I'd be interested to hear how others are handling solar PV installations as part of an EICR, especially the DC side.
The AC connection to the inverter is relatively straightforward to include, but the DC wiring, roof array, connectors and DC isolators are more challenging, particularly where access is limited or the inspector does not have specific PV competence.
The question was prompted by recent press reports of a school fire where the solar installation was reported as a possible cause. The system was said to have been installed around 10 to 12 years earlier, so in theory may have been through more than one periodic inspection cycle.
So, in practice:
Do you include the PV DC side within the EICR, or limit the inspection to the AC supply circuit and inverter connection?
If excluded, how do you word the limitation?
Would visible PV defects still be coded if outside the agreed scope?
Where roof access is not available, do you recommend a separate specialist PV inspection?
And more broadly, should PV systems have their own defined periodic inspection regime, especially on schools, commercial buildings and higher-risk sites?
I’m interested in how this is being handled in the real world, because there seems to be a possible gap between a building having an EICR and the PV system being meaningfully inspected.
