Partner organisation MCS presents
its regular column for REI
The National Grid –
a Brexit solution?
Gordon Moran, writing for the
European Energy Centre, explores
the opportunities to strengthen
the National Grid following the
UK’s vote to leave the EU
o learn more about Renewable Energy and
Energy Efficiency through training courses, visit
www.EUenergycentre.org
Substantial progress has been made in
decarbonising the UK economy. For example, by 2014 the
UK had reduced its carbon emissions by 35% compared to
1990 levels. Additionally, the amount of energy generated
from renewables had increased from 2% in the early 1990s to
approximately 25% of total generation.
In the wake of the Brexit vote, fresh concerns have
been aired about whether this progress will be maintained.
However, there is still a great deal of ongoing investment in
new infrastructure, such as new onshore and offshore wind,
and developments in biogas, tidal and other technologies. In
order to manage greater proportions of electricity generation
from variable sources, National Grid plc (the system operator
for the whole UK Grid) is undertaking a range of projects to
modernise the Grid and make it more resilient.
Part of this involves upgrading and reinforcing UK power
lines, such as the Beauly-Denny line connecting the Scottish
Central Belt to Northern Scotland, providing much-needed
additional capacity for new renewable energy projects.
There are also interconnectors linking different parts
of the UK, as well as those linking the UK to other European
countries. There are plans to expand this network to link
the UK with Belgium, Norway, Denmark and Iceland, with a
second connection to France and internal links connecting
Scotland, Wales and the Western Isles to the National Grid.
These developments will provide greater capacity to help
stabilise the Grid and ensure that the infrastructure is available
for further deployment of renewable technologies, bolstering
investor confidence
in the UK market.
These initiatives also
promote international
collaboration and
enterprise between
countries, and will
help ensure the UK
remains part of a wider
European cooperation
on energy, irrespective
of EU membership.
T
MCS Installer
Accounts
D
ue to updated data protection policies, MCS has changed its
protocol on access to installer MCS accounts. From August 1st
2016, any installer account with a suspended or removed date
on the MCS database has been denied access to their account.
Access to old accounts can be given on a temporary basis for
some installers:
If you have changed Certification Bodies from BRE to NICEIC,
MCS will be able to provide you immediate access to your
BRE account.
In other cases where you have changed Certification Bodies
or have been given a different Certification Number, you will
need to email MCS at [email protected] to inform us that
you would like access to your previous account and include
the certification numbers of both accounts. MCS will contact
the relevant Certification Body for confirmation that these
accounts are from the same company. Once this is confirmed,
access can be provided.
If you are no longer MCS Certified, you will not be able to access
your old account for data protection reasons. If a customer approaches
you for amendments to their MCS certificate, please advise them to
contact MCS for further advice.
If your old account is reinstated you will have access to this account
on a temporary basis, as the current Management Panel is in discussion
about the accessibility of these accounts. If access is given, please be
aware that access to the account could be taken away without warning
when a final decision is made. MCS advises that you download and save
any information you may need from the account in the future.
Please note that you will not be able to create any new certificates in
the old account – you can only amend certificates.
If any installer believes that their account has been wrongfully
removed or suspended from the MCS database, please contact your
Certification Body for further explanation and potential reinstatement.
Your Certification body will then inform MCS directly so we can reinstate
your account.
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