Solar Panels wiring

[masona]

Untitled

• masona
• 6 Dec 2014
• 1

These wires are from our club roof which is connected to the solar panels and goes down to the ground level to the electrical switch room.

I was told these are DC then converted back to AC in the switch room.

I don't know which DC or AC is more danger

Shouldn't these wires have protection cover over them?

Untitled

• masona
• 6 Dec 2014
• 1

This is on our roof, shouldn't the cable trays be slotted together supporting the joints?

As you can see, they used screw/plug into a paving slab and it's sliding down the roof

 

[bernardgreen]

That is totally unacceptable. Who ever installed it should be called back to do it properly or pay the cost for it to be installed properly by a competent installer.

DC is more dangerous in most situations as an arc from a short circuit will never extinguish until the conductors involved have melted to make the gap too large for the arc to continue. ( with 50 Hz AC the voltage goes to zero 100 times a second and most arcs will extinguish after a couple of cycles through zero )

 

[flameport]

Shouldn't these wires have protection cover over them?

This is on our roof, shouldn't the cable trays be slotted together supporting the joints?

Yes to both - cable tray sections must be bolted together before any cables are installed, and the tray must be securely fixed to the wall or whatever else.

Galvanised trunking would have been a much better choice.

 

[masona]

That is totally unacceptable. Who ever installed it should be called back to do it properly or pay the cost for it to be installed properly by a competent installer.

Should we've got a self-certified certificate from the solar panels company?

 

[ericmark]

Not a domestic so not anything to do with Part P. Tray work is normally earthed. I have seen with some German installers them free air from one tray to the next but this is not done with British systems. There are many ways to join tray including clips but what you show is not normal for any British system.

It would be down to the health & safety executive to decide if there was a danger. Once these guys get there teeth in they do not let go and if they consider the installation dangerous it will be corrected. To them it does not matter who pays but it will be put right.

Any firm who is threatened with involving the HSE will normally bend over backwards to ensure everything complies.

But BS7671 may be the recommendation but it's not law. It clearly does not comply with BS7671 and as a resident electrical electrical engineer I was careful on any contract to state all installations must comply with BS7671 unless written exemptions were agreed. This could be "Schuko" Type F sockets but it required written permission before they could be used.

Much legal wise depends on the contract. With a domestic premises there are some legal protections but with commercial it's down to the guy signing the contract. One would hope some where it stated to British regulations but this is not the forum to find out legal points.

To me it would be a case of contacting the installer and asking what the B***** H*** they think they are doing and telling in no uncertain terms you have x weeks to correct or legal proceedings will be started.

I wanted to do exactly this with one job I was involved with. But was told we needed good relations with the guy involved and I was to fix it. So some times it's not that simple.

 

[JohnW2]

These wires are from our club roof which is connected to the solar panels and goes down to the ground level to the electrical switch room.

How long ago was this solar stuff installed?

Kind Regards, John

 

[masona]

During November 2011, we are getting all the reports together and we're very close for legal route because the way they fitted the solar panels on the roof

I only spotted it when I was investigating a leaking roof

 

[westie101]

Does the installation company still exist? Some of them made the money and ran!

 

[JohnW2]

During November 2011, we are getting all the reports together and we're very close for legal route because the way they fitted the solar panels on the roof

That's what I sort-of feared. I would suspect that your case is probably going to be that much more difficult to argue if you have 'waited' 3 years before complaining about (visibly-obvious) defects in the work, isn't it?

Kind Regards, John

 

[masona]

During November 2011, we are getting all the reports together and we're very close for legal route because the way they fitted the solar panels on the roof

That's what I sort-of feared. I would suspect that your case is probably going to be that much more difficult to argue if you have 'waited' 3 years before complaining about (visibly-obvious) defects in the work, isn't it?

Kind Regards, John

Possible, we could argue it's taken 3 yrs for the roof deflections to do the damaged

 

[masona]

Does the installation company still exist? Some of them made the money and ran!

Yes!

 

[masona]

Tray work is normally earthed.

When you say normally, it's not under regulations to do so?

 

[JohnW2]

That's what I sort-of feared. I would suspect that your case is probably going to be that much more difficult to argue if you have 'waited' 3 years before complaining about (visibly-obvious) defects in the work, isn't it?

Possible, we could argue it's taken 3 yrs for the roof deflections to do the damaged

I was thinking more about the state of the wiring, which is what this thread was about - I presume that has been the same (i.e. equally bad), and visible to all, since the day it was installed?

Kind Regards, John

 

[masona]

That's what I sort-of feared. I would suspect that your case is probably going to be that much more difficult to argue if you have 'waited' 3 years before complaining about (visibly-obvious) defects in the work, isn't it?

Possible, we could argue it's taken 3 yrs for the roof deflections to do the damaged

I was thinking more about the state of the wiring, which is what this thread was about - I presume that has been the same (i.e. equally bad), and visible to all, since the day it was installed?

Kind Regards, John

Sorry yes, what I'm doing is getting any information on the solar panel installers bad workmanship ready if needed by the Solicitors. They have really messed up the whole job. They didn't even apply the building application because they went over the 15% increase of the roof covering

Even the bitumen felt they've used under the slabs is not compatible with the membrane

Do the cable tray have to be earth? I can't see any earth cable

 

[ericmark]

I have problems with the words "have to be" yes normally earthed but BS7671 is not law but can be used in a court of law so simply quoting from it is not good enough you have to show a lack of warranty of skill.

So first one has to know if any items are classed as Class II unlikely but possible and also voltages involved it could be SELV, FELV or PELV if under 120 vdc and with SELV earthing could fall foul of the regulations.

There is also the electric storm problem anything earthed above ground level can attract a lighting strike it is often better to allow the voltage to float. If it were earthed then it may also need lighting conductors.

In an open air wiring system I did there was a 75mm earth wire running in the tray with C clamps and an earth wire to each section of tray. Lighting would have caused damage but it would have been limited.

In doors yes would be earthed but out doors it's down to a risk assessment as to if earth or not. Problem for you is who ever writes the report must have some qualification to show he knows what he is talking about. Even if what he says is a load of rubbish it's the electrician says this and the Prof Man says somthing diffrent so the level 9 educated man wins. The level 3 electrician may actually know more but proving it is something else.