Why Choosing an Accredited Renewable Energy Installer Matters
It’s a great thing that the demand for commercial and domestic renewable energy solutions is growing across the UK. Business owners, landlords, and homeowners are becoming increasingly wary of a future defined by uncertainties and new disruptions to energy margins, spiralling inflation and increasingly chaotic weather events that disrupt global supply chains.
While renewable technologies have been gradually gaining traction across the country for years now, the mid-2020s marks a turning point for our collective frustration, and a new drive to distance ourselves from old systems that keep us at the mercy of the international fossil fuel industry.
But this new landscape also means that finding the right company to work with is getting harder, rather than easier, since so many newcomers are throwing their hats into the ring. It’s an exciting, rewarding line of work to be in, but experience and having the right accreditations are vital to ensuring that investments into renewable solutions pay off as promised.
Fitted right, these technologies can last well into the future, paying for themselves in lower energy bills and increased energy security – along with other incentives, like the Export Tariff.
It’s not about who has the most badges, but about who has the right ones. Here’s what you need to know.
MCS Accreditation
MCS (Microgeneration Certification Scheme) maintains the industry standards for small-scale commercial and domestic renewable installations. The term small-scale applies to electrical solutions like solar up to 50kW, and 45kW or 70kW for heating solutions like heat pumps (for single or multiple-unit installations respectively). It demonstrates that our installation process and the products we use meet that high standard.
MCS certification doesn’t just demonstrate our industry strengths to customers, it’s also incredibly important to the homes and businesses we work for. Without MCS certification on installations, many insurers and lenders won’t offer coverage – and you can’t apply certification to installations after the fact, even if your installer is certified shortly after the work finishes.
It’s not just about making sure that your installer is certified, but that your installation will be certified, too.
Manufacturer Partnerships: Mitsubishi Diamond Quality Partner and Tesla Accreditation
Manufacturers exist in an increasingly competitive market, too, as more of the country commits to renewable energy solutions. Accreditations and partnerships from leading manufacturers mean that an installer has passed their own strict review process, and that they are considered a strong representative of the brand.
At GSM Ltd, we are a Mitsubishi Diamond Quality Partner and hold Tesla Accreditation. We know that these manufacturers are operating at the forefront of the industry, and are as happy to use them in our installations as they are to be working with us.
NICEIC Approved Contractors
The National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting covers both commercial and domestic electrical installation, and maintains strict criteria for approval of individuals and businesses carrying out electrical work. They ensure work complies with vital codes of practice, that the installer meets the relevant insurance requirements, and that all work and complaints are properly reported – among many other things.
Beyond Accreditation
It’s not just about the badges on the website, although having the right ones is imperative. It’s also about feeling sure that your installation will be completed efficiently, cleanly, and to the same levels of quality and consistency they have established in the past.
This is where working with a strong, core team of in-house installers matters so much to us. Rather than subcontracting parts of the installation work out to external individuals and businesses, we keep everything within the GSM Ltd ecosystem. This means all our work (whether it’s a large scale 50kW installation on a commercial site or a smaller, domestic install) is carried out to the same standard, and that you can feel sure of the level of quality we will bring to the site – not just in terms of the install itself, but in terms of our quick, efficient approach to keeping installation processes pain-free.
