New ESC BPG 3 on connection of microgeneration published

BruceB · Mar 13, 2012

Spotted today
Best practice guides : Electrical Safety Council

Lots of revisions compared to the previous edition, but mainly updating references and bring in new references to section 712 in 7671.

Already a bit overtaken by events because it says DTI Guide V3 is expected to be published in Autumn 2011 and it is not here yet.

One interesting bit is that it covers fitting microgeneration downstream of existing rcds which we have discussed here. It is relaxed about it provided the rcd is double pole. It has a diagram explaining why. However for pv I believe it would still not be allowed if the rcd was there for ADS rather than additional protection reasons (712.411.3.2.1.1).

Regards
Bruce

SibertSolar · Mar 13, 2012

Very interesting, thanks Bruce. How (if at all) are the ESC and those responsible for drafting the DTI Guide linked, do you know? Should both "guides" be talking from the same hymn sheet? Or are they both drawing "best-practise" advice from existing electrical regulations/7671 recommendations? Just curious for more knowledge about the ESC really, thanks in advance.

Gavin A · Mar 13, 2012

is it too much to ask that the people writing these things should actually check them for mistakes before publishing them?

Page 8 - they're using the original G83 rules on requesting permission from the DNO in advance or notifying them at the time of the installation for under 16 amp connections instead of the revised regulations that have been in place for something like 4-5 years now which give us 28 days to notify them after the installation is completed.

They've obviously just read through the original regulations and not realised there was a later amendment, but it really makes me question if they actually have the knowledge that ought to be required for them to be writing this guide if they can't spot something as basic as that.

BruceB · Mar 13, 2012

No doubt there are many of the same people on both committees! I am not personally involved with either as I have only been involved in heat pumps/solar pv and solar thermal for about 18 months. I have not checked, but I thought ESC was the parent or subsiduary of NIC (or at least related in some way)? The organisations involved with ESC are inside the front cover of the BPG.