ELECTRICAL CONSUMER UNIT REPLACEMENT

Consumer Unit guide to the 17th edition Wiring Regulations 

For Glasgow and Renfrewshire

For well over one hundred years the Wiring Regulations IN scotland and in Glasgow where we are based, have provided the rules which must be followed to make sure that electrical installations are safe. The introduction of the 17th Edition of the Wiring Regulations on the 1st January 2008 has major implications for all Electrical Contractors Glasgow, Designers and Consultants. Installations designed from 1st July 2008 must comply with this new set of Regulations. Several new Regulations will have an impact upon circuit design and consumer unit layout. This guide below will help you understand the new Wiring Regulations and current Building Regulations, providing the necessary facts to construct compliant installations including Consumer Units. Since 2005 the Building regulations for England and Wales has made direct reference to Electrical Installations, increasing the influence on how Electrical Equipment is installed in buildings.

Building Regulations

Part P of the building regulations relates to the electrical safety in dwellings. The approved document prescribes that consumer units should be located so that they are easily reachable where this is necessary to comply with Part M of the building Regulations.

Part M requires that reasonable provision be made for people to gain access to a building and use its facilities. The approved document prescribes that switches, socket outlets and “other equipment” needs to be at appropriate heights, these are defined as between 0.45m and 1.2m from finished floor level.

Other equipment may be taken to include the consumer unit, as it contains devices such as MCB’s and RCD’s that may need operation or resetting by the user of the dwelling. The consumer unit should therefore be accessible, with the devices mounted at a height no greater the 1.2m above the floor. In addition the consumer unit should not be in a location that would make it difficult to access such as an under stairs cupboard. Neither should it be placed in a position where is likely to be damaged by impact. Therefore depending on the layout of the dwelling a flush consumer unit may be considered.

Consumer Units should be easily reachable and be mounted with the switches at a height of between 0.45m & 1.2m above floor level

Scotland Requirements of 17th Edition Wiring Regulations BS 7671:2008

Electricians in Glasgow

This section aims to explain some of the new Regulations contained within the 17th Edition Wiring Regulations, regarding the consumer unit and final circuits. Firstly however, to fully understand what is required, we need to consider some definitions from Part 2 of the Regulations.

• Ordinary Person – Someone who is neither skilled or instructed
  e.g. General public / Home owner
• Skilled Person – A person with technical knowledge or experience to enable him/her to avoid dangers which electricity may create
  e.g. Qualified Electrician
• Instructed Person – A person who has been adequately advised or supervised to enable him/her to avoid dangers which electricity may create
  e.g. Facilities Manager

Typically commercial installations will be under the control of a Skilled or Instructed Person. However domestic and some commercial installations will not. This is particularly important, as certain Regulations only apply to installations not under the supervision of a Skilled or Instructed Person. A significant change is the introduction of Regulations requiring additional protection by RCDs. There are 3 points of consideration,

1. Socket Outlets
2. Cables buried in walls
3. Locations containing a bath or shower

together with some other considerations, like the Division of Installation and about the Fire Detection and Fire Alarm Systems for buildings.

Certain Regulations only apply to installations not under the supervision of a Skilled or Instructed Person i.e. Ordinary persons.

The Regulations have introduced new requirements regarding socket outlets, particularly where used by ordinary persons e.g. Home owners.

Sockets Outlets

The definitions for persons are important to consider when we look at the requirements for protection of circuits supplying socket outlets.  Regulation 411.3.3 requires that an RCD of not exceeding 30mA be provided for:

1. Socket outlets up to 20A that for general use by “ordinary persons”.
2. Mobile equipment up to 32A that is for use outdoors.
   Exceptions to 411.3.3 are permitted where:
3. Use of socket outlets is under the supervision of someone “skilled” or “instructed”.
4. Specifically labelled or otherwise suitably identified socket outlets provided for a particular item of equipment.

This is a change from the 16th Edition that required only socket outlets ‘reasonably expected’ to supply equipment used outside the equipotential zone to have RCD protection e.g. used for an Electric lawn mower. Now under the requirements of the 17th edition it is likely that every socket outlet in a domestic installation will require RCD protection not exceeding 30mA. This may also apply to some commercial installations, like small offices or shops etc where there is no control on the use of those socket outlets. Consideration should also be given to areas where free access to socket outlets is available to the general public e.g. airport lounges.

