Really Need Some advise Urgently

[finchy]

yep how many installs have I seen using chipboard it should be fire checked board....

report them to REAL and MCS ...need to kick out the cowboys !

 

[SolarCity]

My advice is to make a list of issues you have and then phone them up and explain your concern. If they start playing up then explain that you are going to contact MCS and REAL to ask their advice. Then take it from there.

 

[yellowvanman]

He is not allowed to withold certification pending payment. Contact MCS and REAL if he does for advice on what to do.

Whilst he cannot withhold certification he can withhold a receipt that shows ownership which is needed for the FIT application.

 

[crazygraham]

Well thanks everyone for the advice on this.
I am only just home from work and it is now pitch dark so I can't get a proper photo to post for all to see.

I have also had some good communication with the ones involved as a result of an email that I had sent to him on Sunday. He has come clean with the second hand inverter and that the panels are not correct he has said that due to personal circumstances my installation suffered and that it is now his highest priorty to rectify the errors that are on my system. So I am hoping that it should be sorted I hope.
I have also told him that as a result of what has happened I have lost trust in him and set out how the job will progress and how the payments will be made and when. So I have told him I will work out how much I owe him for the equipment less the two inverters and £500 so all but £2500 will be paid to him he will then use the screen in the second hand inverter to replace the faulty one and supply one new inverter to replace the second hand one. All Certs will be issued asap so the grant can be received and once it is the last £2500 will be paid to him and by doing this it give me a safety net knowing that he can't try and mess with or delay the grant.
Also when the inverters are sorted he will also remove all the panels of the front of the house and adjust the rails to there lowest setting that allows the array to sit completely level.

So I have to say that I'm very happy with this news as I have been worried sick incase he would not admit to his errors but he has and seems keen to put it all right including removing it inverters from my RCD.

As far as the fire board is this a big problem should I look fir this to be done or should it be ok ?

 

[whinmoor]

Are the inverters in the loft? If so, you could go up there with your camera and we can give our views on the electrical work? Same with any work he's done near your fuse-box.

 

[crazygraham]

Ok I will get a snap of the area where the inverters are installed.
It will prob be in about an hour as just about to get the kids to bed and if I go anywhere near them b4 that I will have a devorce to sort out as well lol

 

[moggy1968]

it's a mute point about the fireboard.
There is rather mixed views on this.

- - - Updated - - -

Whilst he cannot withhold certification he can withhold a receipt that shows ownership which is needed for the FIT application.

my last 3 installs only needed the contract

 

[crazygraham]

Reagrds to the inverters cutting out for 15 mins at a time, possibly an over voltage problem? Are you in the sticks or a built up area?

In a built up area mate though there isno shading at all.
The voltage seems to sit in and around 180v +/- 5% and I guess thatsabout rite for two strings of six I know the open boltage is 37.3 and I think under load it dropes to 30.3 so I guess that the 180v is bang on. Also see the way I have two strings I will get double the amps but half the voltage is that better than having all the panels on one string and having a higher voltage with less amps?

 

[crazygraham]

here is the installation in the loft as you can see it dose look ok but it was only after i had stoped them and explaned that it had to be neat and tidy as to start it was just being banged up .

 

[screwdriver]

I suppose the 2nd ac isolator is there somewhere???? DC isolators could be classed as being a little close to the top of the inverters and so may cause a little bit of airflow restriction, doubt if it would be that bad on an east/west roof though. Gen meter by inverters has never really been our preferred location, especially if the client is elderly and can't climb into the loft every quarter to read the thing!

 

[Earthstore]

That looks quite neat, well apart from the board that is, it should really have two AC isolators though, one for each inverter.

The tripping/high voltage that has been referred to is the AC voltage, if it is quite high coming into the house IE around 250v, and the AC cable to the inverters is too small it can cause the inverter to go over voltage, it is a very common install fault.

I hope this helps.

