Solarcentury, one of the oldest solar companies in the world, has achieved a certification first under the new MCS 012 requirements for roof-integrated photovoltaic (PV) systems. Solarcentury has certified its Sunstation solar roof system, a new sleek, black roof solar system. First to install Sunstation is highly respected  British designer and TV presenter Wayne Hemingway, whose house is now being powered by solar electricity generated by the Sunstation system. “The update to MCS 012 is an important and positive development for both solar providers and consumers as it brings a higher level of confidence and assurance in the selection and installation of roof integrated PV systems”says John Holden, MCS Certification Manager at BRE Global. “Certificating a roof-integrated PV product with BRE Global against the requirements of MCS 012 provides independent confirmation that a product has met industry recognised wind, fire and weather resistance requirements. Congratulations to Solarcentury on this UK first!” The development of Sunstation by Solarcentury follows research last year which found that 86% of homeowners want new additions to their home to ‘look stylish’. Two thirds (65%) said that if they installed solar panels they would have to be less visible and not stand out; a third (32%) said it was important what their neighbours think about new additions to their home. Jon Sturgeon, Operations Director for Residential at Solarcentury commented “At Solarcentury we have more than a decade of experience in testing building integrated PV (BIPV) products to the same standards as conventional roofing. We pride ourselves on our testing philosophy, choosing to go above and beyond the minimum requirements. This is demonstrated in our approach to tests, including assessing multiple configurations, identifying worst case configurations and performing multiple test repeats; we really put the product through its paces. All of this combined means installers can now adopt Sunstation with even more confidence.” For more information on BRE Global’s MCS Scheme go to www.greenbooklive.com/microgen For information on Solarcentury and Sunstation go to www.solarcentury.com and www.gosunstation.com. Image above courtesy Solarcentury. ENDS

Media enquiries: Please contact Linda McKeown, BRE, e-mail pressoffice@bregroup.com

Notes for Editors 1.      About BRE Global’s Microgeneration Certification Scheme BRE Global offers a wide range of UKAS accredited certification services against the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS). MCS is an independent quality assurance scheme assessing microgeneration products and installers against robust quality, performance and safety criteria.  MCS is industry-led and supported by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) MCS approved products satisfy rigorous and established European and International standards. In addition to laboratory testing, the product manufacturers also must undertake factory production control audits to show that they have the management systems in place to support the quality production practices and demonstrate the products at the end of the production line are of the same quality as those that are tested. MCS 012 is a standard for pitched roof installation kits which includes testing of weathertightness, fire and wind resistance of roof integrated solar panels under the The Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS), 2.      About Solarcentury Solarcentury is one of the most respected solar companies in the world. Founded in 1998, we have been around since the early days of the solar industry and have been part of the evolution that has made PV the attractive investment it is today. We have put solar on a greater variety of sites than any other company in the industry, and have won multiple awards for product innovation. We work directly with our clients to design and install commercial, industrial and utility scale solar. We also supply our products and services to installers and distributors. All of our customers benefit from our experience in terms of engineering quality, superior yields and sheer breadth of deployment. We are a big believer in helping solar PV change our world for the better and contribute 5% of our net profits every year to the charity we founded, SolarAid, which aims to eradicate kerosene lamps from Africa by 2020. And our business is global and growing, with offices in the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Kenya, Ghana, South Africa, Chile, Panama and Mexico. For information about Solarcentury, see www.solarcentury.com. For information about Solarcentury's new residential BIPV product Sunstation, see www.gosunstation.com.