From the end of March 2014, the Feed-in-Tariff will only be available for solar systems that meet the new rigorous demands of MCS 012. To date, only five products have received certification and three of the certificates have been issued to Solarcentury for its C21e solar tiles and slates.
The certification is welcome as it means that solar systems are now tested to the same industry standards as the roofing products they are designed to work with. Jan Muller, Director of Engineering at Solarcentury, comments: "We've always believed that consumers would be better protected if solar products met the same standard as roofing products. The introduction of this requirement is something that we feel is long overdue."
To achieve the certification for the C21e family, Solarcentury submitted evidence of its existing and extensive test programmes which were conducted during the original development of C21e family at accredited test labs. The products were tested to the same rigorous standards as conventional roofing products, including weather tightness performance, resistance to wind uplift, and fire.
Jon Sturgeon, Head of Product Development at Solarcentury comments: "It's essential that our products are designed to meet the challenges faced in the real world, not just in the lab. We have built an extensive bank of knowledge to support our ongoing R&D, founded upon our original development programme for C21e back in 2003, covering tests with different tile types, slate types and at different roof pitches. We are pleased to be able to provide the additional comfort of the MCS 012 external validation which establishes a suitably demanding benchmark for physical performance. The certifications, gained well ahead of the March 31st 2014 implementation date, send a clear signal that we're committed to developing products that not only look great but which are designed and tested to bring real-world robustness."
The C21e range of solar tiles and slates has been designed to fit seamlessly into a roof. Unlike conventional PV panels that sit on top of the roof, C21e forms part of the roof itself. Incorporating solar in this way preserves the look of the roof and enables it to work in harmony with the surrounding area. Building-integrated PV products are ideal for new builds and re-roofing projects that value the aesthetics of the roof. The C21e range has won many awards including the prestigious Queen's Award for Enterprise for Excellence in Innovation and the Ecobuild Best Building Product.
