Plug in balcony solar UK , just a Lidl question

[mikehammer69]

 

[ericmark]

but the whole idea of 'plug-in-solar' would presumably be that it could be plugged into any 'ordinary' BS1363 socket, isn't it?

That was what I assumed, when we started, but when we look at other items, we do have

The IET Wiring Regulations (722.55. 101.0. 201.1i) specify that 13A UK sockets which are installed to charge an EV must comply with BS 1363-2 and be marked 'EV' on the back of the plate.

I think marking were the user can't see the mark, is daft, I look at the cost of a BS 1363 EV socket and just wonder at the price. Compared with a normal outdoor socket and wonder at the price OK RCD protected so add cost of RCBO

and still it seems a completely daft price. I have a BG socket on my shed that my son can use with his EV on a 16 amps bidirectional RCBO, I would not dream on paying £63 for a socket used to charge an EV maybe twice a year, to be whole point in granny chargers is when visiting on the odd time parents or grandparents.

I know in industrial premises it was common to have a red, yellow, blue dot on a socket, and also to have things like DB4-6 which directed to the distribution board 4 and 6th MCB/RCBO but domestic as I found out with my own home, often nothing to show where supplied from. I had assumed utility room was fed from front RCBO with the kitchen, but turned out on rear of house RCBO, the outside socket is plugged into an inside socket, so as actually happened, if any water or bug causes it to trip, it can be easily isolated, the other two outside sockets are fed from dedicated circuits, so no plug and socket on them.

But we look at our own homes, and I know I have two bidirectional RCBOs and the other 12 are unidirectional, and I know 4 sockets fed direct from the inverter, I don't want to consider what would happen back feeding into an EPS supply. Sockets are RCD type and marked EPS, but it would be pointless to plug a solar inverter into them, as already supplied from a solar inverter, but would assume it would cause damage. And very expensive damage at that.

@mikehammer69 the video does show some problems, but the main problem as it stands, is unidirectional devices can't be identified without removing the CU cover. So the user can't tell if bi or unidirectional, same applies with the EV socket, the user can't tell if EV rated or not. This advert shows the problem it clearly says "Live 6A 30mA Double Pole Bidirectional RCBO Mini B Curve AMR106B-030" but picture shows

clearly marked as out, so how does an electrician opening a board with one of these, know if bidirectional or not? The data sheet shows it to be bidirectional, and the picture on the data sheet does not show in and out, I found the data sheet by entering the AMR1 into google, so it would be so easy to make an error.

 

[ebee]

This video talks about a second issue with newer rcds

Isn`t this the same issue?

 

[mikehammer69]

Isn`t this the same issue?

There appears to be 2 issues with unidirectional rcds is what im saying not just a test button problem

Appears there’s a problem on some compact models when tripping which damages components

 

[ericmark]

The other problem is G98 v G99, the parameters required are not the same, I think it is the delay before disconnection? To stop loads of devices disconnecting together, it seems there is a required delay of 500 mS, but this does not line up with the 40 mS found in BS 7671, so this is a problem to be resolved.

And I know the dip switch settings for G98 and G99 are not the same, so if I was to get plug in solar, it would need an alteration to the G99, but if next door without any solar was to get plug in solar, it would require G98 on one side, the other side not sure, as don't know if the EV charged point is V2G or not.

OK likely people will ignore the registration process, but what is not clear, is what the DNO will do if it is found an installation does not comply. Worse case seems to be they could disconnect the supply.

 

[denso13]

likely people will ignore the registration process, but what is not clear, is what the DNO will do if it is found an installation does not comply. Worse case seems to be they could disconnect the supply.

Do you mean with plug in solar? The changes/proposals haven't been made or released yet.

 

[ebee]

Oh I see,
1/ if an RCD trips within the specified time it should be designed not to damage compenents.
2/ one would hope that the manufacturers have ascertained that a trip in excess of that time is most unilkely to damage compents (one might call it a "safe margin of allowance).
3/ An extremely large margin over that time, including up to infinity could often be expected to be likely to cause damage to most or all common designs.

So item 1/ all should survive. Item 2/ some might not and item 3/ most wouldn`t.

If we are happy to include items 1/ & 2/ as reasonable then we would reasonably expect nearly all to survive.
If we do not expect many or nearly all to not survive item 3/ then we might be being reasonable.

If we take steps to avoid the item 3/ possibilty we can be happy to class them as bi directional.

so now we have two classes , right I`m happy with that thought.

 

[ericmark]

Tripping time for the same fault can't be less than 40 mS and over 500 mS.

And also a solar panel added to a property which already has a device needing G99 like a EV V2G charger, will need different settings to when there are no, what are classed as generating devices fitted.

It can hardly be considered as plug and play, if there are a host of items needing to be done either before or after you plug it in.

I put a swing seat on my balcony, this sort of design

and the wind caused the metal holding the canopy on to fail, and when it was taken down to garden, the wind was high enough to swing it enought for it to shed one of the suspension springs. What do you think a solar panel will do?