Proposed changes to Permitted Development rights for small wind turbine

[Dillsue]

50 minutes ago, sgt_woulds said:

Any changes to the rules would need to put the onus on the 'installer' to use MCS certified - and tested - equipment.  This is one of the reasons why a dedicated install by an electrician is important - no Sparky will allow a dangerous installation if it means that he might be fined or lose certification.  

Unless you want to join one of the export payment schemes AFAIK there's currently no requirement for MCS certification or testing for anything....products or installations??

[Dillsue]

56 minutes ago, sgt_woulds said:

Plug-in solar is fitted in a socket right next to an outlet with an EV plugged in on a faulty granny charger for 8 hours, (or some faulty high load device is plugged in nearby). 

The PV panels will be supplying power to the nearest local load, which in this scenario could be near or above the 2.5mm cable rating for a sustained period.

?? Maybe I'm missing something but a faulty anything is limited to 13amp by the fuse in the plug which is way less than 2.5mm cable can carry. Any adjacent plug in solar is only offsetting what that faulty load would draw from the consumer unit but is again limited to 13amp by its plug? If plug in solar is limited to 800watt then it's hard to see a problem?? Unless.......

 

If you plugged in multiple plug in solar units then you could have a problem if you also plug in multiple high loads, that's where the regulators might have a problem but thats the same problem Europe will already be dealing with??

[sgt_woulds]

OPSS has reported some cheap chinese chargers that have been found without fuses fitted. 

 

A proper granny charger plug should have a fuse and a thermister to limit plug heat, but again, what you order off TEMU might only look fine on the surface.  

 

Granny chargers already cause scorching damage to sockets (which are not rated for 10a continous loads for 8 hours plus).  What if the P-I-S was plugged into a double socket with the car?  (I'm sure you can think of other examples!  Nothing exceeds mankinds seemingly boundless capacity for stupidity)

 

Think of this another way.  What if its a long ring circuit, with lots of high load items (plug in stove oven, microwave, kettle, car charger, porn server, etc, etc), all switched on at the same time.  Each load is cumulative even if they are only drawing less than 10 amps each. 

 

Without P-I-S that high cumulative draw will be detected by the mcb.  With P-I-S it could be be 'situation normal' whilst the cables burn out in the walls. 

[DamonHD]

3 hours ago, sgt_woulds said:

 

Not necessarily.  The trouble with this type of product is that it encourages a race to the bottom with consumers used to buying the cheapest offer on Amazon for a no-name panel and inverter combo.

 

Back in 2012 I installed some supposedly compliant (G83/2) Chinese Renasolar Micro inverters on a couple of old panels on my garage.  Renasolar, even back then, was not some fly-by-night chinese company.  I was literally shocked to discover that, when I isolated the mains to change a lighting circuit, the little barstools kept generating for a good 5 to 10 minutes after the mains was switched off.  More of a UPS than full islanding, but certainly not compliant with any regulations then or now.

 

 

 

Do you think home insurers would pay out for a fire that was caused—or allowed to be caused—by the operation of a plug‑in solar array?  Where would the onus of fault lie?

Your experience was nasty, and we should hold responsible the suppliers and importers of faulty dangerous goods.

 

There is a thorough write-up here, BTW:

 

https://solarenergyconcepts.co.uk/post/plug-in-solar-uk/