Socket outlets for general use in a domestic installation require RCD protection not exceeding 30mA

Significant changes affect installations where cables are buried in the wall. This is the normal practice in dwellings.

Cables buried in the wall

  

Here we need to consider Section 522, Selection and erection of wiring systems in relation to external influences. The particular requirements of this section apply to cables which are concealed in a wall or partition at a depth of less than 50mm, or where metal partitions are used. The definitions for persons are once again important for this section. There are 5 options of installing cables in walls. The cables shall:

1. Incorporate an earthed metal covering which is suitable as a protective conductor. Eg SWA cable.
2. Be enclosed in earthed metal conduit, such that is suitable as a protective conductor.
3. Be enclosed in earthed metal trunking, such that is suitable as a protective conductor.
4. Be protected against damage from penetration by nails or screws.
5. Be installed in a safe zone.

This is much the same as the 16th Edition requirements and the usual option is to install cables in a dedicated safe zone. However, where an installation is not under the supervision of someone skilled or instructed, regulation 522.6.7 applies. In this regulation where (5) only from above is used then the cable must have additional protection by the use of a RCD not exceeding 30mA. This would apply where thermoplastic (PVC) wiring systems are used, this is typical in most domestic installations and some commercial installations.

Where buried cables are not mechanically protected additional protection by an RCD not exceeding 30mA must be provided

Although additional regulations relating to bathrooms etc are not new, there are some important changes to consider.

Section 701, Locations containing a bath or shower

Regulation 701.411.3.3 requires that all circuits within this location shall be additionally protected by an RCD not exceeding 30mA. This would mean 230V lighting, the 230V supply to the source for SELV, a shower circuit and bathroom heater for example will all need RCD protection. A standard 13A socket outlet is now permitted in this location provided however the socket outlet is more than 3m from the boundary of zone 1.

The 16th Edition required local supplementary bonding be provided connecting together all exposed and extraneous conductive parts in the zones. This is no longer required in this location provided the following conditions are met:

• All final circuits of the location comply with the automatic disconnection requirements according to regulation 411.3.2.
• All circuits are RCD protected in accordance with 701.411.3.3.
• All extraneous-conductive parts of the location are effectively connected to the protective equipotential bonding according to regulation 411.3.1.2 (Previously termed main equipotential bonding).

All circuits in locations containing a bath or shower shall be protected by an RCD not exceeding 30mA

Qualified electricians paisley Other Considerations

There are additional Regulations and Codes of Practice that need to be considered during the design of an installation. These will affect the choice of consumer unit.

Division of Installation

Section 314 calls for the installation to be so divided to:

1. Avoid hazards and minimize inconvenience in the event of a fault
2. Reduce the possibility of unwanted tripping of the RCD due to excessive protective conductor currents.

To comply with these requirements the circuits of an installation should not be connected to a single RCD, as this could lead to loss of supply to the entire installation in the event of a fault on one circuit, clearly inconvenient for the user of the building.

All circuits of an installation should not be connected to a single RCD

The Wiring Rules & Building regulations are not the only documents that need to be consulted, another important document relates to smoke alarms.

BS 5839-6:2004 Fire detection and Fire alarm systems for buildings

This Code of Practice has particular requirements for dwellings. This document makes reference to the power supply to such systems and mentions RCD’s. The circuit supplying these systems should preferably not be protected by an RCD. This however is going to be difficult to achieve if the circuit supplying these systems is buried in the walls and standard domestic wiring systems are used. Indeed the supply cables would need to be specially protected in earthed metal conduit etc. for RCD protection not to be used.

electricians in glasgow

MAIN BOARD - CONSUMER UNIT REPLACEMENT GLASGOW

Electrical main boards Glasgow

Contact us - www.weselectrical.co.uk - 01418405236


When it comes time to upgrade your consumer unit / older fusebox in your home, you need to take into account several things that will effect how much you are going to spend.

