FYI: mixing MC4 solar panel connector brands - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 28, 2023, 11:43:48 am
content: The past few weekends I've been busy with putting solar panels on my roof and yesterday it was time to connect the wires from the roof to the inverter. This lead me to a choice: do I use the Devalan MC4 connectors that came with the Growatt inverter OR the MC4 connectors from Staubli that I ordered extra? Let's ask Google!And this turned up two interesting web pages (in Dutch):The first one is outlining the problem that there basically isn't a standard for MC4 connectors (Staubli won't share their manufacturing specification) and that mixing various brands is not always safe. As a result companies are testing combinations of connectors for safety themselves. Crazy!https://solarmagazine.nl/nieuws-zonne-energie/i26894/stauebli-waarschuwt-voor-gevaar-crossmating-connectoren-fabrikanten-zonnepanelen-klagen-over-tekortenThis web page lists a bunch of connectors (which I think are found on solar panels) that are safe to use with the connectors from Staubli:https://solarmagazine.nl/nieuws-zonne-energie/i26155/testen-dekra-wijzen-uit-connectoren-8-fabrikanten-kunnen-veilig-gecombineerd-worden-met-mc4-connectoren-staeubliSo the answer tomyparticular question was that I should use the connectors that came with the inverter (which I did).

author: mzzj
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 05, 2023, 09:09:01 pm
content: At least here in Finland the new gov requlations state that you cannot mix MC4 connector brands.

author: fourtytwo42
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 06, 2023, 08:44:33 am
content: Quote from: mzzj on March 05, 2023, 09:09:01 pmSounds like a typical piece of government legislation, impracticableSo you are supposed to source the same brand as the PV panels happen to use for the site wiring & what happens if the inverter uses fixed connectors of yet another brand

author: Siwastaja
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 06, 2023, 12:12:52 pm
content: Quote from: mzzj on March 05, 2023, 09:09:01 pmDo you have a reference?

author: Siwastaja
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 06, 2023, 12:18:57 pm
content: Quote from: fourtytwo42 on March 06, 2023, 08:44:33 amYou of course carry a bag of adapter cables with all possible combinations of different manufacturer connectors on each end. No, even better, you carry all possible connectors, and of course the right crimping tool for each brand. Obviously, you must have close co-operation with each panel and inverter manufacturer so that they, maybe under NDA, will disclose to you the connector brand they used.

author: The Soulman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 06, 2023, 12:31:02 pm
content: Quote from: mzzj on March 05, 2023, 09:09:01 pmSame here, at least it is in the guidelines that the insurance company may refer to after a catastrophic failure, some brands of PV equipment do have declaration of compatibilityof their products, this may help in a legal situation.Same goes for "Wieland" style connectors that are often used in new buildings.

author: mzzj
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 06, 2023, 05:50:00 pm
content: Quote from: Siwastaja on March 06, 2023, 12:12:52 pmThis is probably not just Finnish "thing" but slowly adopted also in different countries.sfs6000-2022 calls for connectors that are according to IEC 62548 and IEC 62548 requires that plugs and socket connectors mated together in a PV system shall be of the same type from the same manufacturer.https://lampopumput.info/foorumi/threads/uudistettu-standardi-sfs-6000-7-712-2022-pienj%C3%A4nnites%C3%A4hk%C3%B6asennukset-osa-7-712-erikoistilojen-ja-asennusten-vaatimukset-aurinkos%C3%A4hk%C3%B6j%C3%A4rjestelm%C3%A4t.34010/https://www.altenergymag.com/article/2022/04/avoid-cross-mating-of-pv-connectors/37093/https://das-energy.com/storage//Datenblaetter/2022_02/EN/DAS_Energy_Installation_manual_EN_2022_02.pdf

author: Siwastaja
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 07, 2023, 08:59:41 am
content: Note that standards are not governmental regulations, unless explicitly defined as such, in law. Standards are tools that supposedly make it easier to prove safety. Impractical standards are simply not followed. Not following any arbitrary standard does not automatically mean the installation is illegal. (This is finally for a court to decide, and standards are definitelylooked at, but they are not law as such.)

