When you mention mushrooms, you have to talk about the Mcenna brothers , talk about old and bold , and the stories.

But we digress

2 hours ago, The Terrible Triplett said:

So you want to go into solar, go for a quick course, couple of thousand, and walla, there you go, you have a paper and can quote and install.

Versus experienced sparkies that are AC and DC qualified, the ones most installers use to do their work for them. 🙂 

Find those sparkies ... they do it cheaper than the "solar installer".

As I've said before, sparkies will become the installers in the not so distant future.

Hello. Would you be able to recommend a turn key installer for a newbie in the Johannesburg area please? Thanks! 

16 minutes ago, PapaRed said:

Hello. Would you be able to recommend a turn key installer for a newbie in the Johannesburg area please? Thanks! 

Welcome Red. Sorry, I cannot. Ask around for electricians whom are DC/AC qualified.

17 hours ago, phil.g00 said:

I know substations are excused from domestic wiring regulations, but out of necessity there are literally km's of mixed AC and DC cables mixed in cable trenches.

Please excuse my ignorance, but what is the need for km of DC cable in a substation?

I realise that South Africa may be different to Australia, but that different? Or maybe you have 600 VDC trams (light rail) still? I thought that would be a totally separate distribution system though.

Disclaimer: I'm not  power engineer, so I may even be ignorant of long DC cables in Australia. For example, Melbourne still has trams, and I suspect that they are still 600 VDC (rectified 415 V three phase; perhaps 540 VDC for 220/380 V networks).

6 minutes ago, Coulomb said:

600 VDC trams

In our dreams! Not a chance. Even the electric trains we do have are on fire half the time.

2 hours ago, PapaRed said:

Hello. Would you be able to recommend a turn key installer for a newbie in the Johannesburg area please? Thanks! 

What do you mean by "turn key"? 

2 hours ago, Coulomb said:

Please excuse my ignorance, but what is the need for km of DC cable in a substation?

All the control circuitry is DC.

All the  measurands from CT's and VT's are AC.

And there considerable distances (100's of meters)  between the controlling devices and the devices being controlled.

Easily km's per bay.

Australia will be the same, has to be.

Can't use AC, it disappears when the power goes out, and this is the gear that needs to operate to bring the power back.

South Africa uses 220Vdc, and generally Ireland uses 220Vdc as well.

Some countries use DC of a different voltage, but DC they will use.