Coming up on this week's news, the IET's preparing to tighten the rules on bonding solar panel frames, why tenants are blocking electricians from carrying out EICRs, and a voltage surge on a swimming pool railing is being investigated after an IBM executive and a Lufthansa crew member are electrocuted at a luxury hotel. 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. 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 this exclusive cap branded with friends of the show, Quick Wire and Chump Tools. And while you're there, click the link to our show notes to check out what our sponsors offer. And stay tuned to the end of the show to catch up on our regular features, including the weather from Foxy SS, the light side of the news with Quick Wire, and learner of the week in association with Dovetail and Slate. The IET is preparing to tighten the rules on earthing and bonding solar panel frames. Efix has learned that the organization's next code of practice for grid-connected photovoltaic systems, due early next year, will require protective bonding of frames where inverters without AC and DC isolation are installed. In the early days of grid-connected solar, inverters with electrical isolation between AC and DC were commonplace, but today most non-utility scale PV inverters are transformerless, meaning there is no electrical separation between the AC and DC sides. With the growing importance of maintenance and inspection, the revised code will make protective bonding a requirement where these non-isolated inverters are used. The IET says the move will also bring UK practice into line with requirements in mainland Europe. It represents a significant change for contractors who may previously have considered frame bonding unnecessary. The revised code is also expected to include a dedicated section on cybersecurity, recognizing the growing vulnerability of internet-connected PV systems and their importance to the wider energy infrastructure. I'll put a link to the IET's explanation of the changes to the third edition in the show notes. Still on solar, the government has announced a new funding scheme to help social housing tenants benefit from rooftop panels. It says £100 million of pounds of funding could support up to 57,000 solar installations in the first year. But, when it comes to electrical safety testing, some of those tenants are proving rather less accommodating. Electricians are reporting that social housing tenants refusing access to their properties for EICRs are creating a major headache for local authorities and housing providers and could put electrical safety targets at risk. It appears that many occupiers don't see electrical safety on a par with gas safety. The issue has even been raised in the House of Lords. Lord Wilson clarified that a social housing landlord would not necessarily be in breach of its duties if it could demonstrate that it had taken all reasonable steps to gain access and carry out the work. That means keeping records of correspondence with tenants and electricians, documenting attempts to arrange inspections, and any refusals of access. He said the government was aware of the problem and was giving what he called careful consideration to the matter. And, while we can't help you with recalcitrant tenants, we can remove other EICR headaches with Test Fast. It's built to give thorough, comprehensive electrical installation condition reports without spending hours at the laptop. From clever features like automated schedules from scans of consumer units to scribbled notes converted into perfectly coded BS 7671 defects, it's designed to give you your evenings back. Click the link in the show notes for more information. A voltage surge on a metal railing is being investigated after two men were electrocuted at a luxury hotel in India. 57-year-old Alexander Thies, a Lufthansa crew member, and 45-year-old Juraj Horvath, an IBM executive, died at the five-star Conrad Hotel in Bengaluru. According to the Hindu newspaper, police are investigating the possibility that an electrical fault caused a poolside metal railing to become live. Two other people, an American hotel guest and a pool attendant, were also injured but have since been discharged from hospital. In the courts, a property management company has been fined £153,000 over fire safety failures at a block of flats in Leeds. Scanlans Property Management LLP admitted failing to comply with an enforcement notice concerning a defective fire alarm and incorrect evacuation signage at Arlux House in the Sheepscar area of the city. At Kirklees Magistrates Court, Judge Helen Pitt said the failures created a high likelihood of serious harm in the event of a fire. The company was also ordered to pay more than £13,000 in costs. West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said it had taken action following long-standing unresolved concerns about the building's safety systems. Crews had also been called to deal with a number of false alarms at the premises. For ensuring much less scary installations, Test Event UK has a safer solution. Its testing plugs eliminate exposed live parts and probe slippage, supporting BS 7671 and BS 7909 testing. Suitable for RCD, insulation resistance, and cable testing, they're fast, too, with six RCDs tested in just 60 seconds. The range covers 16 amp to 100 25 amp connectors, plus power lock and Socapex. Find