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 07, 2023, 11:38:42 am
content: Quote from: Siwastaja on March 07, 2023, 08:59:41 amNo. It doesn't work that way. The standards aren't part of the law indeed but the laws do say that particular standards should be followed. The law doesn't care whether a standard is practical or not so if you don't follow a standard, it is your bacon that ends up on the grill.While planning my solar panel install I carefully researched the regulations that deal with solar panel installations to make sure that my work is adhering to the applicable standards. I want my home to stay safe and I don't want to run in trouble with the insurance company if something goes wrong.

author: Siwastaja
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 07, 2023, 12:16:17 pm
content: Quote from: nctnico on March 07, 2023, 11:38:42 amNo. An organization coming up with a new standard does not magically become legislation. At least not in Finland. I'm 99% sure it's the same in Netherlands, too.There are always standardization organization employees and their fanboys who fail to grok this (because the feeling of being in absolute power is so great), but this is basic constitutional state stuff.Obviously, if your stuff causes a fire because it's crap, then you are in legal trouble, and for a reason; that reason is not just not following the standard, but doing dangerous stuff. If the installation does not cause any issues and no one can show it is being unsafe, it does not become illegal just because some standardization body come up with a standard last week which recommended against doing that.Similarly, something that was legal at the time of instal cannot retroactively become illegal (which is what people on the discussion forum as linked by mzzj claim and panic about).

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 07, 2023, 12:50:02 pm
content: Quote from: Siwastaja on March 07, 2023, 12:16:17 pmThat is not the issue. There are standards that are being referenced by law. This means that not adhering to these particular standards means breaking the law. Or put differently: if your statement where true, we wouldn't need to do adhere to any EMC & safety regulations for the products we design / develop and put them on the market as-is. It would mean the whole EMC & safety testing business is just a joke.Ofcourse you are free to come up with your own standard but nobody has to follow it. However, if you manage to get your standard recognised as being usefull to be part of a legal framework, then your standard could end up being mandated by law.QuoteThat is only logical and the practise in general. But it doesn't mean new installations shouldn't adhere to new standards because older installations that are not adhering to the new standards exist. However, the owners of such installations would be wise to review their installations and improve if necessary.Standards change all the time. Recently I did some EMC testing and a new part of immunity testing was aimed at specific frequency bands used by Wifi and LTE. Some of the end users of the equipment I design / develop DO require retesting when the EMC standards change.

author: fourtytwo42
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 07, 2023, 01:05:51 pm
content: Quote from: nctnico on March 07, 2023, 12:50:02 pmIt is, try testing EMC on an Asian manufactured psu with a CE label for example, you could try inspecting the transformer construction too. If you have any of these you are liable to be interfering with other systems and putting your personal safety at risk.As was mentioned there is no standard for these connectors so trying at this late stage to cover that up with some legalistic fudgery is quite ridiculous, it seems to me that the solar & green industries in particular seem to attract a lot of waffle merchants who have no idea what there talking about but think there must be money to be made somewhere especially if they waffle enough!

author: Siwastaja
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 07, 2023, 01:37:50 pm
content: Quote from: nctnico on March 07, 2023, 12:50:02 pmExactly as I said in the first place:Quote from: Siwastaja on March 07, 2023, 08:59:41 amwhich you replied to, saying "No." And now, out of blue, you are totally agreeing with me.I recommend you start reading and understanding what you read, before replying to it. As it stands, your needlessly confrontational communication style is detrimental to the S/N ratio of the forum.Quote(Directly or indirectly.) Which is also why I asked for references for the original claim, which was this being governmental regulation (i.e., law).I don't believe it without strong proof because the recommendation is so new. And I'm 99% sure that 99% of the solar installers do not follow this advice because it's completely unpractical as explained by fourtytwo42 in this thread.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 07, 2023, 03:40:37 pm
content: Quote from: Siwastaja on March 07, 2023, 01:37:50 pmPerhaps your writing style is not so clear by using a contruct that is almost a double negative. The first part of a sentence should carry the primary message you want to convey. So you should have put the part in bold at the start of the sentence. Not in the fine print. People don't read the fine print.However, circling back to the topic. After some further reading the government mandated standard in the NL for electrical installations (NEN1010) clearly states that mating connectors should be designed to be compatible. This is not the case with MC4 connectors from various brands as there is no official standard for these connectors. For sure the MC4 connectors are an interesting mess. I would have hoped solar panel technology would have matured further by now.

