SABS/SANS Approval

[Sparks]

Good day everyone. I have been away too long. I am glad to see the Forum is still going strong and as useful as ever. It is an asset for every contractor. Thank you to all of the guys who have been active and loyal over the years, sharing your knowledge and experience. Sadly my retirement cannot get underway, old clients are proving to be a bit difficult to shake off. The toffie I am chewing on now is the legitimacy of the Axpert range of inverters. They do still not have the SA mark of approval so I need to find out whether it has now been issued or are all Axpert inverters still illegal. Specifically the KODAK OG PLUS 5.48

[Dylboy]

Hello : ) hope you have been keeping well!

From what has been going on and other chats here I don't think sabs is no longer applicable, sunsynk AFAIK is not even SABS approved yet on the infamous Cape town list of inverters.

Hopefully someone can chime in as well on my opinion of sunsynk not on SABS list.

Sent from my CPH2197 using Tapatalk

[Isetech]

I am not surprised Sunsynk is not on the list, their neutral/earth bonding integration requires am upgrade. I dont feel that they should be allowed to palm off the responsibility on the installer.

Hello : ) hope you have been keeping well!

From what has been going on and other chats here I don't think sabs is no longer applicable, sunsynk AFAIK is not even SABS approved yet on the infamous Cape town list of inverters.

Hopefully someone can chime in as well on my opinion of sunsynk not on SABS list.

Sent from my CPH2197 using Tapatalk

[Sparks]

Sadly it is true that standards appear to have fallen by the wayside, however, as contractors we could only sign off on installations comprised of components which were SABS approved and now it should be SANS. I feel that wholesalers should be obligated to provide certification that their products are indeed compliant with legislation. Without it, such products are being sold illegally. Inverters, panels and hazardous batteries have flooded the market but, how many if any actually meet SA standards? Our climate is not anything like European climate so their environmental requirements are not the same as our for one thing. Batteries subject to spontaneous combustion should in my opinion be classified as hazardous components and be treated as such.

[Isetech]

On social media in Sa they are highly explosive, dangerous equipment which could blow up any minute, hence the suggestion that only MIE's install and handle these hazardous pieces of equipment. The rest of the world are installing them anywhere even in the toilet, the roof space, you name it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hm_RMJ3U6g4&ab_channel=eFIXXENERGY

Sadly it is true that standards appear to have fallen by the wayside, however, as contractors we could only sign off on installations comprised of components which were SABS approved and now it should be SANS. I feel that wholesalers should be obligated to provide certification that their products are indeed compliant with legislation. Without it, such products are being sold illegally. Inverters, panels and hazardous batteries have flooded the market but, how many if any actually meet SA standards? Our climate is not anything like European climate so their environmental requirements are not the same as our for one thing. Batteries subject to spontaneous combustion should in my opinion be classified as hazardous components and be treated as such.

[Derlyn]

Can someone explain why the output voltages on a Mecer inverter are very similar to what one would find on a vov wound alternator.

[Justloadit]

Part of reducing EMI noise, and getting EMI certification, which have high internal frequencies used in the power electronics section of the power supplies, involves a solution of adding a small value capacitor between the device electronics negative connection and earth, and in some cases if the input and output is isolated, adding a capacitor between the electronics negative and incoming Neutral.

This small capacitor of course creates the voltage reading that you can measure. I am sure that you have felt a tingle when you have touched a standard PC chassis and earth created by this capacitor. In fact if you measure the AC voltage between a PC chassis and earth, you can measure anything between 90V and 150V.

[Derlyn]

Part of reducing EMI noise, and getting EMI certification, which have high internal frequencies used in the power electronics section of the power supplies, involves a solution of adding a small value capacitor between the device electronics negative connection and earth, and in some cases if the input and output is isolated, adding a capacitor between the electronics negative and incoming Neutral.

This small capacitor of course creates the voltage reading that you can measure. I am sure that you have felt a tingle when you have touched a standard PC chassis and earth created by this capacitor. In fact if you measure the AC voltage between a PC chassis and earth, you can measure anything between 90V and 150V.

Thank you, my brother.

Now what are the ramifications of bridging the neutral to earth on such units.

Will it not render that little capacitor useless ?

[Justloadit]

Thank you, my brother.

Now what are the ramifications of bridging the neutral to earth on such units.

Will it not render that little capacitor useless ?

No problems, part of the EMI expects some reference to earth, and as the Neutral should already be connected to earth at the source of supply, usually the transformer.

One point to remember as well when there is electronic equipment involved, the electronic 'Earth' or 'Chassis Earth" or Electronic 'Ground' may not be the same as supply 'Earth', and does not mean that you connect to supply 'Earth' unless specifically instructed to do so. Doing so may damage the electronic equipment.