We
think this is frankly ridiculous and although the MCS approval process does
regulate the professional installation community it prevents perfectly capable
individuals from perusing the DIY route. Surely the whole point of all this is
to help people been greener for an affordable price!
This same MCS approval is also required for solar
panels and wind turbines. Solar panels have had a perfectly good certification
scheme in the rest of Europe for many, many years. Why on earth the UK gov had
to invent a new one when the existing one was absolutely fine for many of the other
countries like Germany, Spain and France. The MCS approval cost for wind
turbine manufacturers is astronomical and prevents small, innovative UK
companies from competing against huge non UK manufacturers who quite often
copy UK designs. This surely can’t be right?
Anyway, rant over we have heard the there are an increasing
number of MCS Installers who will let you "help" them with the
install. The extent of that help depends on the installer and can be anything
form you putting up the scaffolding to doing all the solar panel installation, inverter and cabling work.
All MCS approved installers have to do an install to gain their MCS so you can
sometimes find an pre MCS approved company that will bite your hand off to
install a kit that you have financed for them.
Our advice is to phone up a few electricians who might
be thinking of getting MCS approval but haven't got the cash to buy a kit. Obviously we can't recommend you do anything that doesn't conform to the official MCS, "jobs for the boys" regulations. We can certainly make our point though!
The Mysolarshop team.