author: fourtytwo42
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 07, 2023, 04:32:52 pm
content: Ahh so now the semantics of this argument have changed from :-Quote from: mzzj on March 05, 2023, 09:09:01 pmTo :-Quote from: nctnico on March 07, 2023, 12:50:02 pmI think some people spend to much time in there laboratories with there heads stuck in standards and possibly loose touch with reality!Given there is no standard as such (only the word MC4) any company hoping to make a success of selling connectors is OBVIOUSLY going to design them to be compatible with existing brands and in fact my personal experience supports that conclusion along with everybody else I know.So I think we can safely say that people of a standards persuasion are talking rubbish here for the sake of having a pointless argument.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 07, 2023, 04:40:02 pm
content: Quote from: fourtytwo42 on March 07, 2023, 04:32:52 pmResearch into fires caused by solar panel installation says otherwise:https://www.pv-magazine.com/2019/04/12/cross-mating-of-connectors-was-chief-cause-of-netherlands-pv-fires/

author: Siwastaja
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 07, 2023, 05:24:04 pm
content: It would be interesting to see which part of the problems are truly due to cross-mating connectors which otherwise are good, and which are just due to crappy connectors. I loathe journalism like this: "70% of the fires were caused by faulty connectors, and especially by cross-mating", because it couples completely orthogonal issues into a single number, and in this case, it is absolutely crucial to make a distinction between compatibility vs. poor quality, because the actions needed are totally different. In other words, if it happens that Brand C causes trouble with all others, including borderline quality even with Brand C itself, then the right thing to do would be disallowing use of Brand C.But I understand that going against a specific brand requires very strong evidence - it is easier to come up with some roundabout limitation which will cause equally damage to all manufacturers - or what's best, something that can't be practically implemented, but the standardization organization can say they did their job.We saw this same pattern with the Schuko farce - socket manufacturers were producing dangerous, crappy products that cannot support the rated current (16A) or pass the tests required by standards (some overload for some time; I forgot the details) after being used for a while, because designs were way too marginal for cost-savings. But the hands of the authorities were tied because the manufacturers were not Chinese, but instead big western companies like ABB. As a solution to reduce number of fires, all they can do is to come up with a 8A limit that only applies to EV charging. As a new product segment, they feel they have the power to do that, without causing too much uproar.That is why I'm always a little bit skeptical about regulations that look strange on surface. Are those based on real, honest science, or is there politics involved?

author: rvipers
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: July 18, 2024, 07:55:57 am
content: Hi all,I know this is bringing up an old post. I came across it while looking for DEVALAN spec sheets.I've been an electrician for almost 20 years and worked in Solar industry for the last 12 years.Here in Australia it is a requirement by the electrical standards here that you must use a mated pair of connectors, like for like brand and model.For a particular clause to be created in a standard, there will have been an incident that has occurred at least once and then has started creating a statistic.The scope for electrical standards is to:Protect Persons, Property and Livestock from the potential harmful affects from electrical hazardsor words to that effect and is also the same for England and most likely other countries.So back to the point, with solar panel connectors such as MC4, which is a model name for a specific brand but is used as the common name for this type of connector.As someone else noted above, there is not a standard for this connector, like USB A/B or C.Therefore, as there are some small differences between these connectors if an unmatched pair are used, this can lead to high resistance joints and can melt or arc.Here in Australia we have quite a lot of sunshine and also heat. On a 35°C average summer day, the panels will be around 75°C.The higher ambient temperature, combined with the heat from being underload at roughly 400-600VDC and 10ADC for 4-6 hours every day, really puts a lot of pressure on the joints, especially if it is has high resistance.I have personally seen in excess of 100 melted connectors. The majority of those have been down to mismatched pairs.Depending on how and where they melt can have severe consequences, such as catching the panels on fire and catching the Inverter on fire. Personally I have seen an inverter that has caught on fire because of this issue, not an array fire. However, I have seen many melted connectors on the roof, which has caused earth faults, and earth faults often cause the inverter to fail, and is not warrantable as it is an installation issue.Some of the roofs here have corrugated metal sheets, and I have seen a couple of these melted connectors continue to arc and melt a hole in the roof sheet.If you search up Mismatched MC4s you'll quickly find many photos and documents related to the importance of using the same brands to plug into each other.In some cases it may only take a matter of days to melt or several yearsFrom what I gather this forum is kind of for DIY, but I am of the opinion that DIY and electrics is dangerous and Solar is no different. Please engage the services of qualified people instead of risking it yourselves.Thanks

