Rules and Guidelines
Want to participate in the discussions? Please read our Community Rules and Guidelines. Need some help? Visit Support and Answers.

  • State Helpful Answer
  • Locked Locked
  • Replies 20 replies
  • Subscribers 40 subscribers
  • Views 4424 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
You may also be interested in
This discussion has been locked.
You can no longer post new replies to this discussion. If you have a question you can start a new discussion

551.4.3.2.1 Flats how to provide earth rod in island mode

DA

So reading the latest regs I take it we are to provide an earth rod in a prosumer setup for island mode supplies.

Any ideas how this works practically in a top floor flat?

Parents
  • 0

    I have a job on the go for a bathroom company in a top floor flat, three storeys up, that has had PV installed on the roof with the inverter in the loft above the flat along with battery storage.

    Although the installation and its consumer unit are three stories up and the inverter with the batteries are really four stories up, the supply is taken from the DNO underground supply cable and meters in an external cupboard with the supply taken into the communal cupboard under the stairs on the ground floor, so part of the installation the consumers fused switch and distribution circuit to the flat are on the ground floor, but that still doesn't make it practical or possible to install an earth rod.

Reply
  • 0

    I have a job on the go for a bathroom company in a top floor flat, three storeys up, that has had PV installed on the roof with the inverter in the loft above the flat along with battery storage.

    Although the installation and its consumer unit are three stories up and the inverter with the batteries are really four stories up, the supply is taken from the DNO underground supply cable and meters in an external cupboard with the supply taken into the communal cupboard under the stairs on the ground floor, so part of the installation the consumers fused switch and distribution circuit to the flat are on the ground floor, but that still doesn't make it practical or possible to install an earth rod.

Children
  • +1 in reply to Sparkingchip

    But if it is ever configured to support an island mode of generation, and class 1 appliances can be used,  then it will need some sort of electrode, but maybe not a rod - are there foundation steels for example. There may be a need for some trades other than electrical to dig up the car park or whatever.

    'Impossible'  may be solved other ways in other places. Going back over 20 years in Germany it was common to see a TNC incomer to a basement of an 'altbau' pre war block and then electrodes drilled out more or less horizontally through the sides of the walls  Holes in masonry then re-proofed with some sort of tarry goop. (Only in the West. The East Germans did not really do earthing, or indeed neutral/earth differentiation. All rewired and much better now.)

    Mike.

Community Rules & Guidelines