Coming up on this week's news, the IET has issued a stark warning over the use of inverters in disconnecting solar panels. The family of an electrician killed by asbestos gets a quarter of a million pound payout. And Australian electricians, they're overworked, overpaid, and over here to steal UK sparks. Welcome to Electrical News Weekly. Whether you're listening in the van, on site, or down at the wholesale counter, I'm Joe Robinson, 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 high stock levels of your favourite consumer units, including BG and free next working day delivery on orders over 150 quid. And we're being lit by Flex 7 with their lightning fast pre-wired modular lighting connection system that keeps your installation times razor sharp. And if you think you've spotted the two words that I've been challenged to slip into this week's show, comment with them below for the chance to win a prize. And while you're there, click the links to check out what our sponsors offer. The authors of the wiring rags have stepped in to warn about the reliance on inverters for safe disconnection in solar panel jobs. The IET says that in some cases, electrical contractors believe that the devices can provide automatic disconnection of supply in the event of a fault. That's because the latest generation of inverters is increasingly marketed with a host of safety features. These include reverse polarity protection, arc fault detection, AC overcurrent and over voltage, as well as short circuit protection. The IET says while these capabilities reduce the risk of electric shock and fire by switching off the inverter and stopping current flow in the DC strings, they do not remove the potential from the strings. An inverter may indeed shut down where a fault occurs on insulated and sheath SWA cable, says the IET, but the PV modules will continue to generate and voltage will remain present on the armouring. Therefore, disconnection of supply will not be achieved. You can't use automatic disconnection of supply on the DC side and still comply with the wiring regs. Additionally, the IET warns that you can't use so-called power optimisers to do the job either. While some of them provide shutdown options, and some can cut the voltage and current in a string to a safe level when the inverter has detected certain faults, they're not recognised yet as a method of protection, according to BS7671. The devices can take up to 30 seconds to operate, and this is dependent on the inverter shutting down. The same is true of firefighter safety switches, says the IET. Remember, the disconnection times are designed to protect against fire, not electric shock. Additionally, the inverter's safety mechanisms differ in how quickly they shut down, and some only activate when the inverter powers up at daylight. Back in April, the IET issued a clarification on the use of steel wire cables with solar installs. It ruled against the use of SWA cable with unearthed DC solar arrays. It said the UK regs don't permit the earthing of one of the live conductors of the DC side unless there is at least simple separation between the AC and DC side. As DC conductors are unearthed in solar installs, the regs require that the cables have double or reinforced insulation. But with SWA cables, the single cores aren't double insulated from each other. In fact, the insulated cores lie next to each other and the filler material doesn't have any insulation properties. The armoured part of the cable means the final cable assembly is non-standard. The only exception to this rule could be unearthed solar PV cabling that's not directly buried in the ground. where it is buried directly in the ground. The cable must be earthed in accordance with regulation 522.8.10, which is not possible in an unearthed system and is therefore not permitted. The full IET advisory is penned by expert Peter Montford, or Monty as you may know him. He's a busy guy running Monty Electrics and the highly respected Arena Training Center in Sheffield. We can recommend it highly for your training needs. I've popped a link to his article in the show notes. In other news, the family of a Manchester based electrician who died from asbestos related cancer has accepted a settlement of almost quarter of a million pounds. It's the latest in a string of big money payouts for a generation of men who were regularly exposed to the deadly substance without protection. The individual who is named David by his lawyers Lee Day worked for Francis Shaw and Company during the 60s,70s and 80s. David worked on machines for manufacturing tires. During construction, an asbestos paste would be applied to the machines which resulted in a large amount of dust being released into the air. Up to six machines were worked on simultaneously. David also undertook electrical work around the factory which involved running cables alongside asbestos lag pipes. This resulted in asbestos dust being disturbed and breathed in. A medical expert concluded that David's death in 2022 age 77 was caused by Mesothelioma despite this diagnosis not being achieved in a lifetime. This along with the evidence David gave in a colleague's asbestos case providing a record of his own exposure allowed a case for compensation to be brought. If you have any concerns about asbestos exposure, I've put a link to the HSE special advisory on the topic in the show notes. You'll also find a link to a CPD that we've produced on health and safety which highlights some of the dangers. For many years, Australia has been trying to fill its shortage of electrical contractors by attracting skilled trades people from abroad. Our friends have boasted of high salaries and lots of work. But now those overpaid sparks are over here and they want to recruit British electricians. The government of South Australia is taking a road show to the UK to persuade you to move down under. It's bringing big employees