author: kripton2035
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 18, 2024, 10:31:18 am
content: what if when you want to use your own connector, you remove the PV connector and always install a connexion with a same brand mc4 connector pair ? this could solve the problem ? always crimp the mc4 connector in pairs ?

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 18, 2024, 11:16:06 am
content: Quote from: kripton2035 on July 18, 2024, 10:31:18 amThat is possible but you have to ask whether you can create better crimps and seals manually (while sitting outside on a roof) compared to the automated machine used by the solar panel manufacturer. Another problem is that panels with non-manufacturer standard connectors won't be easy to replace as they would need re-doing the connectors. A better option is to use a list with tested connector combinations (as I linked to in the first post) and mate compatible connectors only. Second option is to source the connectors used by the solar panel manufacturer to put on the wires going to the inverter. And as a last option only, resort to replacing connectors on the panels.I'm still kind of baffled that this situation exists though. If only Staubli would have patented their connector worldwide and enforced their rights.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 18, 2024, 12:11:13 pm
content: Another aspect could be the proliferation of cheap MC4 crimp tools. Given my experiences with cheap Chinese crimpers, I expect the quality of these cheap tools to be all over the place, so even if a single brand of quality connectors is used throughout, its safety could be thoroughly undermined by shitty crimps. Solar is definitely not a place where I would trust anything but the original tooling…

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 18, 2024, 03:12:28 pm
content: Quote from: tooki on July 18, 2024, 12:11:13 pmTrue. And the official Staubli crimper is not that expensive at around 80 to 90 euro. But then again, solar installers seem to be oversizing the wire gauge quite a bit. On my install I used 4mm^2 wires per recommendation of the seller of the panels. The current rating of the connectors + wiring is over 3 times the maximum current the panels can deliver.

author: Siwastaja
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 19, 2024, 07:10:26 am
content: Quote from: tooki on July 18, 2024, 12:11:13 pmAnd this is an interesting point:We can play this "mate only connectors from the same manufacturers" game if, for example, installers are always very careful to use those exact connectors that are supplied with the inverter, and if PV panel manufacturers start supplying connectors with their panels. Because that's the only way.But this still leaves an unanswered question: because as every professional knows, using correct crimping tool for the connector is of paramount importance, every connector brand should have their own crimping tool as well. And inverter or panel manufacturers, even if they did supply connectors in the box, definitely do not send you crimping tools every time; and fail to disclose the exact brand of connectors they supply.So installers are expected (maybe by law as some people claim) to carefully match connector manufacturers, but they arenotexpected to use correct crimping tools but some "generic" ones for all the connectors? Sounds pretty bad idea to me - if, as they say, connectors are not equal, then surely their crimping characteristics are different too.Really, this is a huge mess and the proposed solution of "using same brand connectors" is, in real world, completely unrealistic.Ifthis is a problem, as some people say (and they say it's a serious problem), then it needs arealsolution, not some kind of unrealistic generic advice which is nearly impossible to follow and therefore unhelpful.Another problem in this discussion is that incompatibility and poor quality in general are mixed together.Maybea better result could be had by identifying some poor connector brands that fail to work properly with near every other brand (possibly being even marginal within the brand itself), and banning their use, but regulators, standardization bodies and recommendation bodies have always been reluctant to name bad apples, and instead revert to generic advice, even if it's less effective. I don't know if this is the case here, I truly don't know and it seems no one else knows either; so is it reallyjusta pure compatibility issue or is there classic quality problem involved?Quote from: rvipers on July 18, 2024, 07:55:57 amYou mis-gathered. While a great DIY and hobby resource, too, this is likely the world's #1 English community for professional electronic (and electrical) design engineers. Basically,we designthe stuff that you just buy and install, therefore many of us are very deep in understanding regulations (and also their shortcomings). Some of us also give our expert opinions when such regulations are discussed officially.This is one of such discussions where at least two of the contributors are professionals who know the field and are not discussing DIY solutions.

