Coming up on this week's news, the NICEIC sets out the absolute duties of electricians. The MCS reveals its launched a probe into the withdrawal of Certs for solar mounting kit and the row erupts over flags on lamp posts. Could they really lead to structural damage or even electrocution? Welcome to Electrical News Weekly. Whether you're listening in the van, on site, or down at the wholesale counter, I'm Joe Routledge and I've been through the best of the electrical industry news to save you the trouble. This week, the recording studio is being powered by our friends over at Consumer Unit World with over 40 years of online selling experience, high stock levels of your favourite consumer units, including BG. They offer free next working day delivery on orders over £150, and love hearing from customers. So, give them a call and speak to a real person. And this week's challenge word competition is supported by the good people at Brother. If you need a label, they've got a printer and so much more. If you think you spotted the two words I've been challenged to slip into this week's show, comment with them below for the chance to win a prize. The NICEIC has this week moved to clarify the absolute duties of electricians. It follows recent debate in the trade over the meaning of the term as far as reasonably practicable in the regulations. The organisation has now unveiled an advisory which it hopes will bring clarity and closure to the issue. It refers back to the electricity at work regulations 1989 which puts obligations on what it terms duty holders. These include electricians who must comply with two levels of responsibility absolute and as far as reasonably practical. The latter is where installers must strike a balance between the level of risk reduction considered acceptable and the cost time and effort of reducing the risk to that level. But it warns that the cost of dangers associated with electricity include death and severe injury. The bar for approving reasonable practicability is high. If you're struggling to assess that risk, it refers you to health and safety at work regulations. The NICEIC also advises you to make notes of how you assess the risk, the reason you need to get it right, so you can defend your actions in case of an incident, such as an electrocution, say. Ultimately, it's up to a judge to decide. In a court, the prosecution is trying to show that the defendant had failed in their duty beyond reasonable doubt. The defendant merely has to demonstrate that they discharge their duty on the balance of probabilities. The organisation warns that a lack of money to implement safety measures is not a defence and will be struck out. If a requirement in a regulation is absolute, that requirement must be met regardless of the cost, time, or effort involved. In criminal, but not civil courts, the burden is on the accused person to demonstrate that they took all reasonable steps and applied due diligence to avoid committing an offence. In effect, you're deemed guilty until proven innocent. I've put a link to the full advisory in the show notes. In other news, the Microgeneration Certification Service has revealed that it has launched a probe into the certification of solar mounting equipment. It follows a summer of baffling announcements and multiple shifting of deadlines for the trade. The organisation says it wants to understand the sequence of events and decision-making processes that led to the sudden withdrawal of product certificates earlier this year. It says it's working with manufacturers and certification bodies in the investigation. Back in May, the MCS rewrote its standard for solar installs to include the kit for mounting panels on flat roofs. It also said that electricians must use certified equipment only. Previously, installers could use a special clause which allowed the use of custom design systems. Clause 5.5.5 allowed uncertified products providing that they meet key building regulations around weather tightness, fire safety, and wind resistance. They also had to be supported by a written confirmation from the system designer or supplier. MCS then extended the use of clause 5.5.5 until August and extended it again until the 10th of November. Part of the problem appears to be the difficulty for manufacturers of flat roof mounting kit to meet the requirements. The MCS says it's exploring how other countries resolve the problem. The bottom line, you can continue to rely on 5.5.5 for the installation of non-certified kit for the time being. We'll keep you posted of developments. The news of the probe comes as installations of solar panels saw to record levels in the UK. The first 6 months of 2025 saw no fewer than 120,000 PV jobs. That's a whopping 37% increase over the same period last year. Battery projects are surging, too. The MCS says 20,000 installations of power packs took place in the first half of the year, up 130% on last year. In the same period, 30,000 heat pumps were fitted. MCS boss Ian Rippin described the numbers as dramatic. EV is on a roll, too. Almost 9,000 public EV chargers were connected up in the UK in the same period. And just this week, the NHS received government cash to fit 1,200 charges to its hospitals and health centres. There's evidence that the renewables boom is sharpening the