the new webshop in the show notes. Ofgem has admitted that it has an incomplete picture of the smaller energy installations connected to the UK's electricity networks. These include EV chargers, solar panels, battery storage, and heat pumps. The regulator is particularly concerned about installations with a capacity below 50 kilowatts. As these technologies become more widespread, Ofgem says distribution network operators don't have a complete picture of what's connected to their networks. That makes it increasingly difficult to manage the electricity system. Ofgem wants to establish a central register of what it calls smaller electrical assets. And guess who could end up doing the reporting? That's right, installers. But the government says it understands contractors' concerns about having to notify multiple organizations every time they complete an installation. It's working with MCS and the Energy Networks Association to develop a single notification process. Ofgem is consulting on the proposal and wants feedback from the trade by Monday, the 7th of December. In product news, Acrospire has recently highlighted the growing role of solar street lights in new housing developments, where developers are looking to reduce environmental impact, infrastructure costs, and installation delays. Its best-selling Defender solar lantern is giving those who doubt solar lighting's performance in the UK climate something to think about, with more than 6,000 already installed across the country. With a light output of up to 10,000 lumens, substantial battery capacity, and a choice of 3,000 K or 4,000 K color temperatures, Defender is designed for mounting heights of 4 to 6 meters. For housing developers, solar lighting can offer an alternative where mains connections are difficult, costly, or time-consuming, whether due to DNO delays, cabling requirements, or the need to reroute existing services. A recent example is this Barrett Red Road development in Peterborough where Acrospire supplied Defender lanterns to provide off-grid lighting without the expense and disruption of installing a conventional electrical supply. Each lantern was fitted with PIR sensors consuming just 2 W when dimmed and rising to 8 W when activated. Acrospire is also known for its solar honesty approach working with customers to establish whether solar is genuinely suitable for their project rather than recommending it in every situation. With a 5-year warranty, Defender offers developers as a practical way to reduce reliance on grid infrastructure while delivering reliable off-grid lighting reducing long-term energy and maintenance costs. Live Electrical has unveiled a bidirectional type B RCBO designed for use with a range of applications including certain heat pumps. It combines overcurrent and residual current protection in a single compact 18 mm wide device. You'll notice that it doesn't have a neutral fly lead and that's because it's part of the Live Electrical SRN range meaning that it takes advantage of that system's dual busbar that distributes both the line and neutral connections across the protective devices. And there's no wrestling in and out of a completed consumer unit either. The device has a unique three-position clip that allows the RCBO to clamp in place, slide along the DIN rail, or be completely removed without disconnecting the busbar from any of the other devices. The 10 KA single-pole and neutral unit offers both B and C curve overload protection together with 30 mA earth leakage protection. It has a short circuit breaking capacity of 6 KA and is available in five current ratings from 16 A to 40 A. And speaking of Live Electrical, are you the sort of spark who takes pride in a beautifully dressed consumer unit? The type who can't sleep at night knowing there's a conductor slightly out of place? Well, this one's for you. Efix has teamed up with Doncaster Cables to launch the best dressed consumer unit competition and we're looking for the neatest boards in Britain. There are a whopping 45 winners with the top prize including Run Protect tools plus consumer units and for the top 10 a trip to Live Electrical HQ and an epic night out complete with darts, dinner, karaoke, and an overnight stay if you need it. Guaranteed there'll be a couple of Efix ambassadors turning up for a night of fun like that. All you've got to do is show us your finest work. We're talking beautifully routed cables, tidy terminations, and attention to detail. Rick's given us his very best attempt as a benchmark, and he's feeling confident in his work, particularly because he's used the Live Electrical SRN board with the dual bus bar, so no messy fly leads all over the place. And of course, Earth Shore cable from Doncaster Cables, meaning that there's no baggy sleeving on show. Do you think you can do better? It doesn't matter which manufacturer's cables or consumer unit you've used, it's all about workmanship. So, get snapping those photos and show us what you've got. Entries close on the 31st of January 2027, and you'll find a link to entry page on the show notes webpage. Now, how about this for a bright idea? It's the Paul Russell's lamp of the week, and this time we've got a retro classic. It's a parabolic reflector, or PAR lamp, but brought bang up to date with modern LED technology. The result is energy savings of up to 85%compared with the original. It consumes