author: fastbike
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 18, 2024, 12:00:18 am
content: At risk of waking up a zombie thread, I have a question to ask about TPS cable and MC4 connectors.When our house was built 20 years ago I ran two additional runs of TPS cable (2.5mm 2Core&Earth) between the attic space and the main distribution board.These cables are currently un-terminated, and given the house is concrete block running a new wire would be a major pain in the butt.So I want to use these cables to connect two strings of PV panels on the roof to a grid tied inverter to be installed adjacent to the distribution board.My plan is to mount an IP67 rated box on the back wall of the house with panel mount style MC4 connectors on the outside of that box. Inside the box I will drill a hole through the concrete block into the attic, and pull the TPS cable into the box, so the TPS can then be terminated to the MC4.Will the TPS (7 conductors around 0.7mm in diameter) crimp OK into the MC4 metal parts ?Or would I be better to have a small pigtail of DC solar cable attached to the MC4 and connect these with a screw fix bus bar in the box ?

author: fastbike
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 18, 2024, 12:06:11 am
content: Quote from: fastbike on August 18, 2024, 12:00:18 amI think I might have the answer, a part like this would workhttps://nz.rs-online.com/web/p/solar-connectors/2872963

author: Siwastaja
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 18, 2024, 08:33:54 am
content: Quote from: fastbike on August 18, 2024, 12:00:18 amMost likely illegal and possibly dangerous. PV string cabling is a special type because it is un-fused HVDC with can sustain a significant arcing which never breaks because of lack of zero crossing in voltage, and lack of fusing. Consequence of short-circuit in normal house AC wiring is a blown fuse; consequence of short-circuit in PV DC wiring is a definite house fire, that's why the requirements for the cabling and their insulation, specificially against mechanical stress, are higher.Of course in practical world it is still very unlikely to burn your house down. Just that the risk is there, and the risk is statistically high enough that such installs are not allowed in large numbers. (Small number of illegal installs then work "by luck".)Professional installers, which you obviously should use, are usually quite good in finding low-effort routes for the cabling, including optimum place for the inverter. A decent hammer drill makes a 16mm hole on a thick concrete in less than a minute.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 18, 2024, 08:46:12 am
content: Agreed. A good approach is to keep + and - wires strictly seperated using (flexible) conduits (one for each wire color) so that even when the insulation gets compromised, the chances of arcing are next to non existent. For the install I did, the supplier sold me 1000V rated 4mm^2 wires which have two layers of insulation; these are specific wires for use in solar panel installations as the outer insulation also needs to be UV resistant.As Siwastaja noted solar panel installers can be creative in finding solutions but these might not be the most aesthetically pleasing ones. For example: one of my neighbours has a rectangular piece of indoor wire trunking running across the front of their home. Ugly as hell. Also make sure the wiring between the inverter and distribution panel can handle full power of the inverter. I spend several days on getting this job done in a way the wiring is out of sight (going from ground floor to the attic where the inverter is). I had to drill large (25mm / 30mm) holes through (in total) a meter of prefabricated, steel re-inforced concrete. Although I will admit this project got a bit out of hand due to unforeseen obstacles.

author: fastbike
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 18, 2024, 06:56:54 pm
content: Quote from: nctnico on August 18, 2024, 08:46:12 amThat all makes sense. I will do it the proper way as I have no interest in starting a fire and then getting into litigation with a deep pocketed insurance company.I was hoping to avoid surface mounted conduit, however I think I can find a route that will keep the aesthetics acceptable. I have a series of 200mm concrete walls and 150mm floor slabs to drill through, but it should be easier than when I did the hole cutting for installation of a heatpump which required a series of 70mm holes.I've found a link to aDC rated twin insulated cable, it appears to have a full double insulation. I'll ask the sparky if I can run both strings (2x twin cables) in the same conduit to save some drilling.P.S.Just to reassure you I will be working with a registered electrician (illegal to do otherwise in this country) but just trying to get my head in the right space before selecting one so I understand what is possible.