with it on a tour of London, Newport, Birmingham, Manchester, and Glasgow. Electricians in Oz can earn on average over 100,000 Australian dollars a year. That's £63,000. But reports suggest that certain electrician roles in Australia can earn much more than this, such as in the mining sector. In the UK , according to the latest statistics, employed electricians earn about 40 grand, while self-employed ones average at just over 50. But the recruiters say it's not just about wages. They're offering a lower cost of living, a world class health system, and a sunshine lifestyle. A bit like Skipton, really. Last year, an estimated 4,000 Sparks applied for jobs in Australia following a recruitment blitz. So, if you fancy a stint down under, I've popped the link to the road show in the show notes. Meanwhile, back here in the UK, colleges are gearing up to produce our much needed next generation of sparks. Leeds College of Building, which is well known for its electrical courses, is to get a share of 100 million pounds of government cash after it was named as the first ever construction technical excellence college. Only 10 schools across England have been given the status for 2025. Ministers say they will train 40,000 people by 2029 in high demand trades such as electrical work. Meanwhile, Nottingham College has just unveiled a huge electrical department for 160 apprentices. The centre houses a state-of-the-art electrical workshop that provides 20 individual workstations. These have facilities for panel wiring and renewable systems such as solar panels and heat pumps which the youngsters can train on. In product news this week, ChargeM8 has unveiled a new type of EV ground anchor. The EV cube has been engineered to be lightweight, tough, and built to last. The genius is that it arrives flat packed with each piece weighing under 18 kg. This makes it easy to handle and quick to assemble, and you don't need any lifting equipment. There's no wet concrete involved. You dig the trench, pop in the parts, and then connect them up in the hole. You then simply back fill and connect the EV charger. Charge mate says the EV cube has been designed so that the whole job can be done by just one electrician. It's molded from recyclable composite, and the company says it's more environmentally friendly than concrete. Three sizes are available: 300 by 300, 300 by 600, and 600x 600. And now, still on EV, we're going over to my presenting understudy for the first of his two special features this week. He's like an upgraded version of me. It's Joe 2.0. Thanks, Joe. Still on EV Want to give yourself a Christmas bonus this year? Sync Energy has you covered with their Christmas bonus builder. First, make sure you're a registered Sync Energy installer. Then, every time you install free Sync Energy EV charges between the 1st of October and the 10th of December, you'll earn a bonus. For every free charges fitted, you'll bag a voucher reward. The more you install, the bigger your total. For every free Sync Energy Chargers you install, you get 20 quid. Install 15 and that's £100 in vouchers. At the end of the promo, you'll get an email to claim your vouchers. Simple as that. And the best bit, you can pick vouchers from hundreds of retailers. Perfect timing to treat yourself or someone else for Christmas. So, if you're fitting charges this winter, make sure there's Sync Energy and start building your bonus today. I popped a link to Sync Energy's installer portal in the show notes. Thanks for that, Joe. Linian is currently marketing the Earth Rod Pro, a unique way of making Earth rod jobs quick and easy. There are two components, a reusable driver and a tip bit. You attach the driver to one end of a standard 5/8in copper earth rod and you attach the bit directly to the other end. You then use an SDS drill to basically drill the rod into the ground no matter what the conditions. Because the bit has a carbide tip, it will chew through any rock and debris and then remain in the ground after installation. And remember, always make sure the ground is free from any buried electrical services prior to installing an earth rod. This should be confirmed by using a ground penetrating radar survey and trial pits where necessary. Big news now. Cucumber Lighting Controls have unveiled a range of lighting control modules dubbed the Q Connect. The LCMS cover every lighting control application from basic marshalling boxes to fully addressable connected networks. You simply choose the number of outputs you need, 4, 8, or 12. Installation's easy. You put up the metal fixing brackets and the LCM clips securely into place. There's also a pre-cut gland plate for quick flat cable wiring. The wiring is effortless, too. There's just live, neutral, and earth. You just loop in and loop out up to 4 mm squared. There are no switch drops and no network cables, so there's less labor and less error. The boxes use Bluetooth to connect to other devices such as sensors and switches, and there's even a built-in emergency lighting capability. It's all easy to configure in the Cucumber app. The Q Connect is made in Britain and comes with a 7-year warranty. Congratulations are also in order for Cucumber after the company picked up a highly prestigious Build Back Better award last week in London for its microwave sensors on their first attempt, too. Nice one. No doubt they'll be catch up on the chips at Cucumber this week. Lighting controls brand Prololojik is marketing the benefits of using DC instead of AC for lighting networks. And we're focusing on two key bits of kit in its DC lighting ecosystem this week. They're designed to work in the company's unique DC network using Cat 5 cables. First up is the light matrix LX driver for LED lighting. This supports standard LED array boards and has a drive capability of up to 60 W. It's in an industry standard format, which means it will fit in new and existing luminaires. Best