Does an RCD still function when Solar PV is generating?

[littlespark]

I would say C2 as its similar to a non-functioning RCD where one is needed (sockets that may be used outdoors, bathroom circuits)

Definitely!

Along with @James there seems to be a cobbler's convention looking at their own shoes

The house itself is only 16 years old, so the lack of rcd on lights is a C3. I might just move the PV onto a dedicated RCBO within the board.

Some of the houses built on the later phase of building have rcd on multiple socket circuits like mine, but individual RCBO on other circuits…. Like it was an afterthought.

 

[pc1966]

What you say makes absolute sense but then why, in Electrical Safety Firsts Best Practice guide 3 (See viii in BPG 3), do they say it is permissible to connect the dedicated feed in circuit to an RCD supplying other final circuits, if the RCD is double pole??

Good point!

In terms of RCD being DP then it does make a big difference, but what you end up with immediately after disconnection is (hopefully) a single-faulted IT supply for the time it takes for the PV inverter to shut down. If you are luck enough to only have a single fault and no noticeable N-E path on the now-isolated side then you are protected. If there is anything on the N-E side below about 8k ohms then you are still at risk of a potentially fatal shock.

I don't have the 18th AM2 regs with me (yes, I'm such a travel bore!) but I was sure there is something now about this sort of situation beyond the previous regs not about RCDs having to still work as intended.

More generally, I would also worry that folks don't grasp the very serious nature of employing a SP RCBO in a similar situation (final circuit fed from the PV/energy source side) and it really not being protected during inverter shut-down.

 

[westward10]

The point is even with a double pole RCD it can feed back to the other circuits through it's protective device via the busbar.

 

[spud1]

Good point!

In terms of RCD being DP then it does make a big difference, but what you end up with immediately after disconnection is (hopefully) a single-faulted IT supply for the time it takes for the PV inverter to shut down. If you are luck enough to only have a single fault and no noticeable N-E path on the now-isolated side then you are protected. If there is anything on the N-E side below about 8k ohms then you are still at risk of a potentially fatal shock.

I don't have the 18th AM2 regs with me (yes, I'm such a travel bore!) but I was sure there is something now about this sort of situation beyond the previous regs not about RCDs having to still work as intended.

More generally, I would also worry that folks don't grasp the very serious nature of employing a SP RCBO in a similar situation (final circuit fed from the PV/energy source side) and it really not being protected during inverter shut-down.

Thanks pc great advice, really appreciate it

 

[spud1]

The point is even with a double pole RCD it can feed back to the other circuits through it's protective device via the busbar.

Thanks westward great advice as always