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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

    As an aside, what about over-current/short-circuit protection? 

    Will the alternative supply (inverter?) be able to source enough current to make the 'normal' protection operate?

    If not, what other mechanisms are in-place to allow detection of a short circuit & how would it cleared?

  • +1 in reply to AdrianWint

      

    Yes, this is a design consideration also - alongside the issue of load-shedding to prevent damage to the battery and unwanted tripping (well, unwanted overcurrent limit operation more correctly) of the inverter.

    These topics for island mode operation are among those covered in the IET Code of Practice for Electrical Energy Storage Systems

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  • 0 in reply to gkenyon

    My current install is a house and so it’s fine to use a rod as an electrode (though I always worry I’m going to hit a stray drainage pipe). I just wanted to query the flat situation and wondered whether an electronic solution had been considered? Rather than the passive electrode.
    I ask as Ive seen lots of TNCS EV installs without an electrode or PEN protection and feel this is bound to happen at the cheaper end of installs with ‘island’ modes.

  • 0 in reply to DA

    Although after thinking about it, is the objective to provide an uninterrupted reliable earth electrode for island mode, rather than reliance on the DNO main earth which has a greater risk of being disconnected during this “Grid failure” time.

    After all no point in a backup island mode and all the reconfiguration required if it just fails during grid failure!

  • 0 in reply to DA
    DA said:
    I just wanted to query the flat situation and wondered whether an electronic solution had been considered?

    Some products available on the market at the moment offer "floating" output option.

    BUT

    The IET Code of Practice does not recommend this is used in domestic installations, and provides the reasoning for it. The MCS standard for battery storage aligns with that line of thinking.

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