BBA CERTIFICATION OPENS THE
DOOR FOR MICROGENERATION MANUFACTURERS AND INSTALLERS
Microgeneration is becoming increasingly established in the
house construction industry and the Government's Microgeneration
Certification Scheme (MCS) covers products such as photovoltaics,
solar heating collectors, heat pumps, biomass and wind turbines.
This growing market encourages emerging technologies and innovation
in product development and this can lead to a bewildering dilemma
for any consumer considering such products. The initiative has been
developed by the Government to provide the consumer with
reassurance that the microgeneration products or services being
offered meet the necessary standards and workmanship.
As part of their policies to combat climate change and reduce
carbon emissions, the Government is keen to encourage the consumer
to use these new technologies. In particular, grant funding is
available for MCS-certificated products or services (such as the
Low Carbon Building Programme). This programme provides grants for
the purchase and installation of microgeneration technologies with
each household able to apply for funding of up to £2,500 per
property towards the cost of installing a certificated product by a
certificated installer.
Manufacturers and installers of microgeneration products can now
obtain approval against the MCS through the British Board of
Agrément (BBA). This offers eligibility to several grant-funded
Government initiatives and helps gain greater recognition in the
market place.
To gain MCS certification, manufacturers must
demonstrate to the Certification body that their product meets the
requirements of the relevant performance standard and an
examination of their manufacturing processes. Installers undergo
both an office inspection, to evaluate the technical competence of
their staff, confirmation of training requirements and record
keeping and a witnessed installation in progress. Successful
completion of either process allows the manufacturer or installer
use of the scheme logo and listing on both the MCS and BBA
websites.
Although MCS approval is an important endorsement of the
manufacturer or installer, for the product manufacturer, certain
key issues are not covered by the scheme. To address this,
manufacturers can opt for Agrément Certification through the BBA.
This well established and widely recognised accreditation goes a
stage further in offering a comprehensive full assessment of the
product's fitness for use. This includes key areas additional to
the MCS scheme, such as regulatory compliance, structural
stability, durability, output performance, weatherproofing and
practicability of installation.
Agrément Certification is also the best route for manufacturers
of microgeneration technologies that are not as yet covered by the
MCS initiative.
The BBA has been assessing building-related products and
installers for over 40 years. Over this time it has built up an
unrivalled reputation for providing impartial information to the
specifier and consumer. With the BBA's experience in third-party
accreditation, specifiers and contractors can be confident in the
knowledge that a certified product has been assessed thoroughly and
meets all of the necessary requirements.
Many BBA Certificate holders have built a successful track
record with Agrément approval and this has been a key factor in
boosting consumer confidence in their products. House builders and
warranty bodies, such as the NHBC, place great importance on the
value of Agrément approval and compliance with all relevant
documents can be confirmed within BBA Certificates.
The BBA has issued over 4500 Certificates covering over 200
different product areas and these are published on the website;
www.bbacerts.co.uk. It anticipates microgeneration technologies as
a growing market and expects to receive more enquiries from
manufacturers and installers interested in raising their profile
through the Certification process.
To view our Microgeneration DataSheet click here.