October 21, 20223 yr Hi all I have an installer coming through on Monday to start my installation. Any advice, tips or things to look out for during the installation? Thank you Edited October 21, 20223 yr by Milan188
October 21, 20223 yr Download the manuals and start reading - by Monday you will know more than him and you will need that knowledge 9 out of 10 times. That and an adequate supply of Valium should see you through. On a more serious note - if any work needs to get done to the roof do it before the installation. Not like I did ... Edited October 21, 20223 yr by Scubadude
October 21, 20223 yr Author 1 hour ago, Buyeye said: Check that the equipment is the same as on the quote? Thanks. Equipment was delivered yesterday so I have checked it. Edited October 21, 20223 yr by Milan188
October 21, 20223 yr Make sure you get a COC on completion of the installation. Check conductor sizes, circuit isolation on the DC side. Make sure that roof installation brackets, supports etc are preferably SS, especially if you are in a coastal environment and that panels have a proper airspace below them. These are quick ones which a neighbour is needing to deal with right now. Make sure the set up on your inverter is done properly and you understand what has been done. Understand parameters you can change, e.g. force charging your battery back to 100% if you have bad weather. Understand how your change over to grid is done should you have a problem with your inverter as well as safety isolations provided on the system.
October 21, 20223 yr Author Please elaborate on the following points 19 minutes ago, Peter V said: Make sure that roof installation brackets, supports etc are preferably SS 19 minutes ago, Peter V said: Check conductor sizes, circuit isolation on the DC side What should this be?
October 21, 20223 yr 21 minutes ago, Milan188 said: Please elaborate on the following points What should this be? DC Conductor size is dependent on current and length of run. This is particulariy important with the lower voltages (inverter / battery). Negative and positive cable lentghs here should be the same. An internet search will provide tables of these. There are a number of proprietary installation systems and hopefully your installer is providing you with one of these. This will ensure that a cooling air gap (literature cites 100 - 130 mm) exists between the roof and bottom of the panel preventing the possibility of panels over heating and degrading performance. Less reputable installers may use cheap unistrut sections secured diectly to the roof with strapping or screws. Something else. Make sure that all system are properly earthed and panels have an independent earth spike installed. Surge protection should also be provided on your mains input from grid.
October 21, 20223 yr A few more ... For Sunsync / Deye (not sure about others): Insist on an earth bond relay - it is the law and is required for safety reasons. Without it you have a floating earth that could push scary voltages through your house. I am sorry I did not stand stronger on this point but after multiple mid-night rewiring episodes I just wanted the contractor out of the house. As mentioned make sure your earthing is done properly. Check wiring - AC and DC should be seperated. If you are going to have a CT coil, understand what it does and where it goes. If you are going to split essential and non-essential think carefully what goes where (with current state of affairs I'm inclined to say make everything essential and apply discipline what you use when).
October 21, 20223 yr 45 minutes ago, Scubadude said: A few more ... For Sunsync / Deye (not sure about others): Insist on an earth bond relay - it is the law and is required for safety reasons. Without it you have a floating earth that could push scary voltages through your house. I am sorry I did not stand stronger on this point but after multiple mid-night rewiring episodes I just wanted the contractor out of the house. As mentioned make sure your earthing is done properly. Check wiring - AC and DC should be seperated. If you are going to have a CT coil, understand what it does and where it goes. If you are going to split essential and non-essential think carefully what goes where (with current state of affairs I'm inclined to say make everything essential and apply discipline what you use when). Your last point is so important. Longer periods without power means we need power to not essentials too and being active in what to switch off when is the key. Some great gadgets to manage loads via the smart switches and other means.
October 21, 20223 yr 2 hours ago, Peter V said: DC Conductor size is dependent on current and length of run. This is particulariy important with the lower voltages (inverter / battery). Negative and positive cable lentghs here should be the same. An internet search will provide tables of these. There are a number of proprietary installation systems and hopefully your installer is providing you with one of these. This will ensure that a cooling air gap (literature cites 100 - 130 mm) exists between the roof and bottom of the panel preventing the possibility of panels over heating and degrading performance. Less reputable installers may use cheap unistrut sections secured diectly to the roof with strapping or screws. Something else. Make sure that all system are properly earthed and panels have an independent earth spike installed. Surge protection should also be provided on your mains input from grid. Where can one find the literature for the gap between the panel and roof? Also where can one find the law stating that the panels need to be earthed or bonded as well as to a spike in the ground ?
October 22, 20223 yr Consider adding a generator switchover from the start ... You may not run a gennie now but my guess is all but truly off-grids will some time soon.
October 22, 20223 yr A condition I read during the week. If Canadian Solar panels are exposed to over 200hrs of shade in certain spots over the 25y warranty this becomes void. They mention shade created by power cables, trees, chimney even for only a hour a day. Edited October 22, 20223 yr by Scorp007
October 22, 20223 yr Author 7 hours ago, Scorp007 said: A condition I read during the week. If Canadian Solar panels are exposed to over 200hrs of shade in certain spots over the 25y warranty this becomes void. They mention shade created by power cables, trees, chimney even for only a hour a day. Didn't know about this. How are they going to prove this?
