Flexi-Orb is the brand new certification scheme for renewable energy. This guide is designed to give you a quick overview of getting Flexi-Orb certification.  

If you would like to speak to our team about getting Flexi-Orb certification, please contact us.

What is Flexi-Orb? 

The Flexible Energy Oversight Registration Body (Flexi-Orb) is an installation standards scheme and is the first scheme of its kind to be recognised by UKAS and due to the assessment methods, is seen as the highest mark of quality for installer companies to gain – which consumers and primary contractors will recognise and consider when selecting an installer and their supply chain. 

Currently, the scheme covers  Solar PV (photovoltaics), Electrical Energy Storage Systems (EESS), and critically, Electric Vehicle Charge Points (EVCP). This scheme is the first in the UK to offer certification for EV charging.

The certification process has been designed to be more rigorous and drive up standards across the industry, with more focus on evidencing business sustainability and performance as well as the quality of installations. 

What is the Flexi-Orb certification process? 

The first step in getting Flexi-Orb certification is to read the standard carefully. We find that many companies try to achieve certification without fully understanding the standard. This isn’t recommended. As you can imagine it’s almost like attempting to erect a complex flat pack without reading the instructions!

There are some essential differences between this and other standards. 

If you are fully prepared and have a good management system in place particularly one that is aligned to ISO 9001, then getting Flexi-Orb certification should be relatively straightforward.

Certification is an ongoing process that includes continuous monitoring, surveillance and re-assessment, deliberately designed to give confidence to consumers and provide consistent feedback to support ongoing improvement. If you are prepared, there is nothing to worry about! 

For initial certification, the assessment process is broken down into two stages:

1. Head office audit. This usually lasts around a day and the assessor will evaluate your quality management system and check to see if your processes and procedures are aligned to the standard. This is usually performed at the Head Office site. 
2. Technical Inspection. Each technology will require a technical inspection after the Head Office. This is usually programmed on the day after the HO, to keep the audit schedule straightforward. The same technical assessor may carry out both audit and inspection or just the inspection on its own. The full assessment will spread over at least 2 days.
3. Non Conformances. This is the area that will slow the rate to be certified down, which is why it’s so important to be prepared and not to attempt to ‘wing it’. Any non conformances that are identified will need to be reviewed by the assessor. Although our team work as quickly as they can, there has to be an appreciation that the assessor’s schedule will have other customers in there, so the non-conformances will not necessarily be reviewed as soon as you submit them!
4. Verification and Decision Making. These final steps in the process are carried out by other competent people who have not been involved in the process – it’s to ensure nothing has been missed during the assessment and impartiality has been retained. 
5. Certification. The best bit! You are issued with UKAS accredited certification and added to the Flexi-Orb Scheme.

What will I need to provide? 

Our checklists

How much does it cost to get Flexi-Orb certification? 

Getting Flexi-Orb certification starts at £2,156 which is a significant difference to the other renewable scheme MCS which is seen as cheaper in the first instance. 

This is due to the additional assessment time required to ensure that there is a high-quality business process to demonstrate that your organisation meets recognised best practice standards and will be sustainable. 

The value of this is priceless. 

Flexi-Orb scheme is seen as much more than a certificate but adopting a culture of quality to demonstrate an elite business – giving organisations a competitive edge due to the confidence they are providing their customers in their ability to run a quality business.

The difference between MCS and Flexi-Orb Costs:

The most common question is Flex-Orb cheaper? Well, this depends on the number of installs your business carries out –  as the cost for initial certification price is higher, however, the cost to lodge the installs under the scheme is lower with Flexi-Orb.

See the table below provided by Flexi-Orb

Flexi-Orb & MCS Annual Cost Comparisons

* Taken from NAPIT quotation, based on two technologies and including MCS licencing fee

** Taken from Simply Certification quotation, based on two technologies, including application fee

How long does it take? 

It’s the same as all certifiable schemes. The speed of certification depends on how ready you are for assessment!

A realistic timeframe from a prepared organisation that has zero non-conformances during the assessment is around 4 weeks from the dates of the inspections taking place.

The more non-conformances then the longer the process will take as they need to be reviewed.

What are the benefits of getting Flexi-Orb certification? 

Getting Flexi-Orb certification is a signal to consumers that you are a company with high installation standards. To be successful in the certification process, you must evidence that your company meets the highest installation competency. You can then be proud to market this to your potential customers, increasing conversion.

In the past, the industry has been littered with rogue traders who have mis-sold installations or simply not had the competence to install and maintain things properly. This is so frustrating for good quality installers, and why it is so important to get Flexi-Orb certification if you want to prove to consumers that you are one of the good ones! 

Every consumer registered with Flexi-Orb is allowed to rate and review their installer. If you’re doing a good job, it’s great for business! 

Installers certified to the Flexi-Orb Scheme must be members of a Chartered Trading Standards Institute approved Consumer Code, meaning customers have access to free consumer support, dispute resolution, mediation, and Ombudsman Services. 

Flexi-Orb certification comes with an insurance-backed guarantee, should anything go wrong. They also help with dispute resolution and mediation, designed to support both installers and consumers. 

Flexi-Orb installers have access to the Flexi-Orb technical support helpdesk and, subject to their Energy Performance Validation Scheme (EPVS) membership, access to lenders to organise consumer finance for installations. 

 

Ready to get Flexi-Orb certification? Speak to our friendly and experienced team on 0191 323 3960 or contact us.