Solar Panels and no MCS certificate

Queenie18

I need help as my solar panels weren't registered with anyone as the company that we bought them from went bust before they did any paperwork. We’ve not got MCS certificate so can’t get a DNO number. We’ve been told to get someone to recommission them but am struggling with that

QrizB

Welcome to the forum!

I need help as my solar panels weren't registered with anyone as the company that we bought them from went bust before they did any paperwork.

How long ago was this? Were your installer a member of a consumer code organisation (like RECC or HIES)? (MCS accredited companies are required to be consumer code members.)

We’ve not got MCS certificate so can’t get a DNO number. We’ve been told to get someone to recommission them but am struggling with that

Have you contacted the relevant consumer code organisation at all?

Queenie18

Fitted in November 26 the Company went bust in Feb. They didn’t register with anyone. They were registered with HIES but they didn’t register our fit

squirrelpie

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81967670#Comment_81967670

Do you mean November 25? November 2026 hasn't happened yet!

QrizB

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81967670#Comment_81967670

You're in a bit of a sticky spot, then.

• No Building Regs compliance (your insaller would have been responsible for notifying them of the work)
• No MCS Certificate
• No DNO notification / permission.

On the DNO point, what size is your solar PV system? Is it up to 3.68kWh / G98 so it only needs a notification (that you could do yourself) or is it larger than that and needed G99 permission before installation?

If G99, did your installer obtain this permission?

We’ve been told to get someone to recommission them but am struggling with that

Unless anyone has any bright ideas, all I can suggest is phoning around all your local MCS Certified installers and seeing if one of them can come out to inspect / certify / notify. They will charge for this and (with energy things as they currently are) it's likely they're all booked solid with their own work until the autumn.

I need help as my solar panels weren't registered with anyone as the company that we bought them from went bust before they did any paperwork.

Did you pay your original installers up-front, or did you keep a payment back until they'd completed the job? If you paid it all up-front, how did you pay? Was any of it on finance or a credit card, which would give you Section 75 protection?

MWT

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81968144#Comment_81968144

Unless anyone has any bright ideas, all I can suggest is phoning around all your local MCS Certified installers and seeing if one of them can come out to inspect / certify / notify. They will charge for this and (with energy things as they currently are) it's likely they're all booked solid with their own work until the autumn.

As I understand this, it is only possible if the original installer was MCS registered and trained and followed the MCS sales/installation process but just failed to issue the certificate.

If the original installer was not MCS certified then you can't get it MCS certified later…

I think Octopus still have a process to allow access to a SEG tariff for non-MCS certified installations but it is not free…

… and you'd still need to deal with the DNO first…

tfhnota

It is the inverter output that determines which form the DNO wants not the solar array size, I think, and you may be able to down-size the output in the settings if it is too high for the "simple" process. I think Octopus want electrical sign-off and council notification if you don't have MCS but they do change their mind from time to time. Things may get a bit simpler going forward with the government keen to get more Green stuff out there and they may even have the odd person who knows what they are doing…