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A new installation certification scheme has been launched in the UK, aimed at driving up standards and consumer confidence, and to increase the number of certified installers in the domestic renewable installations market.
Flexi-Orb (Flexible Energy Oversight Registration Body) has been running a beta service for the last three years and announced this month that it has appointed its first UKAS-accredited certification body, Simply Certification, to offer the scheme to installers.
The scheme focuses heavily on evidencing the quality of installation across Solar PV (photovoltaics), Electrical Energy Storage Systems (EESS), and Electric Vehicle Charge Points (EVCP).
It also stipulates that products installed must meet its product standards policies, ensuring that both product and installations are fit for purpose. In addition, it’s the first renewables installation scheme recognised by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) to ISO 17067:2013 – the international standard for conformity assessment and product certification.
Blue Flame Certification has also been accredited ahead of the launch, and more certification bodies are expected to partner before the end of the year.
David Lindsay, Managing Director of Certi-fi Schemes said: “We are delighted to launch this scheme alongside Simply Certification. We believe that installers and consumers should have a choice. Competition doesn’t just drive-up standards – it affects relationships and pricing, and ultimately benefits the end-user.
“Our journey to UKAS recognition was, quite rightly, extremely challenging, and we want to reflect that high expectation in our scheme standards. As well as competent on-site assessment, we believe in the importance of back-office support, so our scheme promotes separate, specialist assessors for each.
“As the country increases its move towards net zero, the demand for the safe installation of renewable systems will intensify. We expect our entry into the market to increase the capacity to support quality assessment and ongoing surveillance, improving consumer confidence.”
Alexandra Gates, Managing Director of Simply Certification commented: “It’s fantastic to be at the forefront of this new certification scheme and be the first certification body to certify installers to it. The introduction of Flexi-Orb will allow existing installers to offer more options to the end user and allow new entrants to the market the option of choosing which scheme best suits their needs. We are also the first to offer an EVCP scheme in the UK, which is really exciting.
“We anticipate lots of interest and are working behind the scenes to ensure that all customers enjoy the quality of service that they have come to expect from Simply Certification. Having a diverse portfolio of offerings is key to ensuring that the UK energy efficiency market is prepared for net zero. It’s a transformative time for the industry.”
The Flexi-Orb scheme is currently accepting new applicants through Simply Certification and Blue Flame Certification.
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