From a non solar guy, does this look OK

[Top Cat]

Just started to do a EICR today and this was the layout. I know the 16mm tails are wrong but i have never seen it fed directly off the main fuse before. What are your thoughts as i no nothing about solar.

 

[moggy1968]

I presume it's coming a henley block into a dedicated sub board, in which case it's fine, as are 16mm tails as your total demand is low and you have a 20amp MCB.
If, as it looks it might be in your piccie, it's coming direct from the fuse, thats not!

 

[Gavin A]

when you say the main fuse, I presume you mean the suppliers fuse, in which case I'm thinking that's not allowed, defo not good practice, and also means that the customer is importing their own generated electricity through their suppliers meter and paying the supplier for it.

we'd be using henley blocks to split the tails between the suppliers meter and consumer unit, but I suspect you probably already knew that even without being a solar bod.

 

[Gavin A]

we also use 16mm tails, as this is a dedicated circuit meant only for carrying a 16amp solar feed, though some might interpret the regs differently.

 

[Earthstore]

You are right, it is wrong.....
PV can be connected either in CU on non RCD side, you should not share an RCD with other supplies, if an RCD is required for the inverter (some are) then best to put it on its own board.

Or join into the tails between meter and CU with henley block.

Anything before the meter belongs to the DNO, also you would get not benefit from the "free" power from your PV as the incoming meter would just read as normal usage.

I hope this helps.

 

[Top Cat]

when you say the main fuse, I presume you mean the suppliers fuse, in which case I'm thinking that's not allowed, defo not good practice, and also means that the customer is importing their own generated electricity through their suppliers meter and paying the supplier for it.

we'd be using henley blocks to split the tails between the suppliers meter and consumer unit, but I suspect you probably already knew that even without being a solar bod.

Yes suppliers fuse.

Could you explain the bit in red as if it does not go through suppliers meter why are you paying the supplier.

Sorry if that seems daft but i no nothing about this!

 

[telectrix]

i was wondering about that.. off the 100A suppliers fuse, but aas my knowledge of solar is on a par with TC's, i kept my gob shut in case i made myself look stupid. nature has done well enough in that department. LOL.

 

[telectrix]

looking at your picture, TC, i would say that the solar generated is going direct to the suppliers fuse and then through the meter back to the customer, so, yes. his own electric is being given free to the supplier and then clocking up his meter.

 

[trev]

Or join into the tails between meter and CU with henley block.

So I guess it goes panels-DC iso-inverter-ac iso-import/export meter-henleys-CU
Sorry guys I'm also a solar virgin

 

[Top Cat]

i was wondering about that.. off the 100A suppliers fuse, but aas my knowledge of solar is on a par with TC's, i kept my gob shut in case i made myself look stupid. nature has done well enough in that department. LOL.

Reminds me of a saying Tel:-
Better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid, than open it and remove all doubt!

 

[sedgy34]

HEY TC,

good pic! tails are undersized for 100amp suppliers fuse, they have bypast the exhisting meter too (maybe they dont know what they are doing or they think its ok to use suppliers fuse as means of protection. (i wouldnt) they should have fitted a kmf MO.
hope this helps

 

[Gavin A]

Yes suppliers fuse.

Could you explain the bit in red as if it does not go through suppliers meter why are you paying the supplier.

Sorry if that seems daft but i no nothing about this!

basically all the energy the house is using has to pass through the suppliers meter, including anything that the solar systems is generating, whereas if installed correctly, the solar input is on the opposite side of the suppliers meter, so only any extra electricity the house needs on top of the solar generation will get imported through the suppliers meter.

not sure if that made any sense mind, someone else may explain it better, been a long day.

 

[moggy1968]

yep, looking at it agina I can see that, defo wrong. should be a henley block on the tails coming from the main meter to the CU which then go off to the dedicated CU for the PV (which can be done in 16mm tails regardless of the size of the main fuse!)

 

[Top Cat]

looking at your picture, TC, i would say that the solar generated is going direct to the suppliers fuse and then through the meter back to the customer, so, yes. his own electric is being given free to the supplier and then clocking up his meter.

Still don't see it, doesn't the generated electricity go strait to the supplier? The meter is in parallel to the generated supply isn't it?

 

[telectrix]

look at your pic, TC. the solar generation has to go through the suppliers meter to get to the CU.

 

[moggy1968]

here's one I did earlier! Not the best I've ever done but the only photie I've got to hand.
labels went on later before anyone comments!
Middle set of tails go to dedicated CU. Right hand tails (as we look at it) go to main CU

 

[Gavin A]

here's one I did earlier!View attachment 12609 Not the best I've ever done but the only photie I've got to hand.
labels went on later before anyone comments!

You're brave

 

[moggy1968]

or foolish!!!
It was a subbing job

 

[JulianC]

16mm tails absolutely fine.

Connection point not fine for two main reasons:
1. Anything on the supply side of, and including the analogue meter is DNO equipment and we shouldn't be messing with it.
2. When the customer is using the generated electricity onsite, he will be paying for it since it will be passing through the analogue meter.

It should be connected, via Henley blocks between the 'analogue meter' and the 'D/B'

 

[Top Cat]

look at your pic, TC. the solar generation has to go through the suppliers meter to get to the CU.

Yes i can see that but but would it or could it just feed the grid if the house was not using any power or even if the house was using power?

I can feel one of my headaches coming on!!!!!!!!!!!!