Clarifying the ECA(SA) stance and legislation as it currently stands
By Anthony Schewitz, Regional Director: ECA Highveld
Over the past two to three years, there have been various opinions and arguments around whether an Electrical Tester for Single-Phase (ETSP) (commonly known as a Single-Phase Tester) can issue a CoC for a PV installation. The short answer is NO. An ETSP can only issue a CoC for the AC portion fed from an inverter.
The following scenarios inform this answer:
The ETSP would have to get an Installation Electrician (IE) or Master Installation Electrician (MIE) to sign off the DC portion.
There have been statements made discrediting portions of standards to suit a narrative advocated by certain individuals and associations and there have been brazen statements and videos made asserting the specific narrative which allowed the unqualified, plumbers and other trades to claim stakes in our industry.
I would caution people to rather petition a change in legislation through the correct channels prior to twisting the legislation to suit prerogatives. Associations and citizens must respect the law as it is written; not the law that they want. Unless we want to create openings for illegal operators to infest and create anarchy.
The ECA(SA) stance is that an Electrical Tester for Single-Phase is limited by the scope of the regulation and therefore is not competent to sign off DC installations in this regard.
The complete article was published in the May-June 2024 issue of SA Electrical Contractor.