of all, it operates at an incredible efficiency of 97%. As well as being super easy to connect up, the DC network uses less carbon, copper, and construction materials. It also cuts down on standby power. The LX812 controller, meanwhile, is basically a DC lighting control module on steroids. It's basically a 12 port power over Ethernet switch with 60 watts per port. There's also a 6.3 amp fuse supply for local 230 volt devices. It has embedded Bluetooth and integrates with the company's acclaimed Proxima sensors. For more on the wonderful world of DC, I popped a link to more information on Prolojik's website. Now, we're used to seeing string lights used domestically, but Night Searcher has unveiled its new rope light range, bringing flexible, high output illumination to demanding workspaces. Delivering 1,000 lumens per meter, these IP65 rated lights are built for indoor and outdoor use. Available in 15, 25, and 50 m lengths. They can link up to 75 m without sacrificing brightness or safety. Quick plug-and-play installation and a robust sheath make them ideal for construction sites, events, and emergency routes. They're available in both 110 and 230 volt versions with two plug top options on the 230 volt. Either a standard 1363 or a 60309 version. Backed by a 5-year warranty, I think these are a really neat solution for on-site temporary work lighting. Now, it's that great moment where we get to celebrate the sterling work being done by the next generation. Our learner of the week this week is Carrie McFarlane. Carrie has completed her level two and level three in electrical installation at East Durham College in the Northeast. Despite securing several interviews, she has so far been unsuccessful in crossing that next threshold into industry. What sets Carrie apart is her dogged determination and positivity. She takes feedback on board, adapts, and keeps striving to overcome the barriers that are sometimes put in the way of women in the trade. The college has been impressed by her enthusiasm, resilience, and commitment to working her socks off. She has the potential to be a brilliant addition to any business in the Northeast. If anyone can help carry out, get in touch with the team here at eFIXX. Carrie's also joined a dedicated LinkedIn group for people training in the electrical industry that eFIXX has set up. It's aimed at apprentices, full-time learners, and adults retraining in the evening. Just log on to LinkedIn and search for UK electrician apprenticeships and career support. I'll also put a link in the show notes. Well done, Carrie, for being this week's learner of the week. And now to the lighter side of the electrical news. Yes, it's time for a tea break with quick wire and its range of incredibly rapid electrical connectors. Scientists say that soon electricians won't have to put solar panels on top of roofs or on agricultural land. The boffins say we're going to put them in space instead. In fact, they say that by 2050, we could get 80% of the renewable energy from panels floating about in the cosmos. How do they send the juice back to Earth? Easy. They transmit the energy as powerful radio waves to a ground based receiver station. This converts it back into electricity and feeds it into the grid. Told you it was easy. Can't see a single thing going wrong with transmitting vast amounts of energy through the Earth's atmosphere. Maybe everyone just keep enjoying the oxygen while it's still there. That's the lighter side of the news in our tea break with QuickWire and their range of incredibly rapid electrical connectors. Click the link in the description to check them out for yourself. And now in sporting news, we're going over to the John Mattson of the electrical industry. It's Joe 2.0 with the latest update on the EIX fantasy football league.

Great update from Joe there. The funny thing is that I record my part ahead of him due to timings of matches and so forth. So, he could literally have said anything that he likes about me in that segment and I wouldn't know till the episode was live. I'll just assume it was all good. Now, just before we get to your favourite bit of the show where I reveal last week's challenge words and winners, we want to thank our premium partners. We couldn't make the news without you. First up, empowering their customers to harness power through light with their intelligent energy solutions, solar technology, and advanced lighting systems. It's Ledvance 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 and 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 that I've 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. Answers submitted after about lunchtime on the Thursday after release will not be entered into the draw. Now, let's reveal the winners of last week's challenge word competition. Last week's words were water crest and vinegar. And we had correct answers from YouTube, TikTok, and LinkedIn. But the person to come out of our electronic hat was a TikTok user who goes by the extremely memorable name Deep Breath. User 8885891340116.

There is something vaguely Orwellian and unsettling about that. Anyway, well done to you uh user. Click the get involved link in the show notes to claim your prize. This week, the recording studio has been powered by our friends over at Consumer Unit World with high stock levels of your favourite consumer units, including BG, and free next working day delivery on orders over 150 quid. And we've been lit by Flex 7 with their lightning fast pre-wired modular lighting connection system that keeps your installation times razor sharp. Don't forget to click the links in the show notes to find out more. Thanks for listening to this episode of Electrical News Weekly. Make sure you subscribe to receive the next update. Thanks for listening and until next time, have a great week. Stay safe out there and remember there's no such thing as a torque calibrated arm.