Many households and businesses have considered PV solar solutions for continuous electrification in ‘light’ of the recent loadshedding schedules in South Africa. Depending on the application, whether on the roof, ground or top of carports, the PV solar solution consists of many parts. However, the only changeable components on a solar solution are the mounting structure and the switchgear – a critical element for the distribution and transmission of power. Having perfected the PV solar mounting structure, Valsa Trading has set out to enhance the switchgear components of a PV solar solution.
Understanding and implementing best practices when designing, manufacturing, and implementing switchgear assemblies are critical for minimising risks and ensuring safe and compliant operations for installers, designers, specifiers, and operation managers, explains Svilen Voychev – CEO of Valsa Trading.
Switchgear must meet a particular project’s specifications and comply with various SANS regulatory standards to avoid incidents such as short circuit currents, equipment damage, non-compliance, and electrocution.
While many small-to-medium-sized companies have experience installing switchgear, they lack engineering expertise, which is a major problem. Voychev adds: “In the same way that a mechanical engineer specifies and designs a mechanical structure, it is equally important for an electrical engineer to do the same for the electrical configuration of switchgear.”
“At Valsa, we have standardized this process the same way we would manufacture a mounting structure. However, we’ve taken it a step further, where we have contracted electrical and PV solar design engineers to specify all the correct components, including the specification of inverters and panels, to ensure our switchgear is modular, scalable, and, more importantly, compliant.”
All switchgear and components from Valsa come with dedicated serial numbers, test certificates from the manufacturer, and a two-year warranty. This level of detail gives an insurance company full traceability and peace of mind for the customer and installer. “Without this, the installer might be liable for all the risks associated with non-compliant systems, including fatalities. Therefore, an engineer should always verify system compliance,” cautions Voychev.
The proper knowledge and skills are essential for a successful installation. Therefore, we’ve designed and engineered our switchgear for easy installation even when installers lack the necessary skills. Valsa is also investing in training sessions to enable knowledge sharing to help mitigate the risks associated with solar PV installations.
For more information on Valsa’s suite of switchgear solutions and training provided, contact
