Quick Question: Part P Necessary For PV INstallation?

[acvc]

Hi Chaps

Quick question: a colleague here at work has just had PV installed. The electrician who connected into the house system has said that he hasn't done his Part P. It's notifiable work under Part P, so are there any circumstances whereby this was legal? He was subcontracted by the (national) solar installer ...... Any thoughts. or shall I get some more info for you ....?

Thankyou.

 

[malcolmsanford]

As I hoped they installed it as a new circuit then it as to be notified as you say.

Yes it can be done quite legally by a non scheme electrician, provided that he notified before the work started to the Local Building control who would have issued the owner a permit to carry out the work

 

[acvc]

OK ta Malcolm.

My colleague here hasn't recieved any permit to carry out the work, although he says the company probably sorted all that out.

He has no certificate of inspection or testing yet - completed yesterday Sunday. His PV panels have been left not working - no output at all. The guy who came to commission the system yesterday had no electrical knowledge at all - didn't know what PME was. There has no ins[ection of earthing or bonding prior to the installation either ......

Any thoughts?

 

[malcolmsanford]

OK ta Malcolm.

My colleague here hasn't recieved any permit to carry out the work, although he says the company probably sorted all that out.

He has no certificate of inspection or testing yet - completed yesterday Sunday. His PV panels have been left not working - no output at all. The guy who came to commission the system yesterday had no electrical knowledge at all - didn't know what PME was. There has no ins[ection of earthing or bonding prior to the installation either ......

Any thoughts?

Yes mate plenty and none that can be aired on a public forum.

Not sure if your mate as paid in full or not, but if he hadn't then I would be holding the money back until you got all the relevant documents and be phoning this nationwide company and asking the questions to them that you have

 

[acvc]

What Cert/Certs should a customer be left with then?

It was a new circuit by the way, Type B 16A MCB 'made to fit' into his CU.

Should there be schedules of inspection and of tests results as per EIC???

I'm wondering if this is some kind of rush job to get in there before Dec 8th.

And no, he hasn't handed over any payment yet!

 

[GaryM]

An EIC (Electrical Installation Certificate) which is accompanied by a schedule of items inspected and a schedule of test results.

 

[moggy1968]

dodgy, very dodgy!!!

 

[Q.S.]

I would also get them to change the MCB as bodging them in can cause fires. You should also get a certificate of compliance sent through from there registration body, (NICEIC etc) within 28 days of the work being completed so you know the Part P has be register with building control. By the sounds of it I would complain to the registration body or the company and get them to send someone independent out to assess the whole thing before paying.

 

[Q.S.]

The HSE would also love there details as they are sending out non competent staff to work on electrics which is breaking the H&S at work Act.

 

[Graeme Harrold]

Also to add, Part P will apply to "Special Locations" which PV also comes under..........

 

[MorganPVI]

Wow, very bogdy.

Putting a solar system on an exsisting CU is a bad move if the CU is on a RCD, the inverter has a disconnect time higher than the trip, so a new circuit must be created in most circumstances or the RCD will not protect as designed.

New circuits can be inspected by building control if your not Part P. A EIC usually is included with the handover pack. Most reptuable installers are Part P or will have a Part P subby to install the new circuit.

The situation outlined by the OP sounds very dodgy and if I were in his shoes i would not be paying a penny. infact I'd be on the phone to an Electrican ASAP for an inspection and written report minimum, maybe installing the AC side properly and then withholding the cost of the remeadials and £50/hr for the OPs project managemnt.

I'd also take a few pictures and post them here so we may laugh and shame the National company that appears to putting the OPs friend in serious danger from shoddy design.

 

[malcolmsanford]

The HSE would also love there details as they are sending out non competent staff to work on electrics which is breaking the H&S at work Act.

How do you work that out Q.S The OP stated that the electrician said "he hasn't done his Part P" which could mean anything.

I would take it that he may just not be registered with a self certification scheme, and so would have to as I said notify building control before work starts, it does not make him non-competent

 

[moggy1968]

but I bet he didn't!
If he isn't registered as competent through a competent persons scheme then a third party,, i.e. buidling control, has to deem his work as satisfactory. I would very much doubt this is the case, and where is the EIC and Schedule of test results?
Anything else is illegal

 

[Q.S.]

Hi Malcolm, I know it can mean anything but you would think that if the guy knew what he was doing then the "national company" would get him to sign one of there certificates as the Part P is simply a notification of compliance sent through a company, it is not after all a personal qualification (unlike some try and make you believe). Yes you have to have suitable qualifications and experience etc. Secondly if he does know what he is doing then why has he started the work with out notify building control? May be I am jumping the gun as some points are not 100% clear from the posts above but it smells and its not of roses!

 

[malcolmsanford]

We don't know what time span we are talking here really. we have an OP from someone who's college asked him ............. it's all very vague.

As the OP stated they are a nationwide company, so may have a QS that should sign things off, and so the sparks wiring the system in may indeed not be part P registered, but the company is.

As we know registration can take 28 days from the scheme/LBC certificate, though as stated the EIC and documents should have been left with the client, unless the building control wanted them and then they should only have a copy.

I think there is a lot of confusion around now with PV systems being installed under such pressure and often things get if not overlooked, but delayed.