G83/1

windyman · G83/1

The rules on attaching micro-generation equipment to the domestic electricity network do apply in England & Wales.

The particular document you need to read is "Recommendation G83/1" - it's available at:

http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Networks/...tandds/Documents1/G83%201%20D.pdf

I hope this helps...

"WindyMan"

Martin

Well, it may help the company that applied for certain changes and exemptions to the G83 standard, but it's bog all use for anything else (I get the feeling you didn't check what you googled)
The G83 standard is actually much more concerned with safety - in layman's terms it's a standard for grid-tie inverters, which defines the protocols and parameters for grid-connection (and more importantly DIS-connection),
What companies seldom tell you about "grid- tie" is that the time you most need the power from the generator (during a power cut), you can't have it......

Under the G83 standard, if the mains power fails, the grid-connection from the turbine instantly disconnects (otherwise the poor chap up the pole repairing the severed line would be electrocuted by all the local wind-turbines)
Another fun part is that it also insists that the quality of the energy exported is sufficiently good to be added to the grid, and insists on a 3-minute "synchronising rhumba" before allowing connection - which is one of the reasons why turbines subject to turbulence (as is experienced on or near a roof) seldom actually connect - every time the windspeed drops below a certain point, it "cuts", and has to start again.......
I won't go on, you may get bored.......
You might find a discussion about meters going backwards on a renewables forum of my acquaintance to be of interest -
http://www.navitron.org.uk/forum/index.php/topic,7152.0.html

windyman · Things are becoming clearer

Thanks Martin

I see that I have been misunderstanding what we were discussing from the beginning.

I thought that you were arguing that Electricity Distributors were not obliged to allow micro-generation installations of up to 16 amps rating to connect to the domestic mains without the need of an export meter.

I'm sorry that I didn't find the actual G83/1 document on the internet, but I thought that the amendment that I did find demonstrated in some of its wording that Distributors are obliged to allow such micro-generation equipment to be connected without an export meter.

I see that what you were saying all along was that most meters have an ant-theft ratchet fitted to stop them being wound backwards. And the link you found certainly shows that such meters exist.

I can only report that I found that our meter (which was installed in the early 1990's) doesn't have such a ratchet.

I must admit that it was one of my fears, that it would have such a device, and that's why I watched our meter very carefully in the early days until I was fully convinced that no such device was fitted to our meter.

If a meter does have such a ratchet then the Windsave does really become a "use it or lose it" device - and this would drastically reduce its usefulness as my current rough estimate would indicate that about half the power we generate is used as overspill to wind the meter backwards (prior to subsequent usage on less windy days).

So, the moral of the story is that if you are tempted for whatever reason to install a micro-generation system under the direct connection terms of G83/1 then you really need to check if your meter can be wound backwards before you do your financial forecasts.

The link you provided suggests that all non-reversing meters should have a little picture of a gear in the corner of the glass at the front - so this is something to look out for.

We all learn something every day.

"WindyMan"

G83/1

Things are becoming clearer