Welcome to Flexi-Orb! Whether you are a consumer, installer or manufacturer, this guide should give you a good introduction to what the scheme is, what the benefits are, and why it’s good for everyone (as well as the planet)!
What is Flexi-Orb?
The Flexible Energy Oversight Registration Body (Flexi-Orb) is an installation standards scheme for renewable technologies. It is the first scheme of its kind to be recognised by UKAS to ISO/IEC 17067:2013 and aims to drive up installation standards within the green industry for the benefit of domestic consumers – increasing confidence in the whole of the low carbon market.
What this means in simple terms
If you are a manufacturer – You can evidence that your products meet our policy criteria, and that they are installed by competent certified installers.
If you are an installer – You will open the door to consumer and technical support, digital integration, and lead generation. Most importantly, you can prove to your customers that your installations are assessed to the highest standard.
If you are a homeowner – You can have peace of mind that the installation of any solar PV, EV charge point, or electrical energy storage systems are carried out by installers who are assessed to the highest standards. Installers certified to the Flexi-Orb Scheme must also be members of a Chartered Trading Standards Institute Approved Code, meaning you have access to free consumer support, dispute resolution, mediation, and Ombudsman Services. Should your installer cease to trade, installations are covered by an insurance backed guarantee1.
Consumers need protection for peace of mind. Installers need to be able to give consumers the confidence to use them. Flexi-Orb does both.
The process explained - what is a certification scheme?
- Flexi-Orb is the scheme owner – we create and develop the standard for high-quality installations, driven by market requirements and guided by industry stakeholders.
- Certification bodies operate the scheme – assessing and certifying companies to the Flexi-Orb standard.
- Companies can then say they are Flexi-Orb Certified – this means they have evidenced that they have the competency to meet our requirements.
- Certification is an ongoing process that includes continuous monitoring, surveillance and re-assessment – bringing further confidence to consumers and providing consistent feedback to the installer.
What is UKAS?
UKAS (United Kingdom Accreditation Service) audits and assesses both Flexi-Orb and the Certification Bodies that operate the scheme. It can take years before UKAS can be satisfied that the scheme meets the requirements of ISO/IEC 17067:2013 and ISO/IEC 17065:2012 – it’s quite rightly an extremely challenging process. Once successful, both the scheme owner and the scheme operator are under constant surveillance by UKAS and must submit to reassessment on an ongoing basis.
In simple terms, UKAS assess the companies that assess the installers.
The 5-step Flexi-Orb process to happiness
- An installer is certified to the Flexi-Orb Standard by a certification body.
- A homeowner can have confidence that the installer has a high standard of competency.
- The installer is constantly monitored and assessed to the Flexi-Orb’s standards.
- In the event of a query or complaint, the homeowner has the guidance of Flexi-Orb, the certification body, and an approved consumer code.
- An insurance backed guarantee will be in place for all applicable installations 1
Good quality products + high quality installations = happy customers, happy installers and a happy planet.
What is a Consumer Code?
An approved consumer code must meet the requirements of the Chartered Trading Standards Institute. This is also extremely challenging, and there are currently only two companies that meet these requirements in the renewables market – RECC (Renewable Energy Consumer Code) and HIES (Home Insulation and Energy Systems Quality Assured Contractors Scheme).
Installers must adhere to the code, meaning they must conduct their business within the code’s rules. If they don’t, the codes are there to support the consumer to ensure a fair resolution – and this is always provided free of charge.
The codes also mandate that every installation must carry an insurance backed guarantee (IBG).
An IBG underwrites the original workmanship guarantee that your installer provides to you. The insurance protects you in the event your installer ceases to trade, providing you with additional peace of mind.
If you are an installer, this guarantee gives your customers peace of mind that they are covered in the unlikely event that you cease trading.
Insurance backed guarantees give peace of mind to homeowners and increase sales for installers.
The technologies Flexi-Orb covers
Flexi-Orb installers are certified to carry out and register solar photovoltaic (PV), electrical energy storage systems (EESS), and electric vehicle charge points (EVCP) installations.
In addition to this, we are currently working on adding heat pumps to the scheme and installers will be able to become certified to install this technology in 2025.
Solar PV (PV)
Solar panels, also known as photovoltaics (PV), generate electricity by capturing rays from the sun.
Solar panels generate electricity during the day and this electricity is then converted from DC to AC by an inverter for you to be able to use it within your home.
To find out more about the benefits, cost of solar PV, maintenance and potential earnings, please visit our Solar PV page.
Electrical Energy Storage Systems (EESS)
Until recently, energy storage systems (let’s call them ‘batteries’) have stored the energy that has been produced by a solar PV system that has not been used when generated. This stored energy is then available when needed in the home – such as at night, for example.