skills shortage. Vocational schools are scrambling to provide the electricians of tomorrow. Leicester College, for instance, is turning its sports hall into a huge workshop for electrical installation students. The facility will provide T- level, technical level two, and evening level two and three learners with a broad range of electrical kit and tools. It includes a test lab with training and assessment rigs to allow students to practice in a simulated environment with realistic testing and fault finding practices. Meanwhile, Preston College is walking the walk by installing 900 solar panels on its roof. The school, which is well known for its level two and level three NVQ electrical installation tuition, says the PV install will save it 370 megawatt hours of electricity every year. Now, can a flag really damage the column of a street light? That's the latest skirmish in the so-called culture wars. It follows a summer in which activists have put up Union Jacks and St. George flags as part of what's been branded operation raise the colours. But industry organisations were swift to condemn the additions to the streetscape. The Institution of Lighting Professionals and the previously uncontroversial organisation known as the Lighting Column Technical Forum teamed up to publish a statement condemning the action. They say that the addition of unofficial flags or banners puts an additional loading on the column for which it was not designed. These additional stresses on the columns and their foundations could lead to early failure in some cases. Some local authorities went even further. West Northamptonshire Council said it was an offence to attach anything to the lamp posts without the consent of the relevant highways authority. It said the emblems could distract motorists. The council's Stuart Timmis said there was a very real risk of electrocution, but the statements were met with skepticism by many on social media. First was engineer Paul Hallen who took to LinkedIn to say that if a flag impairs the structural integrity of a street lighting column, you've got the wrong column. Others questioned how cameras and even seagulls could affect the structural integrity of street lights. Retired engineer Andy Trench stepped into the debate to set out the proper procedure for someone looking to put up a flag. This was to first get a BSEN40 assessment on the relevant column using a structural test in accordance with GN22. Then they shall conduct a risk assessment on the operation. Finally, they should use appropriate traffic management such as cones and barriers to ensure that they are safe while doing so. So now you know. Now, welcome to our electrical news weekly feature. This week, we're flying the flag for electrical innovations. First up is a smart t-shirt which could one day save your life. The intelligent garment can detect both electrical shocks and falls and even call the emergency services. The Angel React shirt from Adresys is targeted at electricians who regularly find themselves working alone, sometimes in remote locations. With its connected app, the Angel will alert people when you've had an accident and send them to your precise location. The component parts include the Genius smart clip, which attaches magnetically to the angel shirt. This is the kit that monitors for electrocution. It has an audible and visible alarm and is powered by a lithium battery. It talks via an app to your mobile phone. That's also where you'll store the contacts who you'd like to be alerted in the case of an accident. I repeat, alarm, please check the text messages on your phone. The clip will also detect a fall and a permanent motionless state. Gordon donned an angel shirt recently and put it through its paces in the wilds of Yorkshire. I've put a link to his entertaining and informative video in the show notes. Next, we have a personal favourite, a safety device invented by Birmingham electrician Neo Mosudisa. Mosudisa once had to isolate a faulty water cooler, but realised there was nothing suitable. That evening, he came up with the Spurlok. It's a fused spur lockout kit which makes safe isolation easier. A clear label warns occupants and shows who locked out the unit. Is made from tough ABS plastic and complies with the 18th edition. Now imagine a situation. You're installing outdoor lighting or helping sort the wiring on a new heating system. You get to work and realise a vital switched live wire is missing across the site, but time is limited and the customer is against fitting an extra messy and time-consuming cable run along with the inevitable patch jobs that come with it. What do you do? Enter the Mainslink from RF Solutions. It's a simple wireless radio link for when switched live wires are missing. As an RF wireless switching system, it consists of a radio transmitter and receiver. When the transmitter gets a 230 volt AC live input, it will send a radio signal across to the receiver on a separate switching circuit, switching on its connected relay output remotely. It's perfect for missing links between lighting or heating installs across buildings or long distances. And the best part, it works over a 5 km distance. Our favourite new tool is the Viperclip, a cable stapler that's designed for securing twin and earth and fire resistant