What do you get for a R5000 solar course

[Isetech]

Lets say I have no qualifications and decide to do a 2 day solar course, what part of solar installation am I now qualified to install ?

Are these corurse like eleconop courses, where you are givien a card with a qualifiecation which indentifies what they are allowed to do on site?

At R5000, I would assume you get some form of training which you can hand over to the customer when they want a system installed.

Can you install the solar part and not the electrical part?

Maybe just fit the panels and not the wiring?

Maybe just install the frames and wireways?

[Isetech]

Do I think electricians should attend these courses, yes I do, in fact all electricians who decide to go into solar installtions should be required to get some form of training and certification before they can sign off a solar system.

Brand specific training should also be mandatory. For example if you plan to install Victron, you should have ot produce a certificate of compitencey to instal lthe product.

I found this website rather interesting.

https://pqrs.co.za/

[Sparks]

No solar training qualifies you to commision a solar system. A handyman can legally install all the equipment. Only a registered IE or MIE may commission a solar installation. Doing a solar course will teach the attendee about one specific brand of solar syatems but not all the facets of installation. The whole industry is in a mess.

[Dave A]

A handyman can legally install all the equipment.

Some disagree.
Also there's this post on who may install a solar system.

[Isetech]

If people take off the blinkers and open their eyes, they will realise that as soon as you connect any part of the solar/PV/backup system to the elctrical installation it becomes part of the elctrical installation, no matter what angle you try look at it.

Just because Karin buys a mobile unit and plugs in a TV and router using an extention cord, doesnt make it part of the electrical installation, therefore no COC is required.

Using a suicide cord (plug top to plug top) and connecting the plug top to a socket outlet which is part of the electrical installation would require a COC, I doubt any fool would be that stupid to issue one for that applications.

The green card is nothing more than the level above a labourer, not even an elconop level, why because a labourer would have had to work in the industry for a period of time before applying to become an elconop.

Is a solar/PV/backup system suitable for a DIYer or a green card holder, NO, period.

Do i believe the green is a waste, I cannot comment because I have not done the green course.

Do I believe that electricans need to do some form of training to improve their skills in the solar industry, yes most certainly. I speak from my own personally experience, I have been researching and spending many hours/days and weeks researching, engaging with engineers and others electricians/installers who have completed many installations and completed many installtions already, but still learning.

I dont belive an electrician, single phase tester, IE or MIE is qualified to do installations without some form of training.

Dont get me wrong, once you have completed one installation and understand the setup process, it is just as easy as any other elctrical project. I can a complete inverter/battery installation in less than a day, in fact a couple of hours, and it looks pretty.

500 Pretty installations doesnt make it compliant, the correct qualifications, skills, expereince and supervision make for a compliant installation. Just look at social media (pics andcomments) its full of so called experts in the industry doing some real/y dodgy work.

Insurance assessors have no interest in all the research you did to make sure the installation is compliant, they want to see the facts. They want to see that you as the responsible person (user or lessee) followed the correct proceedure to ensure that the installation was designed, installed, tested and certified by a person wit the correct qualifications, skilled and experience, otehrwise like in many cases, you going to see the tears. I can tell you from expereince they look at everything.

[GCE]

If people take off the blinkers and open their eyes, they will realise that as soon as you connect any part of the solar/PV/backup system to the elctrical installation it becomes part of the elctrical installation, no matter what angle you try look at it.

Just because Karin buys a mobile unit and plugs in a TV and router using an extention cord, doesnt make it part of the electrical installation, therefore no COC is required.

I picked up the statement below from NRS 097 which I put in the memory bank for next time somebody tells me that by plugging in a unit he is exempt from the COC and being part of the electrical installation


[B]NRS 097-2-1:2017[/B]
NOTE Edition 1 included a clause on uninterruptible power supplies (UPS). However, apart from UPSs connected so that a possibility exists of feeding back into the grid, UPSs falls outside the scope of this document. The clause has therefore been removed. A UPS that is connected such that the possibility exists of feeding back into the grid, i.e. in parallel to the grid, must comply with all the requirements of this document. This requirement is provided in 4.1.

[Isetech]

So if you buy a portable/mobile UPS/inverter and put it next to the TV and run an extension to the router, no COC is required.

If you have portable/mobile unit and you fit a male and female socket and connect it to an exisitng electrical installation a COC is required, no matter how small the UPS/inverter. then all the regulations apply including the connection by a suitably qualified person.


Just like a generator, if you use it for what it was designed to do, then you should not change the generator nor a UPS/inverter from a class 11 device to a class 1 device.

[HealthyDozen]

I picked up the statement below from NRS 097 which I put in the memory bank for next time somebody tells me that by plugging in a unit he is exempt from the COC and being part of the electrical installation
[B]NRS 097-2-1:2017[/B]
NOTE Edition 1 included a clause on uninterruptible power supplies (UPS). However, apart from UPSs connected so that a possibility exists of feeding back into the grid, UPSs falls outside the scope of this document. The clause has therefore been removed. A UPS that is connected such that the possibility exists of feeding back into the grid, i.e. in parallel to the grid, must comply with all the requirements of this document. This requirement is provided in 4.1.

