Opinion
Partner organisation MCS presents its regular column for REI
However , it was the unpredictability of the various grant schemes and the introduction of the Code for Sustainable Homes and the Merton Rule that led us to concentrate our early efforts on the newbuild market – both residential and commercial . By keeping this as a major part of our client base , we have been protected from the extreme boom and busts of the feed-in tariff and ROC schemes . Fast forwarding to 2017 , the feed-in tariff has done a great job in helping to kick-start the UK ’ s solar PV industry : there are now over 870,000 solar powered buildings with some 3.5 GW of rooftop solar installed in the UK . Photon Energy has installed over 21 MW of roofmounted PV and boasts an impressive array of clients in both the new build and retro-fit markets . But what now ? The feed-in tariff has been effectively scrapped , the Renewables Obligation scheme has been closed , but they have by and large done their job . For the last 5 years , the rationale for installing solar has been to maximize the revenue from a subsidy , and so the decision to install a rooftop solar system has been a financial one and not an energy one . This will change . With the value of “ displaced ” electricity worth between 5 and 6 times more than the generation tariff , the revenues from the feed-in tariff are increasingly irrelevant . Rooftop solar systems are now being designed to maximise on-site energy use rather than fitting as many panels as possible on a roof to maximise income from a subsidy . Today , a 250kW system installed for £ 900 / kWp , on a building where all of the electricity is used on site , an IRR of 7 % can be achieved with no feedin-tariff ; the same calculation for a 50kW system installed for £ 1000 / kWp gives an IRR of 5 %. The solar industry needs to be planning for a post-subsidy world and we need to be working now to ensure that we influence the landscape . Mechanisms such as Enhanced Capital Allowances for solar PV should be introduced , priority grid access maintained with guaranteed export revenues . This would allow us to continue our journey towards subsidy free solar … and be free of the meddling and interference by politicians .
The Microgeneration Certification Scheme ( MCS ) has published the following : MCS 001 A new version of MCS 001 ( Installer Certification Scheme Requirements – Issue 3.0 ) has been published including updates which correlate with the competence terminology within MCS 025 . Further updates to the standard include updated definitions , company detail requirements and amendments to the scope . Appendix A has also been updated to provide further clarification regarding the requirements for a Quality Management System ( QMS ) which are assessed as part of the certification process . MCS Contractors who are certificated to MCS 001 must commence working in accordance with this update by 16th March 2017 . MGD 001 A new MCS guidance document was created to complement MCS 001 . The guidance provides examples of how the requirements of MCS 001 could be met and how the requirements should be interpreted . The standard and guidance document are available via the link below : http :// www . microgenerationcertification . org / mcsstandards / installer-standards QMS Templates The Scheme have developed Quality Management System Templates which can be used by installers in conjunction with the relevant standard to help construct a Quality Management System . While a QMS system is generally the norm for medium to large companies , for small companies it may be something they are not familiar with . To make it as straight forward as possible , MCS have provided the following QMS templates that can be used in conjunction with the relevant standard to help construct a Quality Management System . We have provided templates for both companies and sole traders , recognising the different approaches needed in each case . It is important to read the introductory notes to understand how to build a complete QMS using the appendices and spreadsheets . Templates have been provided for the following :
• Complaints • Installer Company Documented Procedure Manual • Contracts • Installer Sole Trader Documented Procedure • Document & Data Control • Suppliers • Equipment The templates are available via the link below : http :// www . microgenerationcertification . org / mcsstandards / qms-templates
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