author: Siwastaja
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 19, 2024, 06:52:52 am
content: Quote from: fastbike on August 18, 2024, 06:56:54 pmI don't see any reason why you couldn't.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 19, 2024, 08:25:47 am
content: Quote from: Siwastaja on August 19, 2024, 06:52:52 amIt can be done but if you look at the larger scale solar installs, you'll notice the red and black wires are ran in groups while maintaining a bit of distance between red and black. Keep in mind rodents are prone to chewing on cables as just one example what could go wrong with the wires long term. So if possible, I would use seperate conduits for black and red. In the NL the recommendation is the keep black and red seperated but no more than 10cm (to avoid creating a large loop area for EMC emissions and susceptibility).

author: fastbike
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 19, 2024, 08:57:47 am
content: Quote from: nctnico on August 19, 2024, 08:25:47 amThere is a small amount of cable from the panel to the lead-in on the house which will be covered in flexi conduit as a guard against UV degradation (severe here in southern hemisphere). Then there will be a heavy duty PVC conduit where the cabling runs down the internal wall of my office, then through a 150mm concrete floor and into a service space adjacent to the stairs before going through a 150mm concrete wall and more wall mounted conduit to the inverter.No rodents inside the house - I think dealing with my wife would be a bigger problem than chewed cabling if they did get inside !

author: fastbike
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 24, 2024, 06:17:45 pm
content: Quote from: Siwastaja on August 19, 2024, 06:52:52 amI'm getting a bit closer to actually installing stuff. I've found an installer who is happy for me to contribute labour as sweat equity. He is fine with me running the two twin cables and the earthing wire (equipotential bonding required) in side of one conduit. He recommends 32mm PVC (it has to be HD grade).We will be installing a "rooftop" disconnection box as permitted by local standards. This is actually a wall mounted IP56 (min) rated box with a 32mm conduit sealed into the back as the entry point into the house. 2 pairs of MC4 connectors for the two strings are panel mounted on the bottom side, for the rooftop cables to connect into. The conduit run inside passes down to the utility room and is installed with clearances/routing/labelling to conform to applicable local standards. The installer will take over from there.I managed to legally get a free copy of all the relevant standards a few weeks back. That is super handy as now I can see what is permitted and what is forbidden (and often why).This all gets inspected so needs to be done according to the book.

author: fastbike
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 04, 2024, 05:59:37 am
content: Quote from: fastbike on September 24, 2024, 06:17:45 pm32mm HD conduit installed with the IP66 rated disconnect box on the back wall of the flat roof that is adjacent to the panels. My wife helped me pull through cables for 2 strings and the earthing wire tonight, so is ready for the installer to terminate.The next job is mounting the rails on the roof and earthing them. Unfortunately due to the nature of the roof (curved colorsteel) this requires two short rails for each of the 26 panels, so lots of earthing wires !. I've set aside two weekends for this part.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 06, 2024, 12:18:31 am
content: Please make sure to use a safety harness + lines with hooks so you are strapped to a secure point on the roof. Falling down from the roof and hurting yourself is worse than spending a bit of money on safety. When I did my solar install, I used two lines with hooks so I always had at least one hook secured. I bought these from a reputable store, not Amazon / Aliexpress.

author: fastbike
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 06, 2024, 03:25:29 am
content: Quote from: nctnico on October 06, 2024, 12:18:31 amYes, that is the first thing I bought. Adecent harnesswith a fall arrester lanyard (I've also thought of what happens if the worst case happens and I'm left dangling 2m above the ground !).I'm lucky that the house has a flat roof just behind and about 1.5m below the ridge of the monoslope where the panels will be installed. There are large 75x50 steel RHS brackets cantilevered off that will be perfect to secure the rope.As I said to my wife, spending the rest of my life in a wheel chair is not something I'd like to do.I'm also collecting some scaffold H frames tomorrow so I have a working platform at the lower edge of the roof (which is still 5m above ground)Here's an elevation drawing of what the situation looks like.[ Attachment Invalid Or Does Not Exist ]Edit: attachment not showing for some reason

author: fastbike
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 06, 2024, 03:38:42 am
content: Elevation of roof