How you will lose with your Solar Installations!

Pitfalls and facts why you should join through this link described below! 

1. The PV installer you want to use is not a registered electrician, or the PV installer does not have a permanent electrician appointed in his employ!

Meaning - All new solar installations require the supervision and general control of an Installation Electrician or Master Installation Electrician. 

If this is not apparent tread carefully. Contact SAPAC through this Link and we will assist with obtaining the correct entity free of charge in your region!

2. The PV Installer want to issue you with a COC. This is a big no-no. Why?

No person other than an Installation Electrician (IE) and a Master Installation Electrician (MIE) can issue a Certificate of Compliance on a solar installation. No other qualification other than an IE or MIE can qualify a person to so do.

3. The electrician with the PV Installer is a single-phase electrician, sadly they cannot issue a COC.

Why?

No solar installation is allowed to be used by any end-user without it having been inspected and certified as safe by an IE or an MIE. No other qualification is relevant for this purpose. Please note that a licensed Single Phase Tester cannot work with DC and may therefore not sign off on DC installations, which would include PV and any three-phase installations. Therefore, a person with a Single Phase Tester qualification cannot issue a Certificate of Compliance for solar installations.

4. The PV Installer says they have a green card and is authorized to perform Solar installations no matter who says what.

There are other organizations that offer solar PV training, and it must be kept in mind that any ‘card’ issued by PV training providers is only for supplementary training that expands your knowledge in relation to solar work and is not a qualification to do PV work. The Electrical Regulations in the OHS Act are clear about who may work in that environment and the only qualifying card is one that proves registration as an electrical contractor with the Department of Employment and Labour.

Note this comment:

As Graham Clarke, an ECA(SA) member and owner of an electrical contracting company in Gqeberha, observes, “… the statement that solar installers are suppliers of electricity and that the isolator to the AC connect point is the point of control and therefore does not have to be carried out by an Electrical contractor as it is not part of the Electrical Installation is a myth and, if there was any doubt, this has been removed by the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the Electrical Regulations, as well as SANS 10142-1 ED3.01”.

And herewith is some other information that you will need to consider. 

Before any solar installation on a structure is performed it needs to be inspected and approved by a qualified engineer. That will inspect the structure and advise in the correct manner should there be a requirement to improve the structure. This means that your roof needs to be inspected by a qualified engineer to ascertain that your roof can handle the load-bearing weight of the PV (Solar) Panels and brackets.

So what am I to do?

Focus on the following facts. 

1. Join the Social Media Page here

2. Search with https://sapac.co.za (Mobile Friendly) Search for Solar or Electrician or verify your Contractor)

3. Contact us its FREE admin@sapac.co.za 

Get your Installation done and performed from the first time right?

[Some excerpts taken from the ECA(SA) website. Full Article here https://bit.ly/PVInstallers ] 

Credit to: ECA(SA) and Mr. Mark Mfikoe, ECA National Director