Green energy scheme MCS says move north inspired its growth – as it plans to create more jobs

A green energy centre has created dozens of jobs since it moved from London to the Liverpool city region – and its leaders say there is more growth to come.

MCS (Microgeneration Certification Scheme) certifies small-scale renewable technology such as heat pumps and small wind turbines, to offer consumer protection to people investing in low carbon systems.

MCS moved from London to Daresbury in 2018, when it had just two staff. It has now grown to 68 staff and bosses say that number is set to increase.

MCS first moved to the Innovation Centre at Sci-Tech Daresbury, but moved to the new Violet 3 building in 2022 as its staff growth ramped up.

The company says most new employees are local and that “a significant proportion of these are either graduates from nearby universities or apprentices from local colleges”. The business has also aimed to work with local suppliers, from buying food from nearby farmers to working with Sci-Tech Daresbury neighbour Asset Lifecycle Solutions for I.T. asset disposal.

MCS says it saw more installations registered in 2024 than in any previous year, and expects growth to continue alongside the UK’s push to net zero. The scheme will be relaunched this year with the hope of becoming “clearer, fairer, and more transparent for everyone involved in the renewables journey”.

The business is also growing internationally and recently added its second product certification body to be based outside Europe, Intertek Shanghai.

Ian Rippin, CEO at MCS, said: “Sci-Tech Daresbury is an accelerator of growth and innovation, and MCS has benefitted hugely from being able to call the site its home. It’s great to be able to collaborate with other like-minded businesses on site – for example, we’ve undertaken a project with The Hartree Centre to look at how they can support us to analyse our data to identify trends and take action.

“The culture of innovation at MCS has aligned perfectly with the environment created by its location, and MCS is proud to be driving forward meaningful careers in the innovative small-scale renewable sector right here in the North West.

“From a brand-new consumer-focused helpdesk team, through to increasing the number of on-the-road technical assessors, MCS is set to expand its workforce over the next 18 months.”

Mr Rippin said the company would look to stay at Daresbury even as it expands as the complex is set to grow further.

John Leake, business growth director at Sci-Tech Daresbury, said: “MCS truly exemplifies our ‘home for life’ ethos, and the company’s growth since arriving on campus has been quite staggering. The technology the company oversees is increasingly vital as sustainable solutions become more integral to day-to-day life, and it’s an honour to support this exciting company in its operations.

“It’s especially pleasing to see the company embracing collaborative and innovative opportunities through partnership with other organisations on the campus as well the fact that their growth has had such a positive impact on the local community, creating valuable jobs for so many people in the Liverpool City Region.”