There has been another major update to the Microgeneration Certificate Scheme ("MCS"). MCS is the installation standard which enables customers to access the generous Government subsidies such as the renewable heat incentive. In this blog, we discuss the implications of the changes, and how working with Alto Energy ensures compliance to enable our clients to continue to benefit.
What is MCS?
The Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) is a nationally recognised quality assurance scheme, supported by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, which is a requirement for a company who wish to commission renewable heating products, such as heat pumps.
MCS is also an eligibility requirement for the Government's financial incentives including the Renewable Heat Incentive ("RHI"). This means that if you don't deal with a fully MCS accredited company to commission your heat pump then you could miss out on thousands of pounds of government incentives.
What's Changed in Version 5.0
The main change has centred around the production of the Heat Pump Performance Estimate. Confusingly, MCS has historically used a different calculation method to Ofgem when it comes to working out the annual energy requirement of a property. This has led to big mismatches between the amount of RHI a customer might expect to get, which is clearly a problem for both the customer and the MCS
Under Version 5.0, MCS installers are required to obtain either SAP Calculations or a copy of the Energy Performance Certificate. The figures from these documents are then used within the new MCS Heat Pump Performance Estimate, which includes an estimate of the funding one can expect from the Renewable Heat Incentive.
The existing room-by-room heat loss calculations are still completed, however this is for the purposes of sizing the heat pump, and ensuring that the emitters (i.e. the underfloor heating or the radiators) are appropriately sized to match the design flow temperature for the heat pump system.
Confused? Fear not...
MCS has never been simple. For sole traders, or businesses for whom heat pump installations represents a small proportion of their usual business, obtaining MCS certification represents a significant investment in time and responsibility.
Whilst being the sole distributor for IVT, Alto Energy and has also obtained MCS accreditation in order to provide genuine added value for our clients. Under our MCS umbrella scheme, Alto Energy takes responsibility for the design and sizing of the heat pump system, and provides a commissioning and MCS registration service.
The Alto Energy Service
MCS DESIGN & COMMISSIONING PACKAGE
Alto Energy’s “MCS Design & Commissioning Package” includes the following services to ensure MCS compliance:
- Heat loss calculations in accordance with MIS3005 (the MCS standard for heat pumps)
- Performance estimation in the mandatory format
- Ground loop selection (ground source only)
- Radiator/emitter sizing
- Plant schematic
- Commissioning by an Alto Energy engineer
- MCS Compliance Certificate
- MCS Certificate
- HIES Workmanship Warranty
- Building Regulations Certificate
- Full End-User Handover Pack
This service will enable an MCS certificate to be registered for the project, providing the customer with access to numerous benefits, the most significant of which is the Renewable Heat Incentive, which rewards customers with annual payments for the renewable heat generated by the heat pump.
WORKING WITH ALTO ENERGY
If you are an Installer or Developer, choose Alto Energy as your heat pump specialist to get access to all the benefits of MCS. Through our MCS umbrella scheme, we offer the MCS Design & Commissioning Package on all the heat pump products we supply.