Image: MCS.
The Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) has published its standard for the installation of battery energy storage systems.
The scheme comes after several months of development, with input from Tesla, sonnen, Moixa, Powervault, the Solar Trade Association (STA) and the Renewable Energy Association, among others.
It is set to complement the certification of other microgeneration technologies, outlining the installation requirements for MCS certified installers who supply, design and install battery storage systems up to 50kW.
Registrations under the scheme are to sit alongside existing small-scale renewable energy installations that are currently held centrally within the MCS Installation Database.
The scheme is currently being piloted with volunteer installers, with the MCS expecting Certification Bodies to be in a position to accept applications for certification against the standard towards the middle of the year.
Ian Rippin, chief executive of the MCS, said the scheme is about enabling the industry to deliver the best outcomes for the consumers it serves.
“For installers this represents a one-stop-shop for all of their registrations without the need to access a different system,” Rippin continued.
The scheme was first announced in February 2019, with a consultation launched in July.
MCS director Chris Roberts, who led the project to deliver the standard in collaboration with technical author Graham Kenyon and the working group, said: “We aim to protect customers investing in this exciting technology whilst also helping the industry grow by defining what constitutes good practice in the sale, design and installation of these systems.”
The MCS has teamed up with both the STA and the RECC in the past few months to create certificates for solar PV, battery storage and wind installations now including RECC membership.
Additionally, new STA members are now to receive ten MCS credits worth £30 each, with existing members able to claim five free credits per year as part of a new offering from the duo.
The new battery storage standard can be found here.