The cover of NRS 097-2-1:2017 Edition 2.1 states: "This document is not a South African National Standard", so what is the applicability and enforceability of anything in an NRS document to SA?

[GCE]

The cover of NRS 097-2-1:2017 Edition 2.1 states: "This document is not a South African National Standard", so what is the applicability and enforceability of anything in an NRS document to SA?

Interesting observation

Reading the wording and the Foreword I would think it is a technicality that they clearing the air with. Have pasted below for reference.

The Municipalities basically write the NRS into there bylaws.

Electrical Installation Regulations of 2009 make reference to bylaws - I would think the Bylaws would allow Municipalites to enforce any items in NRS


EIR2009
Design and construction
5. (1) No person may authorise, design, install or permit or require the installation of an electrical installation, other than in accordance with a health and safety standard incorporated into these Regulations under section 44 of the Act.
(2) No person may use components within an electrical installation unless those components comply with the standards referred to in the relevant incorporated standard referred to in subregulation (1), and proof of compliance shall be identifiable on the components or certification shall be available from the manufacturer or supplier of the materials or components in terms of the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications Act, 2008 (Act NO.5 of 2008).
(3)
Items of an electrical installation not covered by an incorporated health and safety standard, and the conductors between the point of supply and the point of control, shall be installed in accordance with the by-laws or regulations of the supplier concerned.
(4)
A registered person shall exercise general control over all electrical installation work being carried out, and no person may allow such work without such control.





This rationalized user specification is issued by
the Technical Governance Department, Eskom,
on behalf of the
User Group given in the foreword
and is not a standard as contemplated in the Standards Act, 1993 (Act No. 29 of 1993).



Foreword
This section of NRS 097-2 was prepared on behalf of the NRS Association and approved by it for use by supply authorities and other users.
This section of NRS 097-2 was prepared by a working group which, at the time of publication, comprised the following members:
Botha G Dr (Chairperson) Sustainability Division, Eskom
Bakana S City Power Johannesburg (Pty) Ltd
Bell R Sustainability Division, Eskom
Bello M Technology Division, Eskom
Beukes J Technology Division, Eskom
Carter-Brown C Dr IPP Projects
de Beer G Sasol
Drotsche L Technology Division, Eskom
Geldenhuys H Dr Technology Division, Eskom
Lamour B Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality
Langridge I S. A. Independent Power Producers Assoc.
Mushwana C CSIR
Nundlal V (Project Leader) Technical Governance, Eskom
Papi S Eskom Research
Sewchurran S eThekwini Electricity
Scholle A Sustainable Power Solutions
Spencer F SAPVIA
van der Riet R City of Cape Town
Whittaker T City Power Johannesburg (Pty) Ltd
A Manufacturers’ Interest Group (MIG) was consulted on the contents of this section of NRS 097-2 and its comments were incorporated where the working group was in agreement. The MIG comprised the following members:
Anderson A Energyneering
Bekker B Dr MLT Drives
Candy R Dr EON Consulting
de Lange N Microcare
Dilchert D Solarcon
Hunkin H SMA
Lipjes L SolarEdge
Malengret M Dr MLT Drives
Monk L Schneider-Electric
Rahme A SMA
Schutz A MLT Drives
Yeshaya A SolarEdge
NRS 097 consists of the following parts and sections, under the general title Grid interconnection of embedded generation:
Part 1: Distribution standard for the interconnection of embedded generation.
The specification sets out the minimum technical and statutory requirements for the connection of embedded generators to medium-voltage and high-voltage utility distribution networks. The specification applies to embedded generators larger than or equal to 100 kVA. (In course of preparation.)
Part 2: Small-scale embedded generation.
The specification sets out the technical requirements for the utility interface, the embedded generator and/or system and the utility distribution network with respect to embedded generation. The specification applies to embedded generators and or embedded generator systems smaller than or equal to 1000 kVA connected to low-voltage networks.

[Sparks]

I picked up the statement below from NRS 097 which I put in the memory bank for next time somebody tells me that by plugging in a unit he is exempt from the COC and being part of the electrical installation


[B]NRS 097-2-1:2017[/B]
NOTE Edition 1 included a clause on uninterruptible power supplies (UPS). However, apart from UPSs connected so that a possibility exists of feeding back into the grid, UPSs falls outside the scope of this document. The clause has therefore been removed. A UPS that is connected such that the possibility exists of feeding back into the grid, i.e. in parallel to the grid, must comply with all the requirements of this document. This requirement is provided in 4.1.

The way I understand, the difference between COC or no COC lies in the word "connected". If it is plugged in, no COC. If it is "connected" , it is an integral part of the installation and requires a COC.