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BESCA has formed a strategic alliance with independent certification body NICEIC
to provide a one-stop shop for HVCA members to access NICEIC's Microgeneration Certification Scheme and BESCA's Competent Person Scheme.
What is the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS)?
Government's microgeneration strategy is designed to promote the installation of low carbon and renewable on-site energy technologies, commonly referred to as "microgeneration".
Sponsored by the Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC), the MCS offers consumers, who are often unfamiliar with these technologies, third-party certification of installation companies and products. It offers enhanced consumer protection and a route for any complaints. The Scheme also ensures that consumers get accurate estimations of the likely performance of microgeneration technologies.
To encourage take-up of microgeneration, Government has introduced funding mechanisms for consumers such as Feed-in Tariffs (FIT) and the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI)
but this funding is only available where the installation work is carried out by an installer who is a member of a Microgeneration Certification Scheme.
Why do I need competent person membership as well?
It is a requirement of MCS membership that all installation work complies with UK
law. For example, the Building Regulations require that all such installation work
must be notified to Local Authority Building Control. Businesses will need to be
able to demonstrate that they have a notification process in place for this.
Being a member of a Competent Persons Scheme is the simplest way to meet this requirement.
Being registered with a relevant Competent Person Scheme will enable microgeneration
work carried out to be notified to Local Authority Building Control under the appropriate
parts of the Building Regulations. Subject to a successful NICEIC application and
audit, membership of the BESCA Competent Person Scheme is provided at no additional
cost for Parts G (Plumbing), J (Combustion Appliances and Fuel Storage) and L (Conservation
of Fuel and Power).
Is your business an HVCA Member and do you plan to install Solar PV, Heat Pumps, Solar Thermal, Micro Wind or Biomass?
If the answer is yes, join us and gain MCS Registration through BESCA’s alliance with NICEIC to:
- allow your customers to gain access to grant funding including the new Feed-in Tariffs and Renewable Heat Incentive from July 2011 - see note
below on availability;
- establish yourself as a Competent Person for installing the specified technologies;
- benefit from additional marketing through BESCA, NICEIC and the MCS licensing body, Gemserv;
- promote to your customers and clients the financial benefits
of generating their own energy supply;
- diversify into the fast moving energy efficiency market to capture new opportunities for your organisation.
Which Environmental Technologies are covered?
Note: RHI grants for commercial work are available from July this year. Grants
for domestic work will become available autumn 2012. Currently air source heat pumps
are not in scope of the RHI, an announcement on inclusion is expected later this
year.
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