just 10 W while delivering 630 lm. It's dimmable, comes with an E27 base, and is available in a triple pack. You can see the full range at paulsrussells.com. And now, to the light side of the news. Yes, it's time for a tea break with Quickwire and its range of incredibly rapid electrical connectors. An electrician in Bosnia has discovered that rescuing a bear cub can turn into a rather large commitment. Peter Tubić found the abandoned cub in 2019. It weighed just 2 kg at the time. Six years later, it's still living with him, but now tips the scales at a rather more substantial 150 kilos. And despite its considerable growth, the bear apparently still likes to climb onto Peter's lap while he's doing his contracting paperwork. That's one way to make sure you don't spend too long at your desk. In fact, you'll end up doing the bare minimum. That went down like flatulence in the lift. I'm so sorry. That's the light side of the news in our tea break with Quickwire and its range of incredibly rapid electrical connectors. Click the link in the description to find out more. And now, it's time to celebrate the next generation of electricians with our learner of the week, proudly sponsored by Dovetail and Slate. Fancy a new challenge? Want to help shape the future of the industry? Why not make the move into teaching? Dovetail and Slate are ready to help you take the leap with the prospect of a better pension, generous holidays, and the chance to inspire the next generation. This week's Efix learner of the week is James Scofield, a level two student at Loughborough College, one of my old hometowns. James is developing his practical skills through his studies, assessments, and Efix CPDs while building a solid understanding of industry standards and working practices. He's also been showing examples of his practical work on LinkedIn. We're told he's reliable, hardworking, and keen to learn. Great stuff, James. Congratulations, you're the Efix learner of the week in association with Dovetail and Slate. Now, just before we get to your favorite bit of the show where I reveal last week's challenge words and winners, we want to thank our premium partner. They're the best thing to come out of Yorkshire since stainless steel, the home of EV Ultra and other groundbreaking and quality products, it's Doncaster Cables. Click the link in the show notes to find out more about this great brand. 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 Efix goody bag prize. Answers submitted after midnight on the Wednesday after release will not be entered into the draw. Now, following on from my week off, which was not in a caravan, I should point out, Dave Frizelle, we've got 2 weeks' worth of winners to announce today. First up, on the episode released on the 26th of October, the words were inimitable and scotchio. And the person plucked at random was John Avery 15. And for last week's show on the 2nd of November, I had to smuggle in the words miscreant and intrepidity. Feel sorry for me for those, too. And for that episode, the winner was Greeny 87. Well done to you both. Make sure you click the get involved link in the show notes to claim your prizes. And now, it's time for this week's weather from Joe 3PO and Foxy SS. Can colder weather actually bring a better week for solar? There's rain to get through first, but brighter skies could be waiting on the other side. Good news for your panels, but your fingers might have a different opinion. But before the forecast, a quick shout-out to this week's Fox ESS premier partner, Makes Electrical and Renewables. Based in Stafford, the team installs solar panels, battery storage, and EV chargers across Staffordshire, helping homes and businesses put renewable energy to work. For our solar barometer, we're heading to Sunny Side Street in Belfast. A bold name for any street in November. These terrace rooftops raise an interesting question. With the right roof direction and shading checked, could more homes here put daylight to work? Solar still generates under cloudy skies, although those shorter winter days reduce the output? Would you consider panels here? Let me know what you think. Tuesday starts dry in places with some lingering fog before rain spreads north across the UK. Northern Ireland turns cloudier with rain arriving later and the breeze picking up. Wednesday keeps some rain in the picture as that wetter weather gradually moves through. Northern Ireland should see it clearing but brighter conditions come with colder air following behind. Thursday and Friday do bring the improvements. Rain in the south clears away leaving more dry weather and sunshine. Northern Ireland turns cooler and brighter while the far north of Scotland could catch a few wintry showers. So, just watch out for those chilly starts. And going into the weekend, the current outlook favors mostly dry and settled conditions with some sunshine, local fog, and cloud that could still limit that solar window. So, it's looking more promising than guaranteed. So, make the most of any brighter spells by timing flexible use for when your system is generating. And remember, a battery can save some of that daytime production for after the sunset. Thanks for that update, Joe. Thanks for listening to this episode of Electrical News Weekly. Until next time, have a great week. Stay safe out there and remember, there's no such thing as a tall calibrator.
