decade.
“We are delighted to announce the new partnership between MCS and The IAA as we are both driven by complementary visions on decarbonisation and meeting the scale of government retrofit targets by 2050,” said Ian Rippin, CEO of MCS.
“Importantly, we work closely with our certification bodies to provide real confidence in quality renewable technologies to consumers. Joining forces with The IAA, will allow MCS to expand our industry reach, help us to champion quality and to grow the number of MCS certified installers which currently stands at 2,673.”
The IAA is UKAS accredited, allowing it to assess the work of contractors on the basis of MCS’s standards.
It has a membership base of 140, and new members will now be able to become certified to install small-scale renewables through the IAA. The technologies covered include air source heat pumps (ASHP) and ground source heat pumps (GSHP), as well as the installation of solar PV and solar heating.
“As a new MCS certification body our team is delighted to be able to offer installers certification for energy efficiency technologies,” said Simona Marcucci, head of customer operations at The IAA.
“Once installers have provided confirmation that they are signed up to a consumer code we can start the onboarding process. As long as installers are audit-ready, we can onboard in 12 working days. We look forward to building a strong working relationship with MCS, a company that has quality at the heart of everything it does.”
MCS – the Microgeneration Certification Scheme – launched a new online Data Dashboard earlier in November, to provide data and analysis on the volume of renewable energy installations in the UK. This followed it launching the first battery installation standard in Britain in 2021.