Octopus Energy Opens Up Solar For All Electricians

- Coming up on this week's news, the installation of solar panels is opened up to all electrical contractors this week after a landmark decision by Octopus Energy that it will no longer require MCS certification. A power surge causes house fires and blackouts in Kent and the humble electricity pylon gets a radical makeover. Welcome to "Electrical News Weekly" in association with the Electric Heating Company.

Whether you're listening in the van, on site, or down at the wholesale counter, I'm Joe Robinson, and I've been through the best of the electrical industry news to save you the trouble. And as always, if you think you spotted the two words that I've been challenged to slip into this week's show, comment with them below for the chance to win a prize.

The installation of solar panels is set to go mainstream this week, following a landmark decision by Octopus. The energy company has changed its terms and conditions so the owners of photovoltaic panels can sell their electricity to the grid even if the installer isn't MCS certified. Under the Smart Export Guarantee tariff, PV households can earn £0.15 for every kilowatt hour.

The idea behind it is to boost the amount of green energy Octopus can get from householders so that it has to buy less from the wholesale market. Up until now, only an MCS certified system could get cash back. The move blows the market wide open for non-MCS certified electricians. Training expert Griff Thomas of GTEC described it as a game changer for the trade.

Octopus is acknowledging that there are many skilled contractors out there without MCS certification who can competently handle renewable technology installations. Now, any competent person can do the work. After all, solar panel work is already covered in the wiring regulations and in apprentice training. Now, other energy companies are mulling the move and may follow Octopus's lead. But the MCS isn't happy. MCS stands for Microgeneration Certification Scheme.

It was set up by the government in 2007 to ensure that its grants and subsidies were going to quality installs of then unfamiliar equipment. It was privatized in 2018, and it has regulated the market independently ever since. Today, its boss Ian Rippin slammed Octopus's decision. He says, removing the requirement for MCS approval opens up the market to uncertified installers, untested products, and presents a real risk to consumers.

He said there could even be an increased danger of fire resulting from low quality installations. Griff Thomas, this week, gave his take on the decision to Gordon in a video special, and I've popped the link in the show notes if you want to follow the story further.

Also, sensing an opportunity in all this is the Electrotechnical Skills Partnership. It's unveiled what it's calling the Electrician Plus concept. This logo will show that relevant qualifications in low-carbon technologies such as solar are industry-approved in terms of their content and assessment. Providers of those qualifications include City & Guilds, EAL, and BPEC. The courses are only open to electricians who meet the industry-level three standard.

The focus on renewable technology positions the Electrician Plus mark as a possible alternative to MCS certification.

Also expecting a boost in solar installations is Doncaster Cables, who this week, launched a dedicated cable for the sector. PV Ultra has double-insulated cores as well as pre-marked safety labeling to ensure it isn't confused with a coaxial cable as they look very similar. After all, during day time, a solar cable can carry 600 volts. You can run it straight to the inverter without any additional accessories.

It also boasts lots of installer-friendly features and it streamlines the protection and stripping of solar panel string cables. PV Ultra also boasts a highly UV-stable outer sheath to ensure a long-term installation. Gary got his hands on some PV Ultra this week, and you can see his video on it by clicking the link in the show notes.

In other news, there's been a dramatic power surge in Kent. Residents of Chatham saw smoke emerge from light switches, plugin air fresheners shot outta the wall, and thermostats began fizzing and banging. Two house fires were dealt with by the local fire brigade. Some 400 houses eventually lost power completely. UK Power Networks tells us that its engineers are working around the clock to reconnect the supplies and specialist teams are investigating the cause of the surge.

Meanwhile, in the West Country, competition among motorists

for EV chargers is reported to be intense this week as the region hits peak holiday season. Cornwall especially has been inundated with electric vehicles this summer as staycationers, many from greater London take to the road. And just before your comment, I'd like to distance myself from the use of staycation to mean a holiday in the UK. A holiday in the UK is still a holiday.

A staycation is what I'm doing this week, which is when you have time off work, but stay at home, makes me angrier than a Labradoodle waiting for walk is that one. Anyway, personal rant over, back to the story. Schneider Electric estimates that the number of EVs on Cornish roads in August has shot up by 1380%. In London, there is a charger point for every 11 cars, but down there this summer, there will be just one to share between 471 hot and bothered drivers.

David Hall of Schneider says the rollout of chargers needs to be accelerated to cope with the demand. He says, chargers must be as easy to find and use as a traditional fuel pump. The west country may be

at the back of the class for EV chargers, but it is leading with another electrical technology, pylons. In fact, the very first new designs for electricity pylons in over a century have been installed in Somerset. Known as T-pylons because of their stylish shape, they've been erected to connect the new Hinkley Point C nuclear power station to the grid. The T-pylons feature distinctive diamond-shaped insulators.

National grid engineers hope that the great British public will prefer them to the traditional lattice structures. Let us know what you think in the comments.

And finally, a reminder that team eFIXX will be at the Ei Live exhibition in September where we'll be bringing you live videos, panel discussions, and lots more. At the technical theater, we'll be getting a panel of experts to share their insights and insider tips on smart home systems.

The panelists include the editor of Designing Lighting Global and erstwhile script writer of this show, Ray Maloney, Peter Broom of lighting control specialist Rako, and Michael Gorman of Michael Gorman Lighting design. They'll discuss wireless systems and no doubt, debate the impact that the new meta standard will have on smart homes. Ei Live takes place at Farnborough Exhibition Center on Wednesday, the 13th of September, and Thursday the 14th of September, 2023.

If you spot the eFIXX team including resident supermodel Gary Hayes in our red polo shirts, come and say a big hello. And if you're new to the whole smart homes thing,

check out last week's eFIXX TV. We have no lesser person than the Ei live boss himself, David Kitchener, who explains all the great opportunities for the trade in that market.

And just before we get to your favorite bit of the show where I reveal last week's challenge, words, and winners, we want to thank our premium partners. We couldn't make the news without you. First up, they're the people who've created the Swiss Army knife of solar inverters along with all-weather batteries, very much the boy scouts of the solar industry, it's Sunsynk.

Up next, for all your circuit protection needs, they're like having an Italian star striker in your Premiership team, it's Lewden Palazzoli. Next, they're your one-stop solution provider for EV installations from domestic to large DC public chargers, it's the ingenious and gifted GARO. The best thing to come out of Yorkshire since stainless steel, it's Doncaster Cables, the home of EV Ultra, PV Ultra, and other groundbreaking and quality cables.

And to fix all that gear together and to surfaces, you need fasteners that would win a gold medal, it's Olympic Fixings. Big thanks to you all. We really appreciate your ongoing support for the news. If you think you know the words that I've smuggled into this week's show, pop your guess into the comments, and we'll dig out a goodie bag prize to the first to get the right answers.

Last week's words were pavlova and poncho, and they were clearly a little more obvious than the previous week as loads of people got it right. But the first over the line was mikeedwards7173. So well done to you, Mike. Click the link in the show notes to claim your prize. Thanks for listening to this episode of "Electrical News Weekly" in association with the Electric Heating Company. Make sure you subscribe to receive the next update. Thanks for listening.

And until next time, have a great week. Stay safe out there. And remember, there's no such thing as a tall calibrated arm.