But batteries are getting ‘smart’ – they can now charge themselves when electricity is cheap, then either use it in the home when electricity is expensive, or feed it back to the National Grid to make a profit, increasing savings and even earning an income.
To find out more about the types of battery storage available and the benefits, please visit our Electrical Energy Storage Systems page.
Electric Vehicle Charge Points (EVCP)
An EV charge point is a product which supplies electricity to your plugin electric car. It makes it easier and faster to charge your electric car when you are at home.
It’s important that this key electrical installation is installed to the highest safety standards.
To find out more about the types of chargers, charge times and funding, please visit our Electric Vehicle Charge Point page.
Flexi-Orb consumer protection
Consumer protection is one of our highest priorities. In the past, there have been many stories of poor renewable installations, or instances where consumers have not been given the correct information. Whilst these installations are very much in the minority, they are the ones that get talked about. This is so frustrating for good quality installers, and that’s one of the reasons we set up Flexi-Orb.
A renewable energy installation can be a significant investment and although it’s a rewarding and responsible choice, it’s important to make sure your installer is certified and provides you with appropriate protection.
Flexi-Orb puts the consumer first in everything we do.
How we help consumers
- All Flexi-Orb Certified installers undergo a rigorous vetting process to gain their certification which includes an on-site assessment to ensure their compliance with our Flexi-Orb Installation Scheme.
- They are also subject to up to five additional on-site assessments annually to ensure they remain compliant.
- Every consumer registered with us is given the opportunity to rate and review their installer. This helps us monitor the installer’s customer satisfaction rating and highlights any issues or areas for improvement – it also allows us to remove any bad installers from the Scheme immediately.
- Whatever your query or concern, Flexi-Orb is always on hand and happy to offer help and guidance to all consumers. If we do not know the answer, we will be able to put you in touch with someone who does!
In the event of a problem
We have two important benefits for both consumers and installers.
In an ideal world, your installer will always be there to take care of any problems that may arise over the period of the guarantee they provided you with. However, in the unlikely event that they cease to trade, you may be able make a claim against your insurance backed guarantee.
Disputes between a consumer and an installer can happen for a variety of reasons. Dispute resolution and mediation are the first informal steps to providing the consumer with a fair resolution to a problem. Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) is more formal and designed to work with both parties to resolve complaints independently. Finally, a complaint can be brought to the Ombudsman services, who make a formal ruling on the matter.
Part of our scheme requirements for Flexi-Orb Certified installers is that they are a member of a Chartered Trading Standards Institute approved consumer code. By being a member of a code, their customers have free access to all of these services, in the event of a complaint that the installer cannot resolve themselves.
Benefits for everyone
Benefits for manufacturers joining Flexi-Orb
- Flexi-Orb aims to facilitate the UK renewable energy industry by preventing unnecessary duplicate product certification applications and testing.
- Our certified installers must only install products that meet our minimum standards criteria and are listed on our product database.
- Joining Flexi-Orb and registering your products on our database allows you to show consumers and installers that you are committed to providing a complete package.
- It’s a simple process – apply to Flexi-Orb to have your product included on our database, supply and self-certify your accreditation evidence and product specification.
Click here to learn more about the benefits Flexi-Orb can offer manufacturers.
Benefits for installers joining Flexi-Orb
- Flexi-Orb is a challenging certification scheme. 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.
- Flexi-Orb will help you market your competency credentials, and we will also support you with lead generation, boosting sales further.
- Your customers are encouraged to leave reviews through Flexi-Orb currently, and about 30% of them do. Reviews not only help you to make improvements to your service but are a great tool for prospective customers when they are considering which installer to use.
- You will also have access to our technical support helpdesk.
Benefits for consumers
- All work carries an insurance-backed guarantee.
- Flexi-Orb will be on hand to support you through dispute resolution if something goes wrong.
- Your home will be more energy-efficient and you will be able to generate and use your own electricity.
- You have the power to review your installer on the UK’s first renewable-only review site – guaranteeing that each review follows a validated installation.
- You get a certificate to prove your installation has been installed by a company assessed to the highest competency requirements – perfect if you want to sell your home (or just sleep well at night).
What else does Flexi-Orb do?
We use all the information we get about the number and quality of installations to feed into government departments (don’t worry this is not your personal data). This helps them to draft regulation around how and where to install products, and it helps them to understand the price of installations so that they can decide on funding incentives.
In short, the data that we have can be used to help develop strategy for increasing renewable installations, but also for the safe decommissioning and safe upcycling of products at the end of their life – great for the industry, great for consumers and great for the planet.
This circular approach to improving standards is what makes Flexi-Orb a little bit different.
For more in-depth information, please visit the relevant section on our website. We have some great FAQ sections that will help you.
