Have I wired this solar correctly.

[oscar21]

This is at the mains unit end after a complete refurb.

I've come from the inverter in the loft into the isolator, then into the left side of the meter and then the right side of the meter into the RCBO.

The solar guys did all the loft work but had left site before I'd replaced the mains, that meter is the one I saved from the original installation. I should have noted what went where.

 

[Master Sparks]

You should probably confirm that you've used a suitable bidirectional RCBO for the PV circuit, unless you're planning to test the smoke alarms.
As for the generation meter; it measures PV energy production, therefore, the input (mains) side of the meter is connected to the PV (inverter) side of the installation and output (load) side of the meter to the mains supply (RCBO).
I recommend you pick up a copy of the IET code of practice for Grid Connected Photovoltaic systems for reference.
The solar installation company should return to test and commission the system, as I assume it wasn't connected to the mains when they left site? They need to complete A/C circuit tests and complete test certificates prior to handover.

 

[westward10]

Is the meter deliberately wonky?
You need to put suitable warning notices in place.

 

[oscar21]

You should probably confirm that you've used a suitable bidirectional RCBO for the PV circuit, unless you're planning to test the smoke alarms.
As for the generation meter; it measures PV energy production, therefore, the input (mains) side of the meter is connected to the PV (inverter) side of the installation and output (load) side of the meter to the mains supply (RCBO).
I recommend you pick up a copy of the IET code of practice for Grid Connected Photovoltaic systems for reference.
The solar installation company should return to test and commission the system, as I assume it wasn't connected to the mains when they left site? They need to complete A/C circuit tests and complete test certificates prior to handover.

So thats how I wired it then isnt it, seems right to me. All the other circuits are RCBO'S does it still need a bi-directional one? Anyway all that and the labels etc are down to the solar guys as far as I'm concerned, its them that are making the big bucks on this job. I've connected it up so its finished for handover.

 

[shawnlee]

Hello, you should ask your solar energy company

 

[oscar21]

Is the meter deliberately wonky?
You need to put suitable warning notices in place.

Dont know why it looks wonky in the picture, it looks straight when you look at it, but the cupboard is pretty tight under the stairs

 

[buzzlightyear]

Is the meter deliberately wonky

Dont know why it looks wonky in the picture, it looks straight when you look at it

it must have been your head tilting sideways when you taken the pic.

 

[richy3333]

I'd not be fitting an inverter in the attic.

You need a Bi directional PD.

 

[littlespark]

I'd not be fitting an inverter in the attic.

You need a Bi directional PD.

Wasn’t the OP, it was the “solar guys” but you’re right…. Inverters in lofts is now not considered standard practice.

Being a refurb, I’d have thought the solar may not have needed touched at all… unless it was to hide what was possibly a surface run cable between meter and loft.


Good luck on the solar installers coming back for labels etc. if it was an existing system, they’ll just leave it now without a new cert.

 

[oscar21]

Wasn’t the OP, it was the “solar guys” but you’re right…. Inverters in lofts is now not considered standard practice.

Being a refurb, I’d have thought the solar may not have needed touched at all… unless it was to hide what was possibly a surface run cable between meter and loft.


Good luck on the solar installers coming back for labels etc. if it was an existing system, they’ll just leave it now without a new cert.

I reckon it did need a new inverter probably.

All I have done is run a 2.5 up to the loft for the solar firm and put back the meter and isolator that were there before, there is another meter in the loft next to the inverter as well (along with the DNO meter of course in the cupboard outside.

I think the RCBO is bi-directional anyway, most are now aren't they but why would it need to be bi-directional if the board is an RCBO one. I could understand on a split load board as the solar supply would feed several MCB's on the same bus bar which would then be without any RCD protection. But all the other RCBO's for all the other circuits would still have their own protection

 

[Brother Blue]

why would it need to be bi-directional if the board is an RCBO one.

Because there is a source of supply connected to both sides of the RCBO, the grid on one side and the inverter on the other.



Bi-directional indicates that voltage can be supplied from directions, in this case that would be from the grid on one side and from the solar on the other

I could understand on a split load board as the solar supply would feed several MCB's on the same bus bar which would then be without any RCD protection.

That's an entirely separate problem and nothing to do with the RCD being bi-directional

 

[oscar21]

So it may not pass any solar current back to the grid at all if the RCBO isn't bi-directional then, is my understanding correct?

I think when the RCBO is set it would be a solid copper link between the incoming and outgoing copper connections so I can't imagine a bi-directional or none directional RCBO making any difference there and of course the neutral isn't even switched. The RCBO won't protect the inverter or the cable in any way if its the solar producing the power as its after all the electronics and the other RCBO's will still protect all the other circuits. It seems to me that a bi-directional RCBO will only protect a sq cm of copper bus bar.

are you sure this isn't another marketing gimick?

Edit, : I've just read a guide and the gist is if a non-bidirectional (or unidirectional) RCBO is used then if its fed from the outgoing terminals then the electronics may become damaged and then it won't work at all, which is fair enough. So its nothing to do with providing RCD protection to different things.

 

[newfutile]

My understanding is that if the test button is pressed, the solar continues supplying power for a short time and this damages the device.
Rcbos are not usually a good idea for solar,some of which leak lot of power (10s of milliamp). It would be interesting to conduct a (RCD) Residual Current Device test at the inverter in daytime.