Average pay for Solar PV work? Opinions

[powervan]

umm well ITS A JOB! wont be demand soon so u wont be so busy! if u want more STEP UP and become SELF EMPLOYED! then some days ur earn treble that!some days u will earn less!what i would say is when u get home (after that traveling) u dont have to do paperwork! u doing well for a days work!im sure u could find another job on the cards slightly more money!but like lads say eat ur TURKEY then talk to them on jan 5th!!

 

[moggy1968]

120 quid is not 'doing well for a days work' when that day is 12+ hours!!

 

[Joe79]

Thanks for the replies its good to hear fellow Sparks opinions. I cant see myself doing it past christmas and to be honest I doubt the work will be there anyway. The work along with the travelling and the testing, commisioning and uploading of photos takes up to much time and encourages the Sparks to cut corners. I dont rush the job, and I dont cut corners, if i dont finish i get a revisit booked which the Managers dont like, but its not their name on the certificate that signs it off its mine.

 

[powervan]

joe very true!!!! thats y no one can read mine writeing

 

[powervan]

my son earns less(dont tell him) works as hard!but gets sarnies everyday from his mum even though he dont live at home but he gets tuna i get jam apparently he is a growing boy!! im a shrinking old man!! wot area that relates to im not to sure?? oh yeh he gets 2 company vehicles plus sat for serious bit of cash!! thats y he going to LAS VAGAS sunday and im staying at home!! if he was going to SA FRAN CISCO id be gutted)))

 

[Keith_F]

Its just a small 1 way board for the PV. The company want us to install 25mm tails if they are 16mm on every property, although I thought 16mm were rated up to 87A so would depend on the main fuse rating?
I agree i=p/u, get christmas out the way and get out in the new year. I'd rather have the extra pair of hands as well and I have asked, but no joy.

Be carefull. Does the company get an isolator installed by the supply authority on every job so you can do this legally? I mean without cutting meter seals and withdrawing cut-out fuse etc...

As you'll no doubt know, it's illegal to withdraw meter cut-out fuses yourself - In fact it's a £1000 fine for you and jail for the directors of the company. I know a company where this happened last year.

 

[powervan]

trying to get are electric company round here out is like getting blood out of a stone! we always cut seal (if one on there) did think about putting isolator after meter myself saving seal but whats point of 9inches of 16mm followed by 25mm up to the board!u may aswell leave existing tails in!!!

 

[Joe79]

Thats interesting to know. I always thought it was a call to gain permission to remove it? but its not something I have had to do prior to this.

 

[19simon]

Any spark who works for £120 a day needs to go back to school to learn some maths. 5 days at 120 = 3 days at 200 and 2 days off or 4 days at 150 and 1 day off. I think a trade rate of 300 a day for spark and labourer/assistant is the going rate.

 

[powervan]

i thought u were ment to advise U HAVE JUST DONE IT so they can re seal!! personally i rec thats asking for trouble ! if they ever notice! meter readers not got a clue these days! (it was like that when i did board) simples PROOOOOOOOOOOOVE IT!!

 

[HandySparks]

As you'll no doubt know, it's illegal to withdraw meter cut-out fuses yourself - In fact it's a £1000 fine for you and jail for the directors of the company. I know a company where this happened last year.

Do tell please. Do you have specific details on this? Were they doing something else against the rules (other than just pulling the fuse) to warrant this sort of penalty? Do you have a link to any article or report?

 

[powervan]

u telling me i got to pay my assistant £15.00 (no way)

 

[alarm man]

I was after the opinions of other Electricians on pay for PV Solar work. I'm on £120 per day before deductions. I have to travel 2-3 hours to most jobs. I'm the only Spark on the job and I need to fit the inverter, isolators DC side, do the AC cable run and fit the isolator and a new board if needed and then test and commision the work along with taking photos of all the work done. If the bonding of incoming services has not been done or is less than 10mm csa, then I also need to do this along with upgrading the meter tails to 25mm csa if they are under and most domestic properties need one or the other, or both. I'll be honest, I'm struggling on my own to get all the work done and although on rare occasions you get an easy job, most days i'm doing 12 hours. Any opinions?

the usual blah about how much we all make,no wonder people are blagging there way into the industry,£120 a day is very good,you just need to shorten yours hours,a 7.5 hr day that equates to £16ph or £600pw or £31k py not bad money,its not great at 12 hr days but if you can work quicker or get a hand you should be ok,stick at it till something better comes along

 

[BillyH]

Be carefull. Does the company get an isolator installed by the supply authority on every job so you can do this legally? I mean without cutting meter seals and withdrawing cut-out fuse etc...

As you'll no doubt know, it's illegal to withdraw meter cut-out fuses yourself - In fact it's a £1000 fine for you and jail for the directors of the company. I know a company where this happened last year.

Don't come across many jobs with seals on anymore.Its as if a fairy had magiced them away before we arrive.

As said previously, they've got to prove you removed them

 

[19simon]

When a cheap painter does 80 and you are looking at absolute minimum of £5 a day (1200 a year for part P) (480 for registration, say 100 for courses, 60 for meter calibration, 150 for lost day for assessment and say 100 for notification, say meter has 4 years life 150 a year, 50 for new leads and batteries). You will probably be running a van, go through 250 a year in tools etc etc. How is 120 a day good money. A plasterer earns more and all he has is a whisk, a bucket and couple of trowels, working from 8-3.