Hi guys & girls,

 

I have 2 x 5.120 kWh I-G3N batteries in parallel. Getting a COC for the installation, my installer/electrician has just told me that I should have a 160A fused disconnect after each of the batteries, after which they are then connected together as an input into the main battery disconnect. This is apparently a new requirement in South Africa?

I don't think it is a bad idea, but if this is indeed a new requirement, does anyone know where one can go & see/read about it?

2 hours ago, rudij said:

Hi guys & girls,

 

I have 2 x 5.120 kWh I-G3N batteries in parallel. Getting a COC for the installation, my installer/electrician has just told me that I should have a 160A fused disconnect after each of the batteries, after which they are then connected together as an input into the main battery disconnect. This is apparently a new requirement in South Africa?

I don't think it is a bad idea, but if this is indeed a new requirement, does anyone know where one can go & see/read about it?

Until confirmed I would not agree with the installer. 

@TaliaB Help us out? 

Hi Scorp007,

Thanks for the fast reply to my post. I was thinking the same... Somewhere on one of the forum’s discussions on fuses & batteries, I saw one of the guys mention that, if your have more than one battery and they have individual ‘on/off’ switches built in, you do not have to have a fused disconnect inline with every battery, other than you main fused disconnect leading into the inverter. 

3 hours ago, rudij said:

Hi guys & girls,

 

I have 2 x 5.120 kWh I-G3N batteries in parallel. Getting a COC for the installation, my installer/electrician has just told me that I should have a 160A fused disconnect after each of the batteries, after which they are then connected together as an input into the main battery disconnect. This is apparently a new requirement in South Africa?

I don't think it is a bad idea, but if this is indeed a new requirement, does anyone know where one can go & see/read about it?

 

1 minute ago, rudij said:

Hi Scorp007,

Thanks for the fast reply to my post. I was thinking the same... Somewhere on one of the forum’s discussions on fuses & batteries, I saw one of the guys mention that, if your have more than one battery and they have individual ‘on/off’ switches built in, you do not have to have a fused disconnect inline with every battery, other than you main fused disconnect leading into the inverter. 

Correct nowhere in any Sans Code does it specify to have fuse disconnect switches in series. What your installer/electrician is stating is not true. You need 1 x 2 pole disconnect switch that isolates pos and negative. Both batteries can be wired to pos and neg busbars and from there to the 2 pole dc disconnect with voltage rating of 1.5 times the battery voltage that is capable of withstanding short curcuit current of the batteries. Attached screenshot of Sans 10142-1-2 that is in draft but will soon be published into law.

@rudij

As and installer and a MIE should you have 1 battery disconnect switch installed disconnecting pos and neg and with above specifications i would have no problem issuing you the COC.  

@TaliaB @Scorp007

 

Guys, thanks very much for clearing this up so fast. It is really appreciated! 😎It gets to be a bit of a jungle out there with the speed that solar tech is growing and it’s accompanying rules/laws. But at least this provides the foundation to me going forward around this issue. My electrician may not to be impressed, but in that case I’ll just go look for another installer/electrician.  Thanks so much. Cheers😁

17 minutes ago, rudij said:

@TaliaB @Scorp007

 

Guys, thanks very much for clearing this up so fast. It is really appreciated! 😎It gets to be a bit of a jungle out there with the speed that solar tech is growing and it’s accompanying rules/laws. But at least this provides the foundation to me going forward around this issue. My electrician may not to be impressed, but in that case I’ll just go look for another installer/electrician.  Thanks so much. Cheers😁

Pleasure. We just try to clear up some wrong opinions and we could be wrong too but we have some clever members that can but in any time. 

Correct information above.

Just keep in mind that with a disconnector on each battery, it makes it so much easier to isolate 1 of the batteries quickly for whatever reason, without having to disconnect its wires. 

1 hour ago, Virwat said:

Correct information above.

Just keep in mind that with a disconnector on each battery, it makes it so much easier to isolate 1 of the batteries quickly for whatever reason, without having to disconnect its wires. 

That is very true exactly the reason i do sometimes install seperate disconnects/battery as per client. But to run secondary and 1 primary disconnect switches is a waste of money as their is no extra safety putting disconnect switches in series. For that matter why need a disconnect switch if the battery is equipped with a curcuit breaker but unfortunately the regs specify that a battery unit as a fixed appliance hence the reason that a external switch disconnect is necessary.

Edited March 17, 20242 yr by TaliaB

Morning. Where in Gauteng can you buy 5.120 kWh I-G3N batteries? I seem to be having trouble finding a supplier.

3 hours ago, Speedy said:

Morning. Where in Gauteng can you buy 5.120 kWh I-G3N batteries? I seem to be having trouble finding a supplier.

You could give them a call and see if they do have stock. See link below.

https://batterypowerzone.co.za/products/i-g3n-5-12v-z-range-rack-mount-lithium-phosphate-battery?variant=45268972339486&currency=ZAR&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwqf20BhBwEiwAt7dtddlLni75IPF_DJHe0mQzDVZxQusU4-OepjhSHwXKsvrI6EW7CcLcFBoCoeIQAvD_BwE

Unfortunately, those are rack-mounted; I should have added I Stack.