By the founder’s own admission, Flexi-Orb is more challenging to complete, and more expensive.
So what do the installers think? In this article you can read more about the scheme, hear from its founder and managing director, David Lindsay, and see what the first certified companies think of the process.
Flexi-Orb (Flexible Energy Oversight Registration Body) is the newest UKAS-accredited certification for the installation of solar photovoltaics (PV) and electrical energy storage systems (EESS). It is also the first in the UK to offer a certification for the installation of electric vehicle charge points (EV).
Flexi-Orb was established by parent company, Certi-fi, three years ago, in a bid to drive up installation standards for the benefit of domestic consumers and to increase the number of certified installers in the domestic renewable installations market.
Since then, the company has been running a beta service and formally launched its scheme in June with two certification bodies.
“We’ve been surprised at the interest,” says David Lindsay, managing director of Certi-fi.
“We expected a slow start, but it seems that more installation companies want to evidence their quality is above the market median. Our job now is to ensure that our certification bodies are fully supported, that installers understand the certification process, and that consumers know that this is the premium mark of quality against an installation.”
Two of the first companies certified are Project Solar and Sunsave.
The Project Solar experience
Project Solar is one of the UK’s largest solar installation companies. Based in the North West, it has been servicing the ‘able to pay’ market since 2011.
The company has over 25 installation teams across the UK and has seen significant growth due to the quality of its installations.
“Our entire business rests on two things; installations and the quality of our customer service, so being at the forefront of advancements in renewable energy is incredibly important for us” says Tom Armstrong, managing director of Project Solar UK.
“We operate various business models and we are about to launch a ‘fit and forget’ scheme, so having exceptional quality installations is paramount to the success of this model.
“We are particularly proud of achieving one of the first Flexi-Orb certifications, as it signifies a high standard of quality. Maintaining these standards is not only beneficial for our business but also assures consumers of our reliability.
“It’s not easy to achieve this standard and that’s why it’s attractive to us; it represents the gold standard of solar installation at a time when solar has hit the headlines.
“We already have a fantastic reputation and consistently high review scores but the Flexi-Orb review centre is another avenue for us to show that we are an installation company that can be trusted.
“The process was quite rightly challenging. But for us, having a more robust and practically- focused certification scheme means that installation standards go up, consumers gain more confidence in solar installation and the market will continue to grow, which is great news for high quality installation companies.
“Companies often see certification as a time or cost, but for us, it’s simply a matter of reputation. We know our installers operate to the highest standards, this gives the consumer peace of mind that they are getting the very best service, something we pride ourselves on.”
The Sunsave experience
Launched in 2022, with a mission to make the power of solar accessible to all UK households, Sunsave offers a unique alternative to customers – a long-term solar subscription with no upfront costs and ongoing monitoring and maintenance, provided through a 20-year guarantee to ensure the system’s performance and longevity to give customers peace of mind.
The startup was recently awarded almost £2million from the UK Government’s Green Home Finance Accelerator (GHFA), part of the Net Zero Innovation Portfolio, and has significant backing from leading investors.
Ben Graves, co-founder at Sunsave, said: “We set up Sunsave to make solar power accessible to everyone. Rather than partnering with a bank, we provide financing ourselves, so our customers can deal with one company for the installation, financing and ongoing maintenance. Our subscription model means that solar panels can pay for themselves from the very beginning.
“We founded the business in 2022 and launched our subscription model, Sunsave Plus, at the beginning of this year. We have grown incredibly fast, more than doubling volume every month. Given the recent government announcement we expect this phenomenal growth to continue, and having the highest quality installations is absolutely essential to our success.
“There are two aspects to Flexi-Orb that we think are differentiators. Given that we both finance and maintain our installations for 20 years, it’s vital that they are installed to the highest standards. The Flexi-Orb certification requirements bar is set much higher, protecting both our customers and ourselves.
“The process of certification is more challenging but it’s also far more relevant – it’s more focused on the practical side of installations than the theoretical.
“We see the industry moving quickly over the next few years and market dynamics are likely to evolve. It’s important for us to work with a regulatory body that can adapt quickly and move with the times.”
‘An industry-focussed and challenging scheme’
Certi-fi has also been successfully running the Energy Performance Validation Scheme (EPVS) since 2016. EPVS protects lenders, installers and consumers from incorrect system designs and performance estimates – increasing consumer confidence, facilitating funding facilities, leading to more sales.
David is passionate about facilitating the industry to improve consumer outcomes.
“Flexi-Orb has undergone three years of beta testing. We wanted to give installers, consumers and other stakeholders a choice about their certification provider, which meant the scheme had to find ways to differentiate and stand out,” David said.
“What we have launched is an industry-focused and challenging scheme, I think that the early response shows that installers want to evidence their quality.
“Our scheme is the first to undergo rigorous assessment to ISO/IEC 17067:2013 by UKAS, the first accredited to certify EV charging points, and we are the first company to have a Scheme Owner Agreement with UKAS – which means we are continually assessed to ensure that the scheme meets the requirements of the industry.
“Flexi-Orb and EPVS, separately and together, help drive up consumer confidence in the market. The new government’s commitment to rooftop solar is a breath of clean air, but we need to be mindful of the mis-selling issues that occurred under the FiT Scheme and ensure that they’re not repeated – they damage the whole industry.
“EPVS protects the consumer from misleading information, Flexi-Orb ensures that the standard of installation is high and, critically, supports both the consumer and the installer should any dispute arise.
‘’We’re making sure that the CTSI approved Consumer Codes are part of our proposition – they’re experts in achieving sensible resolutions. We’re committed to ensuring that the protection of an insurance-backed guarantee is in place for all consumers.
“If the Government is true to its word, then the renewables industry is about to move up a notch – we want to play our part in supporting installers to get the best outcomes for domestic renewable customers.’’
Flex-Orb certification is currently available through Simply Certification and Blue Flame Certification, with more certification bodies expected to join throughout 2024.
Image credit: Flexi-orb
