Short answer: Usually not. The Energy Saving Trust says you'll usually need an eligible system, MCS certification and a smart meter to get Smart Export Guarantee payments, and that the installer and technology must be certified under MCS or an equivalent. Energy suppliers may ask for your MCS certificate before they pay for exported power.
What the rules say
The Smart Export Guarantee, or SEG, pays you for the electricity your panels send to the grid. Ofgem says it covers solar PV systems up to 5 MW, and that licensed electricity suppliers have to offer export tariffs.
The eligibility rules are where MCS comes in. The Energy Saving Trust says you’ll usually need three things:
- an eligible renewable system, which home solar panels are
- MCS certification
- a smart meter, so exports can be measured
It adds that the technology and the installer must be certified under the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) or an equivalent, and that energy suppliers may ask you for an MCS certificate.
What MCS certification means in practice
MCS certifies both the products and the installer. When an MCS-certified installer finishes a job, the system is registered and you get an MCS certificate. That certificate is what an energy supplier asks for when you apply for an export tariff.
If the installer isn’t MCS certified, no MCS certificate is issued for your system. The panels still work and still cut your bills, but getting paid for exported power becomes difficult, because the supplier may ask for a certificate you don’t have.
Questions to ask before you sign
If export income matters to you, ask any installer these, and get the answers in writing:
- Are you MCS certified for solar PV, and what is your certification number?
- Will I get an MCS certificate for this system?
- Is the grid registration with National Grid Electricity Distribution included?
- Do I need a smart meter, and do I already have the right one?
Ask us the same questions. You can check an installer’s certification on the MCS website.
If you already have panels without a certificate
If you bought a house with panels, or the installer has since closed, the certificate may still exist. MCS says that where the original installer is no longer certified or no longer trading, only the MCS helpdesk can access your certificate to amend it. What happens if your solar installer goes out of business? covers the steps.
Older systems may be on the Feed-in Tariff instead of SEG. The FIT closed to new applicants in March 2019, but existing contracts carry on. Buying a house with solar panels explains how a FIT moves to a new owner.
Making the most of the power without export income
Whether or not you get an export tariff, the biggest saving comes from using the power yourself. Run the washing machine and dishwasher in daylight, charge the car in the day where you can, and think about a battery to carry the surplus into the evening.
Bottom line
If you want to be paid for the power you export, ask any installer, including us, to show their MCS certificate before you sign, and check your chosen supplier's SEG terms. If export income doesn't matter to you, the panels still cut your bills by the power you use yourself. Call 0121 330 1151, 9am to 7pm, 7 days.