Let me give you some background…
An acquaintance called me on my cell phone last Monday and asked for help because he needs to install the photovoltaic system in his house.
He doesn’t tell me who installed it.
He doesn’t mention that it’s not legal either. I find that out 30 seconds after picking up the phone.
…At 40, I know there’s no license or affidavit.
…At 50, I realize he installed it himself, buying the materials from a store, because installers are very expensive and he’s a handyman.
…Within a minute, curiosity gets the better of me and I arrange to meet him to go see it, no matter how much I’ve wanted to hang up, right away (I’m a bit morbid or masochistic, whatever you decide to call me).
And I’m going to be there on Friday (I can’t make it before then, sorry. Yes, I’ll go, don’t worry… Because it’s you...)
5 minutes after arriving, I find 16 450Wp panels, a 6kW single-phase inverter, 10kWh batteries, and a backup system. The AC light is flashing… bad vibes…
…10 minutes later, after a first look, the system doesn’t start. The backup protection constantly trips. And if the backup protection doesn’t, the house lighting differential trips (I freak out)…
…After 15 minutes, I start to take it seriously. This is serious. The cable cross-sections vary at each connection, from the main panel to the inverter, between 2.5mm2, 6mm2, and 10mm2. The backup is incorrectly connected, downstream of the house panel. …After 20 minutes, I ask about the ground connection on the roof… (Oh, it also has to be installed on the structure?, he says…)
…25 minutes: no WiFi either… (“cringeworthy”)
Anyway…
What I’m telling you is a real case down to the last detail, from just last week.
And now that I’ve told you, tell me what you would do in a situation like this
Do you answer the call within a minute or do you hang up sooner?
Do you go to see the installation or do you ignore it?
How long does the installation inspection take? Do you spend 10 minutes, after the first look and seeing the mess that’s been created? When do you find out where the backup is connected? Do you actually find out about the ground connection, or did you run away early?
I’ll read you in the comments.
(P.S.: Yes, I must be a real masochist, because I’m going to see if I can fix it all. If only to avoid leaving an installation connected to who knows where and causing someone to get hurt.)
