How to run new electrical cable from shed to fuseboard?

mike_2009

Hi,
I've priced up some solar PV panels for the rear garden shed. The shed has an existing connection into the kitchen sockets circuit. I've been told that adding an inverter to this will trip the circuit.
So, I'm figuring out what's involved in running a dedicated circuit from the shed to the main fuseboard.
How much of a pain in the a** is this likely to be? I can take it from where the armoured cable from the shed penetrates the kitchen wall up and joins the kitchen socket circuit. Break it from there up to the ground floor ceiling but the joists are at 90 degrees to the path to the fuseboard. Or, do I go up the outside, through the attic, and back down the front of the house and in?!
I'm going to have a qualified electrician to help but if this part requires taking down a line of plasterboard to drill through each joist etc, I'll not bother and put them on the house roof instead at a later date.
Any experience with this and if it's easier/harder than I think?

Risteard81

Tripping isn't the major problem with an inverter on a socket circuit - far more serious is the fact that it will defeat the RCD protection for this and any other circuits protected by the same RCD as disconnection times would be out the window. If the device operated then the PV would continue to supply the installation for a period before going into anti-islanding mode.

Also volt drop very likely to be an issue.

You need a competent contractor to deal with this.

mike_2009

It's not so much the electrical issue as how difficult it will be to route a direct cable once properly sized for the distance. I've never tried to route a new electrical connection. Without asking for likely € here, is it a big job or what route options are typically found / used?

2011

mike_2009 wrote: »

It's not so much the electrical issue as how difficult it will be to route a direct cable once properly sized for the distance.

Regarding the routing of the cable, it is difficult to assess this without seeing it. An experienced electrician may come up with a clever solution that you have not considered.

Regardless of cable routing it does not make sense not to consider this an electrical issue. Your post lacks a lot of detail but it would appear that you are considering connecting solar panels (via an inverter) to a mains voltage socket circuit without understanding the ramifications of this. Most likely the installation of a cabling from the panels to the house will be one of the most straight forward parts of this PV solar project.

If you are serious about this you will need to get a professional on board and you can then expect to find:
1) That the cabling that you are talking about will not connect to a socket circuit
2) There is a lot more to this.

mike_2009

Well, thanks for the advice, I'll seek a professional so.....

keithdub

What are you trying to achieve here? If you are looking to power sockets you will need batteries. Or if your going to heat your hot water?

mike_2009

I'm just going to use it to offset background load and divert excess to immersion. It's really just to get a toe in the water and use this technology up close for the first time. I may add batteries and a roof system at some point but I'm only looking to make a small outlay now without going down the grant route.
I've a quote for the parts, I've a shed to house it all but no suitable electrical connection to get the generated power back into the house and was curious how such a cable would be run.....