October 23, 20223 yr On 2022/10/21 at 11:57 AM, Milan188 said: Hi all I have an installer coming through on Monday to start my installation. Any advice, tips or things to look out for during the installation? Thank you Ensure proper COC and test reports attached to COC. Also make sure proper lightning protection. Some installers take short cuts. Not enough lightning protection or correct earthing. Depending on hoe big is your system. They will most properly hve to split your board. Make sure it's an installation electrician that works on your board with correct qualification. Too many installers are not qualified I E electricians.
October 28, 20223 yr On 2022/10/22 at 9:07 AM, Scorp007 said: A condition I read during the week. If Canadian Solar panels are exposed to over 200hrs of shade in certain spots over the 25y warranty this becomes void. They mention shade created by power cables, trees, chimney even for only a hour a day. There is shade at night😂
October 28, 20223 yr On 2022/10/21 at 4:30 PM, Peter V said: DC Conductor size is dependent on current and length of run. This is particulariy important with the lower voltages (inverter / battery). Negative and positive cable lentghs here should be the same. An internet search will provide tables of these. There are a number of proprietary installation systems and hopefully your installer is providing you with one of these. This will ensure that a cooling air gap (literature cites 100 - 130 mm) exists between the roof and bottom of the panel preventing the possibility of panels over heating and degrading performance. Less reputable installers may use cheap unistrut sections secured diectly to the roof with strapping or screws. Something else. Make sure that all system are properly earthed and panels have an independent earth spike installed. Surge protection should also be provided on your mains input from grid. So panels should have an earth spike and not connected to the house earth?
October 28, 20223 yr 4 hours ago, Chris_S said: There is shade at night😂 Yes at nite the shade is not only in spots - I think so 😜😜
October 28, 20223 yr 5 hours ago, Chris_S said: So panels should have an earth spike and not connected to the house earth? No in South Africa when following the SANS 10142 regulations it states that you should use the Eskom earth . If you have/use a earth spike it should be connected to the Eskom earth as well as to avoid having 2 earth's.There should be only one earth as to avoid a potential voltage between the two in the event of a nearby lightning strike.
October 28, 20223 yr On 2022/10/21 at 11:57 AM, Milan188 said: Any advice, tips or things to look out for during the installation? A few things where I have seen installer cut corners: Metal trunking for DC cable from where the cables enter the roof space all the way to circuit breaker box next to inverter (no plastic trunking, no free cables in the roof space, etc.) Surge protectors (and obviously fuses/disconnectors) for the PV strings Appropriately sized fuses/disconnectors between inverter and batteries (for each + and - if you want to be proper) If more than 1 battery and/or inverter: Busbar for central connection, properly sized wires, correct wiring if more than 1 battery Light on DB board for Essential Loads to separately indicate power even if Eskom main is switched off As mentioned above, make sure you oversize your separate DB board for Essential Loads and still have space for future additions (I first still had some stuff on the non-essential side and by now have moved everything across and control the non-essential things with Sonoff devices)
October 29, 20223 yr 11 hours ago, Nexuss said: No in South Africa when following the SANS 10142 regulations it states that you should use the Eskom earth . If you have/use a earth spike it should be connected to the Eskom earth as well as to avoid having 2 earth's.There should be only one earth as to avoid a potential voltage between the two in the event of a nearby lightning strike. Thanks. That's what I thought.
October 29, 20223 yr 7 hours ago, wolfandy said: A few things where I have seen installer cut corners: Metal trunking for DC cable from where the cables enter the roof space all the way to circuit breaker box next to inverter (no plastic trunking, no free cables in the roof space, etc.) Surge protectors (and obviously fuses/disconnectors) for the PV strings Appropriately sized fuses/disconnectors between inverter and batteries (for each + and - if you want to be proper) If more than 1 battery and/or inverter: Busbar for central connection, properly sized wires, correct wiring if more than 1 battery Light on DB board for Essential Loads to separately indicate power even if Eskom main is switched off As mentioned above, make sure you oversize your separate DB board for Essential Loads and still have space for future additions (I first still had some stuff on the non-essential side and by now have moved everything across and control the non-essential things with Sonoff devices) Can you please elaborate more on the Light in DB box?
October 29, 20223 yr 10 hours ago, Chris_S said: Can you please elaborate more on the Light in DB box? What my installer explained that this is according to some regulation (don't know exactly which one). It is to indicate to the fire department that this DB board (and hence part of the house) is still under power even after they have cut the Eskom main power feed (assuming that the inverters are still running) Mine looks like this:
October 29, 20223 yr 23 hours ago, Nexuss said: No in South Africa when following the SANS 10142 regulations it states that you should use the Eskom earth . If you have/use a earth spike it should be connected to the Eskom earth as well as to avoid having 2 earth's.There should be only one earth as to avoid a potential voltage between the two in the event of a nearby lightning strike. You only need to look for an earth fault once during a rainy night to ensure you hate multiple earth's on an installation. You also know why there is such a regulation in SANS 10142. Edited October 29, 20223 yr by Scorp007
November 17, 20223 yr Author @Nexuss& @Scorp007 what does SANS 10142 say about earth neutral bonds? I saw a discussion on the Sunsynk facebook group saying that a permanent EN bond is required according to the regulations. Should I add a relay or permanent bond?
November 17, 20223 yr 44 minutes ago, Milan188 said: @Nexuss& @Scorp007 what does SANS 10142 say about earth neutral bonds? I saw a discussion on the Sunsynk facebook group saying that a permanent EN bond is required according to the regulations. Should I add a relay or permanent bond? SS uses a relay when in islanding mode and i believe that's the recommended config
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.