Please quick question, clarification re: MCS certificate

[and]

Trying to negotiate a date for an install, hopefully soon ... very soon!

EDF said the FiT application needs to arrive at thier office in Exeter and be 'stamped' before 8 Dec - they require said application to contain: proof of identity, proof of address, MCS certificate, invoice for installation.

Am I correct in thinking that it is the DNO who issues the MCS certificate?

If so, does anyone know how long Western Power (Midlands) takes to issue a certificate? (am going for a 3.5kW system rather than a 4kW)

Thanks in advance.

 

[pvman]

It's your installer who issues the MCS cert.

Tom

 

[SolarCity]

You won't be needing to speak to the DNO at all. That will be something that your installer will have to do. As long as he speaks to the DNO within 30 days of installing your system, there is no problem and this won't affect your FIT application anyway.

 

[GaryM]

Interesting that EDF are mentioning the 8th December.

 

[GaryM]

You won't be needing to speak to the DNO at all. That will be something that your installer will have to do. As long as he speaks to the DNO within 30 days of installing your system, there is no problem and this won't affect your FIT application anyway.

I take it that on completion the company registers the job with their chosen certification body (Elecsa, NICEIC, Napit etc) then awaits for a certificate to return by post, like Part P notifications?
Is the FiT certificate sent to the installing company or to the address where the install was carried out?
Whilst all this is happening the installing company sends the G83/G59 to the DNO?
I'm basically trying to work out how long it takes after completion for the customer to be in a position to send the required documents to his energy supplier to register for the FiT with them.

 

[Tiberius]

But both DNO and energy suppliers both have forms and processes for methods of claiming FITS, i made a thread asking but no answers. i assume you send it to the DNO for normal <4KW systems??

 

[GaryM]

I didn't think the the FiT had anything at all to do with the DNO?

 

[and]

This is from Western Power:

For a generation system to qualify as a (G83) single installation it needs to be rated at or below 16A per phase. This means that the output or 'rating' of the system can be up to 3.68 kilowatts (kW) per phase (11.04kW for a three phase system).


Generation rated above 16A per phase are considered under the G59 large scale generation process.

The electricity produced by solar PV panels is direct current (DC). Before it can be used in the home it has to be converted to alternating current (AC), using a box called an Inverter.

The rating of the single phase PV system is the lower of:

• The rating of the inverter (based on 230V) and
• The sum of the ratings of the PV panels x the maximum efficiency of the inverter.

For a 100% efficient inverter rated over 3.68kW, only 3.68kW of PV panels would qualify.

4kW PV panels would qualify, for inverters up to 92% efficient or if the inverter was only rated 3.68kV.

4kW PV panels would not qualify if the inverter is rated over 3.68kW and is more than 92% efficient.


Does this mean I can go ahead and install 4kW of panels + Power One 3.6 (rated AC power 3600W and limited to 16amps), and just send off the four things EDF want (two from me and the MCS cert and invoice from the installer) and that's it for FiT? After that I just need to inform the DNO that I'm up and running and connected to the grid in line with the G83?

 

[dansk]

I havent read all off this thread - but the MCS cert is generated once the installer registers on the MCS database and it is emailed to the email address the installer inserts - i always put my own email address in to keep a copy for my records - then this go's into the hand over pack. You as a customer need not worry about anything to do with the DNO, all you want is the MCS cert and hand over pack ASAP - i do mine the same night or next day, so my customers are in a position to send of FiT application within 3 days of completion. I also fill in the FiT form with the customer to make sure its all ok.

Hope this is ok - and yes you can have 4kwp of panels on a PO 3.6 - ive done it.

 

[BruceB]

I'm basically trying to work out how long it takes after completion for the customer to be in a position to send the required documents to his energy supplier to register for the FiT with them.

It takes about 5 minutes if the installer is set up correctly
- he logs onto the Gemserve database, registers the installation, receives the MCS certificate immediately by email.
- he issues an invoice.

He then hands both to the customer in exchange for payment.
To be safe the installer can sign the invoice as 'payment received' (I have been phoned twice to check the customer has paid).

The customer then has all he needs to make the FIT application and put it in the post that day.

All the other paperwork can follow.

Regards
Bruce

Edited to add there are plenty of pitfalls on the FIT application form, so if it is time critical you could help the customer. For instance it calls for both TIC and DNC, which will be gobbledegook to most customers

 

[Tiberius]

I didn't think the the FiT had anything at all to do with the DNO?

from Central networks:

"Automatic process flow from DNO records system notifies customer's supplier that the generation installation is fully commissioned.

Supplier contacts customer and sets up agreement for Feed-In Tariff payments, etc"

full table of what you do here according to them:

Central Networks - What is the process for a generation connection?

 

[GaryM]

The supplier isn't the DNO though.

 

[and]

Would love to know how to arrive at figures for TIC and DNC in the case of 4kw of panels (16x 250W) with a Power One 3.6 inverter (rated AC 3600W, max AC 4000W, max AC current 16A)

Thanks in advance for any pointers on this.

 

[dansk]

TIC is 4Kwp, and DNC is 3680w, because inverter is capped at 16a, and we use nominal output at normal running, not max output on inverter spec.

 

[BruceB]

TIC & DNC are both 230 x 16 = 3.68kW
kWp of panels is not the TIC if it is larger than inverter output

 

[dansk]

According to you Bruce, we can install 6kwp of panels on a 16a inverter and still claim tic and DNC the same? I'm not so sure.

 

[and]

Gracious, this TIC and DNC is a whole can of worms:

http://www.electriciansforums.net/p...orum/26504-g83-pre-install-application-5.html

It's why I asked ... the installer may put down things correctly for TIC and DNC and for whatever reason EDF may not like it, as it seems a bit of a grey area ... it's seems more of a case of putting down figures that correspond to the installed system that EDF will agree with and rubberstamp.

Anyone know what figures EDF like or dislike?

 

[SolarCity]

And, don't worry about the TIC and DNC - let the installer worry about that.

All you need to worry about is the FITs application form which your installer should be able to help you with anyway - word of advice - get your FITs sorted with EON and do it by recorded delivery

 

[and]

Hi Chris,

As a customer of EDF am I not obliged to put my FiT application into them, or am I allowed to go with EON?

I did speak to someone at EDF and I said about sending the application recorded delivery, or I did mention half-jokingly/half-serious that I would personally take the application to thier office in Exeter.

 

[SolarCity]

As I understand it, EON will currently accept you regardless of who your supplier is. Unless, of course, they have recently move the goalposts.