How to issue an MCS certificate at handover

Verify the installation meets MCS standards before starting the certificate

The certificate is a declaration of compliance, not a completion receipt. Before you log in to the MID portal, confirm that the installation meets the relevant MCS standard for the technology - MIS 3002 for solar PV, MIS 3005 for heat pumps, or whichever standard applies to your technology type. Check that the products are listed in the MCS Product Directory, that design calculations are complete, and that commissioning and testing are done. Some data fields in the MID cannot be edited after submission, so confirming compliance on site before you open the portal avoids errors that cannot be corrected later.

Log in to the MCS Installation Database and start a new certificate

Access the MID at certificate.microgenerationcertification.org using your MCS installer credentials. Select the correct technology type to start a new certificate. The portal guides you through a stepped journey covering installation details, system specification, property details, and capacity figures. Have your site survey notes, commissioning records, and customer contract to hand before you begin - some fields cannot be amended once the certificate is submitted, so you want accurate data in front of you from the first screen.

Enter the total installation cost including VAT

In Step 1 of the MID journey, enter the full cost of the installation including VAT. Do not deduct the value of any government grant or incentive the customer received. If the installation is covered by the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, enter the full contract price before the grant is applied - the MID records the full market cost so that government can track the real cost of renewable technology. Entering the net-of-grant figure is one of the most common data errors on the MID, and this field cannot be corrected after submission.

Confirm the technology type and system configuration

Also in the early steps of the MID journey, confirm the technology type precisely. For heat pumps, the portal asks whether the system is an air-to-air or air-to-water unit - this distinction matters because air-to-air systems are excluded from some grant schemes including the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. For heat pump installations, you will also be asked whether the system is a hybrid - meaning a heat pump that shares control with a supplementary heat source through a single master controller. A heat pump providing space heating alongside a gas boiler handling domestic hot water on separate controls is not a hybrid. Mark this carefully: the wrong answer affects grant eligibility.

Enter the property address and MPAN

In Step 4 of the MID journey, enter the full property address and the MPAN (Meter Point Administration Number). The MPAN is the unique reference for the property's electricity supply connection, found on the customer's electricity bill or on the meter itself. SEG licensees and Ofgem cross-reference the MPAN against the address when processing export guarantee applications. Even a minor typo in either field can cause an SEG application to be rejected, so confirm the MPAN with the customer before installation day if possible rather than trying to find it on site at the end of a long commissioning day.

Enter total installed capacity and estimated annual generation

Step 5 of the MID journey records the total installed capacity and the estimated annual generation for the system. For solar PV, enter the total capacity across all panels that form the installation - not just one string or array. If you have installed a 4 kWp system across 10 panels, the figure is 4 kWp total, not a per-panel figure. For heat pumps, add the capacity of all units installed: two 5 kW units give a total of 10 kW. These figures are used to calculate SEG payments and to support Boiler Upgrade Scheme applications - incorrect entries mean the customer may be underpaid by their SEG licensee or face delays on grant claims.

Complete the hybrid system questions for heat pump certificates

If you are certifying a heat pump installation, Step 7 of the MID journey asks detailed questions about hybrid system setup. Answer carefully and refer to MCS guidance if you are unsure. A hybrid system is specifically defined as a heat pump with supplementary heat sources controlled by a single master controller. MCS sees a high rate of incorrect answers here - installers either mark a hybrid system as non-hybrid or vice versa. Getting this wrong does not just affect the certificate; it determines whether the customer qualifies for certain grants, and an incorrect entry in the MID works against them.

Review all data and submit the certificate

Before submitting, review every field against your commissioning report and site notes. Pay particular attention to the installation cost, the MPAN, and the installed capacity - these are the fields most likely to cause downstream problems, and some cannot be amended after submission. Once you are satisfied that the data is accurate, submit. The MID generates a PDF certificate immediately. Download and save it to the job record before you close the session - this is the document the customer needs for all grant and export applications, and you want a copy on file.

Hand over the certificate with the full documentation pack

Pass the MCS certificate to the customer at handover alongside the commissioning report, equipment warranties, the system operations and maintenance guide, and clear guidance on the next steps for incentive applications. For solar PV and other export-eligible technologies, explain that the certificate is required when they contact an SEG licensee to set up export payments. For heat pump installations covered by the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, the grant application is handled by you as the installer, but the customer should keep the certificate with their property documents as proof of a compliant installation. Do not close the job record until the certificate has been handed over.