Renewables Commissioning Paperwork: What You Need
A renewables install isn't finished when the system switches on — it's finished when the paperwork proves it was designed, installed, tested and notified correctly. This is the full document set, technology by technology.
Commissioning a solar PV system, battery, heat pump or EV charge point produces more paperwork than almost any other domestic job. Some of it protects the warranty, some of it satisfies MCS, some of it goes to the DNO, and some of it is what the customer needs to claim a grant or sell the house. Miss a document and you'll be chasing it weeks later — or worse, the customer's MCS certificate or Smart Export Guarantee application stalls.
This guide lists the commissioning documents for each technology, explains who each one is for, and shows the order to complete them so nothing is left behind when you drive away. Every record here can be completed on your phone in TradePlanr and issued as a PDF before you leave site.
Key takeaways
- Every renewables install produces records for four audiences: the customer, the manufacturer (warranty), MCS and the DNO.
- Solar PV needs the fullest set — installation checklist, DC array tests, the commissioning certificate, the EIC and the G98/G99 confirmation.
- Heat pumps need the Benchmark commissioning checklist plus the MCS F26B handover certificate — they record different things and both are needed.
- Battery commissioning is recorded within the combined solar PV and battery commissioning certificate; EV commissioning lives on the installation certificate issued with the EIC.
- Complete the paperwork at the point of commissioning, not from memory afterwards — the readings and settings are the evidence.
Why commissioning paperwork matters
Commissioning records do four jobs at once. They validate the manufacturer's warranty, which usually requires a completed commissioning record. They support MCS certification, which the customer needs for the Smart Export Guarantee or the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. They evidence the DNO notification that makes the grid connection legitimate. And they give the customer — and whoever works on the system next — a traceable record of how it was set up.
The common thread is that all of these depend on readings and settings captured at the moment of commissioning: string voltages, flow temperatures, protection settings, export limits. Paperwork written up later from memory is weaker evidence and frequently wrong. The practical answer is to complete each record on site as you work through the system.
Solar PV: the document set
Solar PV has the fullest commissioning document set of any domestic renewables technology, and the records follow the order of the work. Before commissioning, the installation checklist confirms the mechanical and electrical install is complete — mounting, DC cable management, isolation, earthing and labelling — and ready to test.
At commissioning, the DC array test certificate records the per-string results: open-circuit voltage, short-circuit current, insulation resistance and polarity to BS 7671 Part 7-712. The commissioning certificate then pulls together the system details, inverter settings, battery data where fitted, and the G98 or G99 route. The electrical work itself is certified with an EIC. Where extra assurance is needed — before the MCS certificate is issued, or at a client's request — a system verification certificate cross-checks the design, results and documentation.
The solar order of play
Installation checklist → DC array tests → commissioning certificate → EIC → G98/G99 confirmation to the DNO. Verification sits alongside where assurance is required.
Heat pumps: Benchmark plus MCS F26B
A heat pump handover produces two commissioning documents that are often confused. The HHIC Benchmark commissioning checklist records that the appliance was set up to the manufacturer's instructions — flow temperature, weather compensation, system fill and pressure, inhibitor or antifreeze, and balancing. It is what most manufacturers require to validate the warranty.
The MCS F26B handover certificate is different: it confirms the installation was designed, installed and commissioned to MCS requirements, records the performance estimate, and documents that the customer handover took place. MCS certification — which the F26B supports — is what unlocks the Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant. Complete both at handover, along with the EIC for the electrical work and the DNO notification where the unit requires it.
Doing this on a job? Solar PV Array Test Certificate — part of TradePlanr. Free to start, no card needed.
Batteries and EV chargers: where the records live
There is no separate standalone battery commissioning form in common domestic use. Battery commissioning data — make and model, settings, state of charge, export behaviour and confirmation of correct operation — is recorded within the combined solar PV and battery commissioning certificate, because the battery is commissioned as part of the system it serves. The DNO side matters too: a battery that can export changes the G98/G99 picture, so the SSEG confirmation should reflect the storage.
EV charge points are similar: the commissioning checks — functional charge test, protective device operation, PEN fault protection verification and DNO notification — are recorded on the EV charge point installation certificate, issued together with the EIC or Minor Works certificate for the circuit. If you're looking for a dedicated 'EV commissioning form', this pair of documents is it.
The DNO paperwork: G98 and G99
Any small-scale embedded generator — solar PV, battery storage with export capability, some vehicle-to-grid arrangements — must be notified to or approved by the Distribution Network Operator. Smaller single-premises systems typically follow G98, which allows connection followed by notification within 28 days of commissioning. Larger or multiple installations need a G99 application and agreement before connection.
The commissioning confirmation records the generator details, type-test references, protection settings and the anti-islanding test, and is the document the DNO actually wants. It replaced the withdrawn G83/2 form. Keep a copy in the customer's handover pack as evidence the connection was notified.
Building the handover pack
Once commissioning is complete, everything lands in one place: the handover pack the customer keeps. For an MCS job that means the commissioning certificate(s), the EIC, the MCS certificate, the G98/G99 confirmation, the performance estimate, user instructions and warranty documents. The customer needs it for the Smart Export Guarantee, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, insurance and eventually conveyancing.
The installs that generate callbacks are almost never the ones with a bad panel — they're the ones with missing paperwork. Issuing every record as a PDF from the job before you leave site closes that gap permanently.
Do it on the day
Every certificate in this guide can be completed in TradePlanr on your phone at the appliance, signed on screen and sent as a branded PDF before you leave the job.
From guidance to action
Frequently asked questions
What documents does a solar PV installation need at commissioning?
The core set is the installation checklist, the DC array test certificate, the solar PV commissioning certificate, the EIC for the electrical work and the G98 or G99 commissioning confirmation for the DNO. MCS installations add the MCS certificate and performance estimate to the handover pack.
Is there a single commissioning certificate that covers everything?
No. Each record serves a different audience — the warranty, MCS, the DNO and the customer — so a renewables install produces a set of documents rather than one form. The practical fix is issuing them all from one job record.
Do batteries and EV chargers have their own commissioning forms?
Not as standalone documents. Battery commissioning is recorded within the combined solar PV and battery commissioning certificate, and EV charge point commissioning checks are recorded on the installation certificate issued with the EIC or Minor Works certificate.
What happens if the commissioning paperwork is missing?
Warranty claims can be refused, the MCS certificate and grant or export payments can stall, and the DNO notification obligation may be unmet. Retrofitting the paperwork later is slow and the readings are no longer verifiable, so complete it at commissioning.
Related guides
The MCS Handover Pack: Complete Document Checklist
What goes in the MCS handover pack for solar PV and heat pump installs, who sends what, and how to hand it over cleanly.
Solar PV Certificate Requirements
The electrical, commissioning and handover records that make a solar PV installation traceable and usable.
G98 vs G99: DNO Notifications for Solar and Batteries
How to identify the relevant DNO connection process for small-scale solar and battery work, and document the installation.
Heat Pump Commissioning Checklist (Benchmark and MCS)
A working heat pump commissioning checklist — system prep, settings, balancing and the Benchmark and MCS F26B records that prove it.