cables. The tool uses preloaded clips that are fired into place, avoiding the need for manual hammering. It's intended to speed up the process of fixing cables to surfaces while maintaining consistent spacing and secure fastening. The mechanism is spring powered and reloads quickly, allowing multiple clips to be fitted in succession. Each clip holds the cable firmly without crushing or damaging the insulation. Gary and Joe loved it when they got their mitts on one for a bench test. I've popped a link to the video in the show notes. Shelly's 1L Gen 3 is a compact single channel smart switch designed for lighting control in no neutral installations. It lets you retrofit existing setups using only the live wire and fits easily behind wall switches or inside junction boxes. No neutral is required for low consumption loads under 5 watts. Simply add the Shelly bypass. It features Wi-Fi connectivity, embedded web user interface, local and remote control, schedules, scenes, and advanced scripting. It works with Alexa, Google Home, Home Assistant, MQTT, and more. There's even a built-in temperature sensor for overheating protection. Amokabel FlexiShield has unveiled a market first. The CCA BS8436 cable made in Nottinghamshire alongside its well-known FlexiShield range. The BS8436 range has an aluminium screen bonded to the LSHF sheath. This clever combination negates the need for RCDs and conduit. It's also designed to significantly cut installation time compared to the likes of SWA, Twin and Earth, and singles in conduit. FlexiShield is primarily aimed at commercial and industrial use and has already been installed in prisons, schools, and hospitals. CK Tools has announced the release of its Snip N Grip cable tie cutter and captivator. This is a tool developed to stop the issue of loose cable tie waste in areas where it could interfere with components, wiring, or systems. Conventional removal methods often leave behind fragments, but these can pose serious risks to operational safety. For instance, in the aerospace industry, the snip and grip combines cutting and retention in a single action, ensuring the cable tie is both cut and captured. Theiscraft has unveiled the multi-load spectrum, a cost-effective lighting control system designed for electrical contractors. It's aimed at addressing the overkill that is sometimes seen with complex controllers. The unit is targeted at applications in restaurants, schools, and offices. Spectrum runs on conventional wiring and doesn't need commissioning or maintenance. It uses the standard DALI protocol to talk to the lights. You configure the Spectrum using a hex rotary switch and the broadcast or group mode selector. Broadcast mode is when all the lights do the same thing in terms of dimming and switching. Group mode allows them to operate individually or in groups. You can connect up to 64 lights from one eight-way lighting control module. You can also add occupancy and daylight sensors as well as seam plates and rotary dimmers to give your customers full control. Zap says it's launching its much anticipated Zaptec Go 2 charger in the UK. The bidirectional charger transforms electric vehicles into batteries on wheels, allowing them to charge when electricity is cheap and send it to the grid at peak times when electricity is expensive. You can also link it to solar systems offering one to three phase switching for peak energy efficiency. The manufacturer says that like the Go, it's been designed to be super easy to install. I've put the full spec download link in the show notes. CPN Cudis has unveiled the Lumo Type 3 surge protection device. It protects sensitive and expensive equipment such as computers and other electronic equipment from spikes in power. It's also great at safeguarding individual alarm panels, LED lighting, and even individual sockets. And because of its compact size, you can use it in confined spaces such as in wall trunking and alarm panel enclosures. It's suitable for TNCS, TNS, and TT installations and has a super fast response time of under 25 nanoseconds. That's our electrical news weekly roundup of products or people we think deserves some attention. Next time, we're taking a spin in all things EV. Now, a heads up on the event in the electrical calendar this month. Yes, I'm talking about the Solar and Storage Live show. It takes place at the National Exhibition Center in Birmingham from the 23rd to the 25th of September. There'll be over 500 brands to see and 250 speakers and product demos. SAJ will be there, of course, on stand B40 showcasing its new HS3 home battery pack. Hailed as the most compact 6-in1 residential energy storage system in its class. At just 17 cm thick, the HS3 is designed to fit effortlessly into any space, including crowded garages, compact indoor areas, or outdoor installations. Its sleek, timeless design complements a wide variety of home interior styles, ensuring it enhances rather than disrupts the look of a living space. The HS3 doesn't compromise on performance either. It offers a scalable capacity from 5 kW hours up to 40 kWh and supports a peak input current of 20 amps. A DCDC optimiser allows safe mixing of new and existing batteries, giving homeowners long-term flexibility. With 20 years of industry experience, SAJ continues to lead in residential