Solar backup system challenges

[Isetech]

As we all know there are few things that need to still get finalized, for example

1/ earth neutral bond, this has got rather boring and yet people are still asking the question on social media, it is going to take a few years to iron out this issue and as I have mentioned in the past, just do what ever you feel is right, because either way it is dangerous.

2/ lithium battery installation basic guidelines, it is actually as simple as creating 120 min fire rated protection, if you install the battery in your bedroom ( i wouldnt suggest it) make sure the batteries are are covered or the room is compliant, with fire doors, fire escapes are clear etc you should have figured it out by now.

3/ Difference between lightning protection and bonding for the panels, and the confusion over the size of wire and route it should be installed and all that stuff. Shortest route without making pretty spring shaped wiring.

4/ Registrations and all that goes with that.

Just to mention a few of the many.

So when people start pointing fingers and threatening legal action and all that hogwash, smile, nod your head and just get the team that supports the way you do things to back you up. It will never make it to court and if it does make sure you not the person paying the bill, join an association and let them fight the battle. The sooner this happens the sooner we can iron out the challenges, there too many cooks and too little action.

[Isetech]

Why I started this thread:

There are a few other challenges which have popped up in the past 3 years I have been involved in solar installations.

1/ The manual bypass which some people get wrong and call it a changeover switch (the changeover switch is automatic and built into the inverter), it is a switch used to bypass the inverter when you need to work on the inverter or any other reason you dont want the power going via the inverter.

A tip: when you wire up the bypass switch, make sure you wire it in such a way that the switch is in the down position when in bypass. the reason I say this, every time there is a problem with the systems or grid power people assume that "ALL"the switches must be in the up position. If you are one of those people who dont know the difference and just wire it any how, you gonna be visiting site more often than not, why because people automatically think that all the switches must be in the up position.

Yes you going tell me that you told the customer how the system works and pointed out the grid/inverter bypass switch. Tell me what happens when the person you showed how it all works is not on site and it is left up to other people to check

2/ Then we have the other issue which is becoming as common as the questions about neutral earth bonding, unidentified socket outlets.

So you install an inverter, split the non essential and the essential, draw pictures, create circuit identification walk through the installation and point out which circuit are which and all that crap, yet you still get that call, why is there an F56 fault.

It is simple like all the factories and industrial installation, we install red socket outlets (flat top earth pin) for dedicated plugs which are not connected to the earth leakage unit and the blue socket outlets which are connected to the UPS or inverter.

If they could pass the silly regs like that silly one for the euro sockets, which by the way there are still no appliance sold with that type of plug (you do get shuko plug tops on appliance , which is suppose to be banned go figure and even if you did get euro plug tops you cant plug them into a double adaptor ) I dont see why they cant pass a regulation forcing people to install a specific plug only to be used on for essential circuits. IT would reduce a lot of confusion on properties with inverters and reduce the risk of overloading circuit, which is what the regulations are designed to do.