UK MCS Plans to Develop Battery Energy Storage Product Standard

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On October 30, the UK Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) is developing a battery energy storage product standard, aiming to establish dedicated testing and certification requirements for energy storage products for the residential and commercial & industrial markets. On October 13, MCS published the first draft of the "Battery Energy Storage Product Standard" (MCS 042) and launched a four-week industry consultation, with comments due by 23:59 on November 10.

The draft was developed by the MCS Battery Energy Storage Technical Working Group, with participants including installers, manufacturers, industry associations, and certification bodies. The proposed requirements cover AC-coupled energy storage systems as well as DC-coupled battery packs; for integrated battery and inverter products, safety requirements for power electronic equipment and electromagnetic compatibility will also be included. Regarding battery safety, the draft proposes compliance with IEC 62619:2022 and the United Nations UN 38.3 transport safety testing requirements.

Product performance information disclosure is also among the areas the standard aims to regulate. Manufacturers may be required to declare parameters such as battery nominal energy capacity, usable energy capacity, input power, output power, round-trip efficiency, and expected service life, so that installers and end users can compare the performance of different products. For production quality, the standard development also references the photovoltaic product certification mechanism, covering requirements such as factory production control, consistency of batches and test samples, and ongoing surveillance.

The draft also proposes cybersecurity requirements, with relevant products or components intended to comply with the ETSI EN 303 645 IoT cybersecurity specification, covering the avoidance of default passwords, secure software updates, vulnerability management, and secure communication between batteries, inverters, and cloud platforms or mobile applications. Products with wireless connectivity features are also subject to the corresponding safety requirements for information technology equipment.

MCS stated that the battery energy storage product standard will complement existing installation standards to enhance the quality and reliability of certified products. The organization disclosed that as of the end of September 2026, more than 60,000 battery energy storage systems had been installed by UK households and small businesses in 2026 through MCS-certified installation, more than 50% higher than the cumulative level in the same period of the previous year. After the consultation concludes, MCS will refine and publish the standard based on industry feedback; the specific implementation timeline has not yet been determined, and a transition period will be provided for certified installers.