energy storage supported by a knowledgeable local technical team in the UK and Ireland. The HS3 is compact, powerful, and ready to meet the demands of modern homes. Genius Roof Solutions will be on stand D145, where it will showcase its innovations in roof and solar panel safety. The company was founded by seasoned roofer Jimmy Hall, who used his industry knowledge to invent the widely used hall clip and hall hook, both of which have become trusted staples in the roofing trade. Now he's branched out into the solar sector. Solar Flash is a pioneering flashing innovation designed to ensure watertight installations when fitting solar mounting brackets. Building on this success, Genius will be showing two more advanced flashing products, Inter flash and Speed Flash. These simplify and secure the installation process for solar panel systems. That's all on stand D145. UK electrical distributor Switchtec will be on stand P29 where it'll be showing off the CRS series of firefighter safety switches designed for solar installs. There are 1 2 3 four or five string options and all are rated at 55 amps and 1500 volts DC. They're effectively motor-driven rapid shutdown devices with an internal temperature sensor and auto off at 70° C. They have an IP protection of 66 and are supplied complete with MC4 connectors. All the versions are TUV, CE, and UKCA marked. On stand P80 will be Doncaster Cables, who will naturally be focusing on the PV and EV Ultra cables. If you've ever tried to thread four separate 6mm cable cores through 25 mm conduit up the side of the house to put solar panels on, you'll know why a dedicated solar cable is needed. The PV Ultra is a multi-core DC cable which comes in two and four core in four, six, and 10 mm as well as an SWA version in 6 mm. The result, a neater, faster, and safer job. The EV Ultra, by contrast, is designed for EV charge points. It incorporates power conductors and a screen data cable encapsulated in a double sheath design for extra protection. This means you can have both power and data, and again, it allows for a quicker, neater, and easier install. It's available in three core and five core variations that meet the requirements of single and three-phase EV charge points respectively. And drum roll please, Doncaster is promising an exciting addition to the PV Ultra range which it will unveil at the show. Also on the stand will be the rug protect cable pulling kit so you can test your strength and win a goodie bag of top prizes. There's also lots of merch and giveaways. So head to stand P80 for all that. Now, how fast can you commission an EV charger? Eaton set itself the challenge of coming up with the easiest to install power points on the market and you can see the results on stand C24A. The green motion range of chargers comes in AC and DC variants. On the AC side, you've got up to 22 kW. Perfect for homes, workplaces, and light commercial jobs. For faster turnaround, the DC range pushes from 24 up to 180 kW. So, think public charging hubs or fleet depots where drivers want a 30 minute top-up. All the models are fully compliant with IEC standards and supporting OCP protocols, so they'll integrate with apps and back office systems without hassle. And for installers, they're modular. That means quicker installs and easy upgrades. Eaton's battery system X storage will also be on the stand. It's designed for load shifting and seamless solar integration. It's certified for grid connection under G99 and G100 and boasts safe tested lithium ion tech for clients. It smooths out demand spikes from EV charging. For you, it's a straightforward wall or floor mount with simple integration into existing switch gear. Tying it all together is Eaton's energy management system or EMS. Think of it as the brains of the operation. Real-time control over chargers, storage, and sides loads. It can balance charging schedules, protect the installation from overload, and help customers save money by shifting loads to off- peak tariffs. Plus, remote dashboards mean fewer site visits. Commissioning Eaton's EV kit is a logical three-step process. With green motion charges, you power up, connect via the local interface, set charge limits, configure the load balancing, then simulate a plug-in to confirm everything logs correctly. That's it. Tech advice and help is all on hand on the stand, too. That's eaten on C24A. PEMSA UK based in Leeds will be on stand P70. It's part of PEMSA cable management, a Spanish manufacturer with over 50 years in advanced cable containment systems. You might know the brand for his wire mesh trays and cable ladders. So, what's new? Well, Metatray is its latest innovation. A full range of PVC insulated cable tray designed specifically with solar installations in mind. Because it's PVC, there's no earthing required, saving time on site. The material also offers long-term UV resistance and outdoor durability, which is exactly what you need when running cables across PV arrays. For installers, that means it's easier, quicker, and safer to work with. At the show, SunSynk will unveil the 6 kW Lynks hybrid inverter, which is available in both IP41 and IP65 ratings. The Lynks is suitable for use with conventional PV wind turbines and micro inverters with twin MPPPT technology. It maximises the harvest from the sun by