I have an install which is mostly working well. I just need a CoC and CoCT registration. Does anyone know of a Cape Town based company that can do the legwork for me. Install is to spec, might need some minor labelling improvements, just need the engineer sign off and CoCT approval.
@Rautenk is your man for the engineering stuff.
Electrician - Herman Van Niekerk the Installation Electrician for the CoC: +27 82 494 1571
Both of them do it right ā¦
Titbit:
Years ago I wanted the inverter at a certain spot.
Herman refused. Nope, kids can get there. Not doing it. Forget it.
Me like, Why(!), there are NO kids in this house. All are grown assed adults!
Many years later a 2.6-year-old girl runs around in Ouma and Oupaās house.
Herman called it ā¦ it is good when a professional person sticks to their guns at all times.
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Exactly one of the things I complained about.
Kids can get to the battery isolator.
Installerā¦meh its ok.
Me. very annoyed.
I was under the illusion that only certain sparkies were approved to do solar installations. This is not the case. With the CoCT online procedure you can appoint your tried and tested man who has always delivered for you.
CoCT will appoint one of their techs for your application and they should answer all of your questionsā¦
Any electrician can install and wire up a solar system, yes.
To give that install the required CoC, that must be done by a Installation or Master Electrician.
A quick Google ā¦ here:
And here:
Another titbit Iām harpening on now and then, very relevant:
From here:
Well donāt hold your breath on what you will get. The Master Electrician I got I hoped would walk me down the CoCT registration procedure. (Iām doing the electrician work)
He initially said the inverter I had wouldnāt be a problem but CoCT said no āIt isnāt on the approved inverter listā
I was also expecting him to go to my site more than once. I thought it would be āthis what needs to be doneā meeting and then a follow up meeting to check the installation.
No way! Only one trip to site and then everything subsequently is done by photosā¦
This guy also says I need a changeover switch for my grid tie inverter 
Yes, a changeover is a damn good future proofing plan. Inverters do break, have to be sent in.
My Installation Electrician, one onsite visit, 2nd day it was done with CoC in hand.
That was after @Rautenk , Engineer, gave the electrician exact details of what he requires, photos he expected, before his site visit to confirm all.
One visit from Rautenk and forms where signed by everyone and submitted.
Electrician also took copious amount of photos for his records.
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This phrase ā¦ ai.
Does the inverter have a NRS Certification?
Yes, on the list and if not (missed, not updated), it is still accepted by SA, and therefor CoCT.
No, then it is not accepted as per SA regulations, and also not as per CoCT.
PS. Not the correct terms used, but you get the gest.
ZE_NRS097_CoC_SBxx-1VL-40_en_11.pdf (261.3 KB)
Any good??
NRS 097-2-1:2010 ed1.0
AFAIK, you wonāt be able to approve a new installation with that certification. You need to meet the 2017 spec.
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I see it is NRS 097-2-1:2010 ed1.0
Also see that NRS 097-2-1 of 2017 Ed. 2/2.1 and 2024 Ed3 are applicable today.
Some inverters who had a NRS certification, older version, are not anymore certified today.
If you installed it when it was still current, no problem.
So it seems this one, and I cannot find it on the CoCT Convenience List, it is not anymore installable, if you follow the letter of the regulations.
Case point:
See the expiry date on i.e. Victron, for the new additions, 2028?
Install before the that time, no problem, it will be accepted.
After expiry, get an later model.
The Convenient NRS List:
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So based on your question for the model you have, seems this Master Electrician needs to do his homework.
He has a PV-inverter. There are no output loads. A changeover is senseless. All he needs is an isolator and overcurrent protection (ie a single double-pole white-and-green breaker is going to do it).
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Once everything is installed and connected does the appointed master electrician return to site to switch the system on and check all is good?
In theory yes. In practice, if he has worked with the installer before and trusts his work, he might well do this āvirtuallyā as well. As long as he takes the responsibility and does the paperwork, much as I might feel on a moral level that heās sitting at home earning thousands for a few minutes of workā¦ Iām probably okay with it. It would not be cheaper if he actually had to drive to my placeā¦
I saw it the same way until the one day I started to do this with clients, I expect same from service providers now too.
Option 1: Onsite, my costs (km driven at AA rates) AND time spent on the road is for the clients cost.
Option 2: Do it remotely, no additional charges. You save me time, wear and tear, less risk driving in town.
99% of the clients opted for Option 2.
So I donāt agree that the cost must be the same for signing off āremotelyā versus coming onsite.
On a moral level I agree. On a practical level, I am not sure.
I always think of that old situation with the heated seats in your BMW. BMW discovered that they can save money by simply putting the hardware in every car, even if the car was ordered without heated seats. No need to maintain two variants in the production line, two harnesses, etc etc. What is more, 90% of their customers select the option anyway.
Now, charging extra money for something that is already in the car? Doesnāt seem right. But did the status quo really change? Heated seats were always an option. The price didnāt really change. There is no obligation on the manufacturer to share their new-found savings with you. And it is perfectly legal.
Of course it went off the rails when someone had the additional bright idea to lease the heated seat option. That was a bridge too farā¦
So. Yes. It does seem like the moral thing to share some of those savings with the customer. If you do that, you buy a heap of loyalty. But not much more than that.
I my career dealing with clients, that loyalty went a very long way, read, it became a stream of recuring income.
The heated seats example, I struggle to bring that into signing off remotely vs onsite. No āpre-fitted harnessesā anywhere near.
Exact comparison, my example of Option 1 or Option 2, ties back to your āWant the heated seats or not?ā
Any case, following another forums āIt is nearly Friday/It is Fridayā type of posts.
The engineer has found a way to get more profit out of the deal. You, as a customer, now demands some of that benefit. Thatās where the analogy aims to go. On an emotional level I get it. On a practical level: Why should I charge less for my expertise because I donāt have to do it onsite?
When I had to work onsite, I charged for travel (at the same hourly rate), but I never charged more for the work because of the location.
Read Option 1 and 2 again. I thought that was clear. Work done is the same, just the extra costs to get onsite, the debate, to keep the cost the same, or not.
As I said, thought we are debating the travelling cost/time to be kept when work is done āremotelyā vs onsite. 