 

[crazygraham]

There is only the one ac isolator installed should there be a second one at the other side of the meter ?
I had asked for the gen meter to be in the electric box but was told it had to go up above.

 

[whinmoor]

At first glance it looks neat, tidy and symmetrical.

Two things jump out at me. Firstly, the lack of a fireproof board. We always use one when installing on wood. We tend to use plywood rather than chipboard.

Secondly, the DC isolators don’t look very far from the inverter. According to the installation instructions, there should be 300mm ventilation clearance above the inverter. Page 16 of this: View attachment SB30TL_40TL_50TL-IA-IEN120231.pdf.

You can see some of our installations as case studies on our website. We don’t normally attempt to conceal the cables when they are in a loft.

 

[crazygraham]

That looks quite neat, well apart from the board that is, it should really have two AC isolators though, one for each inverter.

The tripping/high voltage that has been referred to is the AC voltage, if it is quite high coming into the house IE around 250v, and the AC cable to the inverters is too small it can cause the inverter to go over voltage, it is a very common install fault.

I hope this helps.

Should there be one for each inverter then should I ask for another ?

They have used a 6mm cable from the loft to the consumer unit is that cable size ok?
And a 4mm cables for the dc array side.

 

[Earthstore]

The generation meter is normally mounted where you can read it easily, IE downstairs.
There can be a tiny advantage in having it close to the inverter though, and that is it does not suffer from any voltage losses in the cable, but most installers would install it where you can see it easily.

 

[Earthstore]

At a guess, and it depends on the cable length, 6mm should be OK, but without all the full spec you can not calculate it.

 

[MorganPVI]

SMA installation manual clearly states:

- Inverters to be mounted on heatproof surface, if not a brick wall then a fire proof board
- Each inverter must be on a separate MCB - therefore with this config you;d want 2 AC isolators
- RCD should be 100ma - if RCD is required

To be fair I was expecting a real dogs dinner, much neater than I'd have thought based on the OP's description. Cable sizing seems to be correct, better than the 1.5mm cable some muppet was running a 4000tl on in a previously posted horror story.

 

[BruceB]

I would agree pretty much with what has been said so far but with a couple of tweaks:

- Each inverter must be on its own mcb to meet the manufacturers instructions as already stated. A separate ac isolator for each (big red rotary knob), whilst useful is not essential and you could have one covering both inverters as they have done, because the inverters are right beside each other.

- If you have an rcd then it should be 200mA to meet the manufacturers instructions. Quote below is from the SMA rcd selection manual:
"For every connected inverter, a rated residual current of 100 mA has to be planned. The RCD's rated residual
current must at least correspond to the sum of the rated residual currents of the connected inverters. That means
that, if, for example, 3 transformerless inverters are connected, the rated residual current of the RCD has to be
a minimum of 300 mA."

As others have said, at first glance it is neat, which is a good sign.

 

[finchy]

As above .......

plus and the meter looks like its missing a Seal !

The installer must have missed the MCS Metering guidance

"5. Sealing

The meter and terminal cover should be sealed to ensure that the customer cannot​

access either.
"

 

[SPARTYKUS]

I would agree pretty much with what has been said so far but with a couple of tweaks:

- Each inverter must be on its own mcb to meet the manufacturers instructions as already stated. A separate ac isolator for each (big red rotary knob), whilst useful is not essential and you could have one covering both inverters as they have done, because the inverters are right beside each other.

- If you have an rcd then it should be 200mA to meet the manufacturers instructions. Quote below is from the SMA rcd selection manual:
"For every connected inverter, a rated residual current of 100 mA has to be planned. The RCD's rated residual
current must at least correspond to the sum of the rated residual currents of the connected inverters. That means
that, if, for example, 3 transformerless inverters are connected, the rated residual current of the RCD has to be
a minimum of 300 mA."

As others have said, at first glance it is neat, which is a good sign.

Neatness takes time, time is money. As said always a good sign in my opinion. also shows perhaps a little pride in their work.