adjusting the power output to meet the peak efficiency of the panels during the day. It also supports both lithium ion and lead acid batteries. Enphase will be at solar and storage live as you'd expect. The company will be showcasing the IQ range, which includes EV chargers, batteries, and system controllers. It'll also be displaying its IQ8 micro inverters, which are designed for fast, flexible installations with high-powered solar modules. Their plug-and-play design reduces setup time, and a built-in rapid shutdown ensures code compliance. The IQ Battery 5P delivers 5 kW hours of usable capacity with six embedded micro inverters for higher output and reliability. Its modular AC coupled design makes it easy to scale on install and you can commission it fast through the Enphase app. In the works is the IQ system controller which is set to streamline solar battery and grid integration with a pre-wired all-in-one enclosure. It's designed to support whole or partial home backup and simplify interconnection and load control. Eleven Energy will be on stand D59 where company executives will be demonstrating its sustainable sodium battery system. Unlike traditional lithium ion, sodium batteries are made from abundant non-toxic materials. Sodium is widely available and sustainably extracted from seawater. This makes it much more environmentally friendly and an ethical choice for energy storage. Due to its chemistry, 11's sodium battery can operate from -20° to + 55° compared to lithium batteries which typically function between 0° and 40° which makes them more reliable in both cold and hot conditions, ensuring year round performance. Complementing it is the company's intelligent energy management system. This goes beyond simply controlling battery charging and discharging. It optimises energy use by seamlessly integrating with solar panels, battery storage, EV chargers, and other appliances. By monitoring and managing energy flow, it maximises the use of renewable energy and cuts electricity costs through smart scheduling. Alpha ESS UK is on standard D58, where you can experience the exciting new Smile G3 editions, including the 4.8 kWh and 9.6 6 kWh batteries with heating and fire suppression. There'll also be new inverters for the G3 range S8 and the T10 and T20 inverters, collectively adding much greater flexibility throughout the range. Alongside these will be the trusted story series aimed at commercial and industrial power storage management. The Alpha ESS product and technical team will be on hand to guide you through the technology, answer technical questions, and support you in your projects. During the show, visitors have the opportunity to enter a promo with chances to win 100 pounds off an Alpha ESS system. The eFIXX team will also be at the show, too. So, keep an eye out for us in our fetching red polo shirts and come up and say hello. Now, it's that great moment where we get to celebrate for sterling work being done by the next generation. Our learner of the week this week is Bryn Edwards, who's at Tayneside College in Ashton Under Lyne. We picked up on Bryn because he's taken an impressive route. He started on a full-time course and successfully converted that into an electrical apprenticeship. What stood out to us even more was his use of LinkedIn where he used videos to really set himself apart. His college lecturer, Matt Davies, says Bryn is a confident lad who excels in his practical work and consistently produced high quality results throughout. Congratulations, Bryn. We're expecting big things from you in the future. And just before we get to your favourite bit of the show, we want to thank our premium partners. We couldn't make the news without you. First up for all your circuit protection needs. They're like having an Italian star striker in your premiership team is Lewden Palazzoli. With their new award-winning Lumo consumer unit and offering complete product support from their highly trained team, it's CPN Cudis. And with over 5,000 product lines from heating, lighting, ventilation to wiring accessories, if you need it, they've got it. It's electrical distributor CED Group. And the best thing to come out of Yorkshire since stainless steel, the home of EV Ultra and other groundbreaking quality products, is Doncaster Cables. Click the links in the show notes to find out more about these great brands. If you think you know the words I smuggled into this week's show, pop your guess into the comments. We'll take all the correct guesses and select one at random to be the winner of an eFIXX goodie bag prize. Now, let's reveal the winners of last week's challenge word competition as sponsored by Brother. Remember, if you need a label, they've got a printer and so much more. Click the link in the description to view their incredible range, including this rather lovely and upgraded E560. Last week's words were espouse and rubber dub. And the person to come out of the electronic hat was WillSmithForty7. So well done to you. Click the get involved link in the show notes to claim your prize. Thanks for listening to this episode of Electrical News Weekly. Make sure you're subscribed to receive the next update. And until next time, have a great week. Stay safe out there and remember, there's no such thing as a torque calibrated arm!