INFO. ON SOLAR PANEL INSTALL

Brunel · Oct 1, 2021

Asking for a friend, moving into a house that has Solar panel installation. So far no documentation has been forthcoming from the seller.
This is all I have so far.
1. diagram of the installation
2. photo of the supply trip in the consumer unit.

No battery involved .
My Q. as it is connected directly into the mains supply, will it be automattically isolated/switched off in case of mains failure or power switch off.
Thanks.

littlespark · Oct 1, 2021

The inverter usually has a built in device that cuts the power from the solar panels if theres a powercut on the mains supply.
Its to stop anyone getting a shock from the panel side if theyre working on the equipment. (even though there are isolators)

Thats how mine works.... I'm not qualified to work on it myself.

Now, a Newlec breaker in an MK board... That might raise a few eyebrows

Brunel · Oct 1, 2021

Thanks, must be all done in the inverter. The trip will be replaced by a M.K. of correct value.

Simon47 · Oct 1, 2021

The inverter WILL have automatic shutdown, even the worst cowboys appear to manage to use legal inverters ! It's a condition of being allowed to connect them as a parallel energy source. It's not to protect someone working on the installation (they should use safe isolation practices, including allowing for energy storage in the inverter), it's to protect others outside fo the property from embedded generation backfeeding a small island of the local distribution network.
As well as upper and lower voltage limits, they typically work on rate of change of frequency - once a section of network is islanded, then both voltage and frequency control become "interesting".

BTW - I'm assuming that breaker in in a non-RCD side of an old "16th Edition" board - and there's lots of non-RCD sockets etc ?

Brunel · Oct 1, 2021

"BTW - I'm assuming that breaker in in a non-RCD side of an old "16th Edition" board - and there's lots of non-RCD sockets etc ?"

No.. it is on one of the RCD protected ccts.

Simon47 · Oct 2, 2021

Aren't the RCD protected circuits to the left of that RCD - with green outlines to their labelling spaces ?

Brunel · Oct 2, 2021

"Aren't the RCD protected circuits to the left of that RCD - with green outlines to their labelling spaces ?"

The trips are on the RIGHT of the RCD. the odd trip "Newlec" for solar is marked PV,

It is a dual RCD board, everything is RCD protected.

Brunel · Oct 2, 2021

RCD protected trips are to the Right of the RCD, Solar (PV) is RCD protected.

Simon47 · Oct 2, 2021

In that case, the installer was a double numpty because a PV inverter must not share an RCD with other circuits. It can cause a number of issues, most notably blocking the RCD from actually tripping correctly. It needs to be either on an non-RCD circuit (if cable installation methods permit), or on it's own RCD.

Brunel · Oct 2, 2021

Simon47 said:
In that case, the installer was a double numpty because a PV inverter must not share an RCD with other circuits. It can cause a number of issues, most notably blocking the RCD from actually tripping correctly. It needs to be either on an non-RCD circuit (if cable installation methods permit), or on it's own RCD.

Thanks, I will relay all this info. back.

Lister1987 · Oct 2, 2021

Shouldn't it have isolators both sides of the inverter too? One to lockout the AC from that mains and one to lockout the DC from thr roof, irrespective of tht inverter technology

Brunel · Oct 2, 2021

Lister1987 said:
Shouldn't it have isolators both sides of the inverter too? One to lockout the AC from that mains and one to lockout the DC from thr roof, irrespective of tht inverter technology

It does. If you look at the first post, I have shown a diagram of the installation.

INFO. ON SOLAR PANEL INSTALL

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