With more than 30 locally available grid tied inverters to choose from, how do local contractors know which ones to install? Where would a local installer or contractor even begin to start looking for suppliers, brands and models of inverters and other solar equipment. In a recent post, circulated earlier today; we looked at the limitations that should be considered during sizing of inverters by using the utility circuit breaker as a factor. The post in question can be viewed by following the highlighted link below…..Maximum domestic grid tied system sizes.
Local standards, although available and approved have not really been circulated or promoted widely by industry. In Cape Town, inverters that may be used for grid tied installations all form part of a process whereby they eventually end up on a database of approved systems. The database is available from the City of Cape Town website. Criteria used for the testing of those inverters stem from the NRS097 range of standards.
As for the rest of the country, it is recommended to ensure that the inverter installed complies to NRS097-1-2. This standard defines the levels of tolerance deemed to be acceptable for embedded generation. These levels have specific values dedicated to the volume of harmonics, frequency response, voltage fluctuations, etc. that is allowed for the inverter in question to push back into the grid.
The only way to be assured would be to compare test results from manufacturers and ensure that the system complies.
Before reading the rest of the article;
- attend the Free technology presentation in JHB
- if you enjoyed the post, we hope you remembered to click the ‘like’ button on the Linkedin post.
- just a quick reminder that we offer a 3-day practical training session for installers.