Guidelines and Regulations

This sets out the requirements for the design, specification, installation, commissioning, operation and maintenance of grid-connected solar photovoltaic (PV) systems installed in the UK. It is aimed at ensuring safe, effective and competently installed solar PV systems.

This Code of Practice will provide the information required to ensure that a solar PV system is designed, installed and operated to comply with relevant UK / international standards and good practice recommendations. Coverage includes:

• All parts of a grid-connected solar PV system up to and including the connection to the AC mains.
• LV and HV connections and components.
• All scales of application, from small domestic systems to large scale PV farms.
• Building-mounted, building-integrated and ground-mounted systems.
• Grid-connected systems with battery storage.

Note: Off-grid solar PV and concentrating solar PV systems are not specifically covered by this document, however some elements of this document may apply.

This provides a reference to practitioners on the safe, effective and competent application of electrical energy storage systems.

It also provides an understanding of the common terms and operating modes of electrical energy storage systems. Building on the IET’s technical briefing: Electrical Energy Storage: an Introduction this will also provide detailed information on the specification, design, installation, commissioning, operation and maintenance of an energy storage system.

The scope covers all types of electrical and electrochemical energy storage systems; integration into low voltage power systems; industrial, commercial and domestic applications and systems aligned with existing standards, regulations and guidance.

This second edition has been updated to align with the current requirements of BS 7671. This includes updated guidance on the electrical installation requirements of BS 7671:2008 Amendment 2 (Section 722 Electric vehicle charging installations) published in September 2013 and Amendment 3 due to publish in January 2015.

The Code of Practice provides an overview of electric vehicle charging equipment, considerations needed prior to installation, physical installation requirements, relevant electrical installation requirements of  BS 7671:2008+A3:2015  and specific requirements when installing electric vehicle charging equipment in location’s such as dwellings, on-street locations, commercial and industrial premises. Also included are useful installation checklists and risk assessment templates. Therefore this publication provided useful guidance for anyone interested in the installation of electric vehicle charging points.

This new PV Guide was released on 7th February 2013 alongside a newly updated MCS standard (MIS 3002 Issue 3.1), which reflects the changes in the new PV Guide.

After 7th May 2013 all MCS installation companies must work in accordance with these documents.

The culmination of over two years work from the MCS Solar PV Working Group, together with support from the Electrical Contractors Association (the ECA), to improve the guidance for installation companies and the standards for PV installations across the UK. It contains a number of new sections which bring the previous DTi Guide up to speed with newer technologies and the fast paced changes in the PV sector.

The key areas of the MIS 3002 standard and new PV Guide centre around changes to:

• The system performance estimation methodology which now takes into account shading and the use of look up tables;
• Installation and site work updates to cover wind uplift calculations, a simplified calculation method with worked examples and guidance on calculating system fixing requirements;
• Design/technical updates