The Renewables Podcast

We chat with Darren and Curtis from the ECA, Dan from the NICEIC and Mark from Porteus.

We chat with several installers, eleven energy and Mick from installershow 2025! Thank you to everyone who came to say hello and made the time on the stand an incredible experience!

We have chats with myenergi on the new zappi glo, Proteus on our stand, Callidus wholesale, Alpha and trade shades! We have so many more conversations from the show on the way!

The team at MCS caught up with Sam during last weeks installershow at the NEC. We get the what and why direct from them. Let us know what you think in the comments!

Mark and Sam discuss the effects personal branding can have on product sales and how that filters through to installers. Along with some chat around mounting systems MCS have removed from the register

Mark and Sam visit 2 of the biggest trade shows in the UK at CEF live 2025 and Solar and storage London 2025. Visiting stands and other installers for chats and views!

Mark and Sam have a chat about business costs and some of the mistakes they have and perhaps still do make. Hopefully useful content for consumers and other installers in understanding the costs around solar PV and battery storage.

We discuss wall mounted panels, potential issues with planning and damages. Also covering fence panels and similar ideas! With the growing demand to maximise generation demand for this is growing. But with issues around how they look, planning, structure and loads more its complex. As always we go in warts and all as installers and business owners ourselves. What do you think?

We asked the question about 125A rated consumer units on a podcast a few weeks ago and Pete being the legend he is wanted to explain some of the reasons behind why consumer units are rated in the way they are. Turns out Sams question might have been answered but now he has upped the game towards 200A... Massive thanks to Pete for coming along for a chat! Register for installershow here https://for...

Mark and Sam get into the ups and downs of operating renewables installation companies which probably goes way beyond just those areas across many more businesses. Have you experienced this? Let us know! Register for installershow here https://forms.reg.buzz/installer-2025-visitor/is-marka

Joe from  @installershow  joins to explain what is coming at installershow 2025 and the history of the event! From the social aspect to those exhibiting and everything in between. Register to attend here https://forms.reg.buzz/installer-2025-visitor/is-marka

We get into the geo politics around solar and battery equipment. Including charismatic owners with high profile political ideas...How do you manage the risk in material pricing?

Paul joins us to discuss the role the NICEIC plays in the renewables sector for both PV and heat pumps. Along with discussing the changes coming alongisde MCS 2.0 and how that might affect members going forwards. We also cover some technical issues in the industry atm from PV ultra SWA to consumer unit ratings. Along with learning all about Pauls background in the industry and how he sees things m...

We get into renewables at grid scale with some of the challenges around connections, reliability and backing up with gas peaking generation deals. Jamie Blatant gives some views around how the grid can work better alongside renewables and how currently the costs are elevated due to political ideology.

We get into a chat around growing existing PV systems and how that might effect feed in tariff payments and the wider electricity grid. This is going to a growing challenge. Register for installer show here https://forms.reg.buzz/installer-2025-visitor/is-marka

We delve into how the UK electricity grid works, how renewables plays a part and also presents problems. Our guest Jamie Blatant shares his knowledge and expertise from his prior job roles and enthusiasm for energy generation, transmission and distribution. We have a part 2 coming on this as the conversation was 2 hours long!

We pick up our conversation with Ian Rippin about all the changes coming to MCS and what that means for industry, installers and consumers. One not to miss

Ian Rippin returns to explain how the new MCS is going to work. So do we need to be in a consumer code? Should we wait to join the new scheme or get enrolled as is? Will MCS be doing insurance backed warranties? What role do the CPS assessment providers have now? Do we need them? Ian answers all the big questions and more, one not to miss!

We explore some of the challenges around RCD protection with solar inverters and in particular around TT earthing systems. With discussion around time delayed options, fault and additional protection and lots more! We even get into Sams recent MCS inspection (not the annual variety) and Marks frustration with a customer.

We get into ratings of switchgear around renewables. Should they be 200A rated, 125A rated or fine as they are? Also discussing RCD protection and how we set that up when considering solar/heat pumps.

We are joined by Andy Reakes vice president of the  @electricalindustriescharit7815  to learn about the work he and the charity does. We are proud to provide funds towards the charity during 2025 and it was great to learn about both the great support they provide and fund raising efforts we can all get involved with.https://electricalcharity.org/

Mark and Sam get into solar optimisers from  SolarEdgeTechnologies   EnphaseEnergy  and more! What are the benefits? How do they work? Why are they useful? We get into all of that and loads more!

Anker Solix and Aaron James Darvill explain what the new X1 solar inverter and battery storage system is. How they support the wholesale network, installer and consumers to ensure thier product is among the most reliable and effective systems in a global market. We explore some interesting rabbit holes around warranty, corrosion ratings and loads more. One not to miss, dont forget to subscribe to...

What is the Renewables podcast about?

Anker Solix and Aaron James Darvill explain what the new X1 solar inverter and battery storage system is. How they support the wholesale network, installer and consumers to ensure thier product is among the most reliable and effective systems in a global market. We explore some interesting rabbit holes around warranty, corrosion ratings and loads more. One not to miss, dont forget to subscribe to...