Direct Buried cables within a controlled area and what constitutes mechanical protection

Hi RE, welcome

This is not an installation that comes under BS7671 is it? This is the problem with feature creep of standards. This is not a bit of domestic "top-up" electricity, in reality, it is a power station. It is difficult to see why the "Consultant" concerned is reading a standard that is not aimed at the site. Whilst I agree that the general principles are similar to domestic or small-scale PV, things like IT installs are aimed at hospitals and medical facilities, whereas these sites have a completely different set of risks and challenges. Cable protection is obviously a minor issue, the most likely damage will probably come from badgers and similar wildlife tunneling (which they do quite deeply and would deal with the cable in the same way they do a tree root, and knaw through it), clearly, chisel ploughing would not happen on-site as it would damage the panel mechanical stability. Conventional power stations may have some areas built strictly to BS7671, but other areas will not comply. This is just as DNO and National Grid manage installations. As we have discussed elsewhere, DNO supplies may well not be BS7671 compliant, they should once past the meter. I suspect these sites are the same, just before the connection to the Grid metering.

Hi RE, welcome

This is not an installation that comes under BS7671 is it? This is the problem with feature creep of standards. This is not a bit of domestic "top-up" electricity, in reality, it is a power station. It is difficult to see why the "Consultant" concerned is reading a standard that is not aimed at the site. Whilst I agree that the general principles are similar to domestic or small-scale PV, things like IT installs are aimed at hospitals and medical facilities, whereas these sites have a completely different set of risks and challenges. Cable protection is obviously a minor issue, the most likely damage will probably come from badgers and similar wildlife tunneling (which they do quite deeply and would deal with the cable in the same way they do a tree root, and knaw through it), clearly, chisel ploughing would not happen on-site as it would damage the panel mechanical stability. Conventional power stations may have some areas built strictly to BS7671, but other areas will not comply. This is just as DNO and National Grid manage installations. As we have discussed elsewhere, DNO supplies may well not be BS7671 compliant, they should once past the meter. I suspect these sites are the same, just before the connection to the Grid metering.