MCS accreditation 'still vital'

In response to the news item published in H&V News on 19 October (Last minute delay to RHI launch ‘very embarrassing’ for DECC, page 7), Daikin UK believes that MCS accreditation is still vital, despite the RHI delays.

At Daikin UK, we are urging installers to remain focused on MCS accreditation despite the Government’s last minute announcement that the start of the Renewable Heat Incentive for commercial properties to be put back by a month until November.

As the leading supplier of climate control solutions for commercial, residential and industrial applications, we firmly believe that the industry should continue to prepare for the incentive by working towards Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) accreditation.

This delay shouldn’t be looked at negatively but as an extra opportunity for the industry to prepare itself for the introduction of the RHI. It is important that when the Government introduces the RHI, it gets it right first time and this is even more important following the recent announcement that more technologies are to be included in the Green Deal.

We believe that MCS accreditation is a vital tool in the successful uptake of renewable technologies, providing an independent standard in a fledgling market, as well as a requirement for the RHI, whereby both products and installers must be MCS accredited.

Even without the RHI, MCS accreditation is here to stay. It is important therefore, that it is recognised as the industry benchmark for quality, providing an independently assessed standard on which customers can rely. MCS accreditation is designed to offer assurances that products and services meet rigorous and consistent Government standards, thus easing any anxiety about adopting an innovative product or technology.

Given this, Daikin has already invested heavily in MCS product accreditation and we are now encouraging the industry as a whole to recognise the requirement for installers to become accredited. We therefore recommend that more installers use this opportunity to become MCS accredited by working with accreditation bodies such as the NICEIC or Easy MCS to help guide them through the process before the first phase.

Andrew Crown
Daikin UK commercial manager heating and renewables