Subcontracting to PV companies

[Dougie 22]

Hi everyone.

I'm after a bit of guidance please.

I'm an electrician and until recently was a PV installer working for an MCS accredited company. However due to change in circumstances, I am now going it alone, house bashing mainly. Since I have a fair bit of PV experience and the NICEIC PV qualification (rubbish course by the way) I would like to get back in to the PV side of things. I was thinking of offering my services to local MCS accredited companies on a subcontract basis but in order to sub to them would I also need to be MCS accredited? Or is it enough that the company I'm contracting too is?

Grateful of any advise. Cheers

Doug

 

[Ramjam]

Hi Doug, Where are you?

 

[liam b]

your company will need to sign the install off via mcs

 

[Noshocks]

You dont need to be MCS registered, if you are a qualified spark and have done the 2372 or equivalent thats all you need, the company employing you will be MCS registered, there is quite a lot of competion to do this now, original rates were good but they seem to be dropping. I sub for one MCS company just doing the electrics, the fact I am MCS registered in my own right has nothing to do with it, best thing is to cold call them, be aware the first thing they will ask is 'how much do you charge'.

 

[Dougie 22]

Thanks guys - very helpful.

Ramjam I'm in the midlands

regards

Doug

 

[Ramjam]

Doug,

The problem is that no-one wants to train up a competitor. I think you either need to be MCS accredited and looking to do a whole install at a time as a subbie or you need to tread very carefully. I'm sure many solar PV installers would like to have a casual qualified worker available to help out on jobs and would be happy to pay but the problem lies with what your intentions are. If you went to work for a company local to you then once you got your confidence got MCS accredited and set up in competition then they'd be unhappy. This may be a barrier to getting work. I do all the electrical work myself and employ roofers to assist because they can't do my job. If I were to want an electrician I'd probably call a friend from elsewhere to come down to my neck of the woods to do specific work. I wouldn't want to give a leg up to a competitor!