Electrical codes

An example of an electrical code book.

There are millions of stand-alone systems installed globally and improper installations can have real impacts on safety and quality of life for their users. All countries have some type of electrical code that sets basic standards for how electrical systems should be designed, what components should be used and how they should be installed. Every countries electrical code is either based upon the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standards, the National Electrical Code (NEC) from the United States or a combination of the two. Electrical codes should be followed insofar as is possible as their primary purpose is to prevent fires and to protect people. Electrical accidents - fires and electrocutions - typically occur because equipment is not installed properly, is not rated to be used for a particular purpose, is subjected to currents or voltages that exceed its rating or is installed in an inappropriate environment.

The electrical codes of many countries also include a section that deals with photovoltaics and solar installations, but in many locations the code does inadequately addresses small-scale battery based systems, is completely unintelligible to the majority of the people installing these systems or simply does not address them at all. In many places this is combined with a lack of a permitting process and a lack of enforcement to create an environment in which many PV systems are designed and installed improperly due to ignorance or in a race to the bottom on cost. In locations where there is insufficient guidance from the electrical code, the United States National Electrical Code, when combined with the best practices that have been developed in the off-grid sector, serve as a useful guide in most locations. This is the idea on which this website is based.

More information on choosing properly tested and certified components for a PV system can be found at equipment certifications.