The Government Club ( mates) dreamed up a regulated payment system known as FIT ( feed in tariff) this brought along a lot of cowboys and conmen in the rip off era of solar, where “rent a roof”, over paneling and selling to the public systems that did not work for them and cost a lot in return for a fixed bill and a massive loan repayments they were locked into. FIT ended in 2019 however solar has grown recently.
This post is a bit anti government sounding, however this is not the intent, its profiting and monopolizing power which is a human right and how the system is set up is just plainly wrong ethically and morally. We look for a solution to export payment and getting value back and stopping the profiting on your installation… its not looking good, but I did not dig too deep. You may find this post interesting.
The growth in solar and profiting is at a record high, with £15,000 or more being paid to “install solar” and an average or around £7,450 I believe it is now? MSC is another government ran scheme/business which has a fee to joint and subscription, some of the rules requires certified hardware, which does cost more, thus lining the pockets again. But the big kick in the teeth is the SEG access. This is the replacement of FIT and is where you get paid for exporting power to the grid.
You can buy the hardware or any other hardware that will export to the grid, in particular grid tied solar
You can buy micro solar kits for little money from our shop, but less than £400 you can end up exporting but not getting any payment. the Goverment protested its own system on the basis of profit and control over solar power and feed in payments, and you can see the “public” information that was provided:
Why MCS matters & a response to SEG confusion – MCS (mcscertified.com)
“To quote a recent communication, an energy company cannot offer their regulated SEG tariff to anyone who does not have an MCS certified installation.….As MCS is the only way to guarantee access to a regulated SEG export tariff,…..There is a bigger picture here though relating to quality assurance and the consumer confidence that MCS certification brings…..MCS offers consumers an impartial demonstration of the quality and reliability of approved products and their installation. ….MCS certified contractors can only use MCS certified products”
The cost per MCS certificate is £30 + VAT, which is paid via the MID.
Member fee £2050* initial and annual £1890 + MCS Listing Fee is £55 + VAT
Is MSC a Money making Con?
It is market control or money. All installations have to meet BS7671 this is the wiring standard. they have to meet building control regulations, this is the panel installation and electrical requirements. Then they add MSC.
I would say that some electrical installers don’t know PV and DC and its not wise for them to try as most of the world of professionals if filled with check box qualifications, the MSC is not that far away from this, but then try out any qualified kid from collage and see how that goes in any industry!
What does MSC add? nothing but costs and to corner the market you are withheld money, told not to use anyone else and anyone who wants to be part of the club has to pay fees to join it. in effect the home owner has to pay, the installer has to pay. and the “company” is actually a government run/owned business. in fact there is a whole industry of payment collection.
Do you need MSC certification?
For the most part NO, but there is a lingering doubt. This is in respect of the installations for say DIY. Not only local safety but load safety as there can be a wide range of installations and this unchecked could be a risk, a big risk. but we will say the installation is competent and perhaps even over engineered.
But the big question is should you be paid for what you export?
If you do not have club membership, you would have saved a lot of money, and therefore you’re excluded from SEG. but the companies profit from your export as will the government in the form of taxes. not that you paid taxes on buying the hardware in the first place. You should be aware that the manufactures are also hammered for money too.
Go off Grid.
It may seem a bit odd, but you can get off the grid and therefore export or the company profiting from you vanishes. Because the manufacture is not having to pay the government fees the hardware is also lower. for example .gov system £1200, Non .gov £450 is a great example of the costs and profiting for like for like.
SETO
The Smart Export Guarantee Order 2019 (legislation.gov.uk)
The Smart Export Guarantee Order (2019) established the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG), a scheme to incentivize renewable energy generation in the UK. Here’s a summary:
- Purpose: Encourage small-scale, low-carbon electricity generation by offering payments to those who export surplus electricity to the grid.
- Who benefits: Generators with installations up to 5 megawatts (MW) of capacity, including solar photovoltaic (PV), anaerobic digestion (AD), hydro, micro-CHP, and onshore wind.
- Key Players:
- SEG Licensees: Large electricity suppliers with over 150,000 domestic customers are mandated to offer SEG tariffs (payment for exported electricity). Voluntary participation is open to other suppliers.
- SEG Generators: Those who own eligible installations and meet certain criteria can apply for SEG payments.
- Payment Details:
- No set minimum rate is mandated, but suppliers must offer a tariff greater than 0 pence per kWh.
- The specific tariff structure (flat rate, time-based, etc.) is determined by the supplier.
- Commencement: The SEG program officially began on January 1st, 2020.
PV, wind and micro-CHP 50kW or less
4.6. For PV, wind and micro-CHP installations up to 50kW, generators should demonstrate that the installation and installer are suitably certified. An applicant may have an installation certificate to demonstrate this. This may be a Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) certificate, but the SEG recognises other schemes may be equivalent to MCS.
All other installations – (Full Document here)
4.9. For all other installations, generators should demonstrate to the SEG licensee’s satisfaction that the installation is suitably certified. Suppliers have discretion in how they satisfy themselves that the installation is suitably certified.
4.10. In practice, this information could be provided in various forms. One approach may be in the form of a ‘tick box’ self-declaration by the applicant as part of the application process to confirm that their equipment is suitably certified.
Alternatively, it could be a request for the certification scheme name and certification numbers which SEG licensees can cross-check with the relevant scheme.
4.11. The examples given in 4.10 are only two examples of how a supplier might choose to satisfy themselves of suitable certification. It is up to the individual SEG licensee to decide whether they are satisfied that the installation is eligible for SEG payments.
4.12. Some technologies, or sizes of installations, may not be covered by any certification schemes. In these cases, suppliers may decide to request a declaration and/or evidence from generators that suitable standards have been met.
4.13. If a generator is unable demonstrate that their installation is suitably certified, a SEG licensee is not obliged to offer payments under the SEG, but they can make payments if they wish.
Non-SEG Licensees: These are typically smaller suppliers who are not obligated to participate in SEG. However, they can still choose to offer export payment schemes to generators on their own terms, separate from the SEG framework. These schemes might be more flexible in terms of contract length or tariff structure but could also come with different eligibility criteria or payment rates.
Finding Non-SEG Export Providers
While there’s no central registry of non-SEG providers, you can research and compare options by contacting smaller, independent energy suppliers in your area. They might offer export payment schemes tailored to your specific needs. It’s recommended to check their websites or contact them directly to inquire about their offerings. There is no LEGAL requirement to have MSC to be paid for export energy.
And the voluntary SEG licensees are as follows:
- Cilleni Energy Supply
- Pozitive Energy
- Smart Pay Energy
There are many more…
https://www.rebelenergy.com/
goodenergy.co.uk
SVT-DDNon-DD-TIL-Q2-2024.pdf (goodenergy.co.uk)
( Look at the solar saving – export £0.15 but be aware of the charges in)
Export only – £0.04kwh
Wessex gets export £0.20kWh ( have to have supply)
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