MCS training courses: which ones installers actually need
In short
MCS has no official course; it lists approved qualifications for each technology and certifies businesses through certification bodies. Choose your technologies and certification body first, then book only the qualification they accept for each one.
- MCS publishes an approved course list but does not run or require a single training course.
- Each technology needs its own recognized qualification, and one award does not cover another.
- Confirm your certification body accepts a course before you pay for it.
- Heat pump courses differ between design and installation, so check which your role needs.
- Competence is proven on assessed live installations, not by a certificate alone.
MCS does not run or require one course. Learn how UK installers match approved qualifications to solar PV, heat pumps and battery storage, then prove competence to their certification body.
There is no official MCS training course. MCS does not teach, run or require one named course. It publishes a list of approved courses and qualifications that meet its competency requirements for each small-scale technology, and it certifies businesses through approved certification bodies rather than individuals. In the UK, an installer therefore needs to pick the recognized qualification for each technology they want to fit (solar PV, heat pumps or battery storage), then prove competence to their certification body during assessment. Doing it in that order stops you paying for courses that never count towards certification.
What MCS does and does not provide
MCS is a quality scheme. It sets standards, approves certification bodies and keeps the installation database that produces MCS certificates. It is not a training provider. The "Find a Training Course" page on the MCS website is a search tool, filtered by technology, course type and the organization that approved the course. Courses on it come from awarding organizations such as EAL, City & Guilds, BPEC and NOCN, plus some manufacturer and trade body routes.
That distinction matters because course marketing often blurs it. A provider may say a course is "MCS training" when what it really means is that the qualification appears on the MCS approved list. Check the list entry, not the brochure. Qualifications also get withdrawn and replaced, and the list marks some as unavailable, so a certificate from an old course may not match what your assessor expects today.
The business is what gets certified. Your certification body, for example NICEIC, assesses your quality processes, your customer care and a live installation of each technology you apply for. Training is one input to that assessment, not the whole of it.
Start with the technologies you will actually fit
The most common waste is buying a broad training package before deciding the product range. Each technology has its own qualifications, and an award for one does nothing for another. List the technologies you plan to sell in the next 12 months, then train for those only. You can add scope later, and certification bodies price extensions per technology.
List the technologies you will sell
Write down which of solar PV, battery storage and heat pumps you will install in the next year. Rank them by how many enquiries you already turn away. Training for a technology you have no pipeline for is the clearest example of a course that costs money without bringing in work.
Choose your certification body before any course
Contact the certification bodies you are considering and ask which qualifications they accept for the technology and role in question. Certification bodies run the assessment, so their acceptance is what counts. Ask whether your existing qualifications already cover part of the requirement, and which trade membership or competent person registration they expect alongside it.
Match a qualification to each technology
Open the MCS Find a Training Course search and filter by technology. For solar PV, the listed routes include Level 3 awards in the installation of small-scale solar photovoltaic systems. For battery storage, they include Level 3 awards in the design, installation and commissioning of electrical energy storage systems. For heat pumps, there are awards for air source and ground source systems covering non-refrigerant circuits. Note the exact title, awarding organization and availability status.
Separate design from installation for heat pumps
Heat pump courses on the list are marked as installation, design, or both. Some installation awards only cover design when paired with a low temperature heating and hot water qualification. If you will produce the heat loss calculation and system design yourself, pick a route labeled for design, or confirm in writing how your certification body treats the pairing.
Check the underpinning trade qualifications
A technology award sits on top of your core trade. Electrical work needs a qualified electrician. Split-system heat pumps that handle refrigerant need F-Gas competence. Some manufacturers also require their own product training before they allow you to install their equipment. These requirements are separate from the MCS list, so confirm each one rather than assuming the technology award covers it.
Name the people who carry the competence
Certification looks at who in the business holds the responsibility. In the NICEIC process, the application assessment covers a single Technical Supervisor for one technology, with further supervisors added later. Decide who that person is for each technology, and book their course first. Training an entire crew before the supervisor is qualified delays the application.
Book one course, then hold the assessment date
Complete the qualification for your first technology, then apply and schedule the assessment while the learning is fresh. The assessor will visit a live installation, so line up a customer job that can be assessed. Add the second technology as an extension once the first certificate is issued and the quality system is running.
File the evidence where an assessor can find it
Keep the certificate, awarding organization, qualification code, date and holder for every person. Link each one to the technology it supports. Surveillance assessments return every year, and a missing certificate can cost you a rebooked visit.
What proving competence looks like
Passing a course is not the same as being certified. MCS asks the business to demonstrate competence against the criteria in its Installer Operating Requirements, and the assessor tests that against real work: the survey, the design, the commissioning records and the handover pack. MCS also publishes guidance on demonstrating competency, and certification bodies can explain where experience can stand in for a particular course. Ask before you book anything expensive.
Rebooking costs
Certification bodies charge for rescheduled or missed assessments. NICEIC's 2026/27 schedule lists a void fee of £450 plus VAT if nobody is available when the assessor arrives, so protect the date.
Costs that sit around the training
Course fees are only part of the budget. For reference, NICEIC lists a UK 2026/27 joining cost of £95 plus VAT for the application and £705 plus VAT for 12 months of certification covering one technology, alongside a £55 MCS licence fee. Adding a technology to an existing certification is priced separately, at £640 plus VAT for one extra technology. Other certification bodies price differently, so use these as an example of the structure rather than a quote.
Keep the evidence tied to real jobs
Competence is shown on live work, so the paperwork should come from the job itself. A job record that holds the survey, the design sign-off, the installer's name and the commissioning checks gives an assessor a trail to follow. Renewables businesses can build that into their jobs workflow, and capture site surveys and commissioning checks with eForms so each installation carries the same evidence. The renewables industry page shows how that fits solar, heat pump and storage work.
If you already hold the paperwork side, read the related guides on the MCS compliance documentation checklist and MCS requirements for installers.
Before you pay for anything, ask one question of every course: is it on the MCS approved list for the technology I am applying for, and will my certification body accept it for the role I am putting forward? If the answer to either is no, it is a good course for something else, but it is not part of your MCS application.
Common questions
Sources
- Find a Training Course - MCSMCS · accessed 2026-11-10
- MCS Installer Scheme: apply for CertificationNICEIC · accessed 2026-11-10