Is an earth rod required if solar panel batteries can be used during a power cut?

[ericmark]

Normally solar panels auto power down if grid tie is lost, but with a battery one can have the option to use the solar panels and battery during the power cut to power freezers and central heating and lights, it that option is done, will it need an earth rod? And if earth rod fitted, will it need to be disconnected before connecting to a TN-C-S supply? Or does it just rely on the rod being a high resistance to ground so limiting current flow with loss of PEN?

 

[ericmark]

It seems it is required as I expected, and they had not brought one with them, so UPS part of install not completed.

 

[cjcoffin]

It seems it is required as I expected, and they had not brought one with them, so UPS part of install not completed.

And there needs to be a way of automatically linking the N and E when operating off-grid but not otherwise.

 

[ericmark]

They are returning on Tuesday to decide what is required, and earth rod when connected to a PEN becomes an extraneous-conductive-part it does not need disconnecting when the PEN is connected, but the PEN will need disconnecting when the power fails.