Firstly you should always consult a qualified electrician before any electrical work is undertaken on you consumer unit.

secondly you would need to know how many circuits you have in your home, for example you will have one circuit for your lighting downstairs and one circuit for your upstairs lighting. also you will have a socket circuit in the form of a ring circuit , you would have a shower circuit and cooker circuit also.

The more circuits you have the bigger the main board you will need to power you home.


you will also need to take into consideration if you would choose to install a board with rcd protection.

Most new boards come with an rcd protected circuit board but you can buy ones that don't.
The issue can arise that if the is earthing issues on you circuits or you have some other wiring faults your rcd will trip and not go back up until this is fixed. you would then need to take on testing of your electrical installation through the means of a EIC test to find out where the fault lies.

If in doubt contact a qualified electrician west end Glasgow about your Fuseboard.


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HOW TO REPLACE YOUR FUSEBOARD

What you MUST know before replacing your fuse board

Having made the decision to replace your old fuse board, it is important to ensure that this important job is completed by a competent electrician.

Think of your fuse board as the main hub of your home – its the ‘thinking centre’ to all electrical aspects in your home. If the job is carried out incorrectly, your home will be in a dangerous condition and your family is then at risk from electrical harm.

Firstly, I will outline the main reasons why you may need or want to upgrade your old fuse board to a new 17th Edition Consumer Unit:

• You are having some other electrical work carried out and need to comply with the regulations.
• Your old fuse board is overloaded and starting to cause problems for the remainder of the installation.
• Your wiring installation is in poor condition but you cannot afford a rewire, changing to a 17th Edition Consumer Unit will offer some protection.

Whatever the reason upgrading an old consumer unit to one incorporating two residual current devices (RCDs), is a job that many people will now have to consider at some point.

The above points may have been raised by another tradesperson in your home such as a builder if are having a large building project undertaken.

Please DO NOT be tempted into hiring anyone who IS NOT a qualified electrician to carry out electrical work in your home, even if they offer to carry out the work for a fraction of the price because ‘they know all about electrics’

It’s not just the price that counts, a competent electrician will be fully qualified, Part P compliantand fully insured to do the job AND have a lengthy guarantee on the job for years to come.

If the person fitting the consumer unit is not qualified, Part P compliant, and is not insured, it really is better to walk away. These people are not interested in your safety or future well being, they are only interested in your cash!

Yet over the years I have come across the same objections about price when quoting for a replacement consumer unit /fuse board. They normally go as follows…

• I can buy one myself for £80 in a well known DIY Shop
• My mate that works for %%%%%% can do it for £xxx
• I’ve had a quote from my builder and he reckons he can do it for £xxx
• Mick down the pub said if I get the board he’ll fit it for £50

Please don’t believe anyone who say you don’t need a certificate or dis-regards the importance of certification. Not only if an electrical certificate your peace of mind that your home is safe, it is also an important document that is needed should you wish to sell or let your home in the future.

It is not simply a peace of paper signed by the electrician, it is a legal document and the electrician needs to carry out several tests on the installation before they can issue a certificate.

The Electrician who carries out the installation should also issue the certificate. BEWARE some ‘electricians’ employ someone else to issue the certificate. This practice is NOT APPROVED and means your electrician is not Part P compliant.

So having obtained a quote from a genuine electrician, you might be wondering how they arrive at the cost.

So what is the Cost?

When you ask an Electrician to quote for a Fuse Board/New Consumer Unit, there are a number of things he will take into consideration, therefore costs will vary. You should be aware of these:

The materials involved

You can now go to a high street hardware/DIY shop and buy new Consumer Units for a reasonable amount of money, they come preloaded with MCBs, which may or may not be the right rating for your circuits, you will have to add to that the cost of Meter Tails and the fact that if anything goes wrong with the unit you will need to pay to have it removed and a new one refitted.

On the other hand your electrician will have accounted for all necessary items required and if he supplies the board it will be of good quality and if anything goes wrong with the unit he will have to replace it at no cost to you. You only Pay Once.

Checking earthing and bonding arrangements

Before the consumer unit is changed, the electrician will have checked the distributor’s equipment at the origin of the installation (where your meter is) along with the earthing and bonding arrangements. This is to ensure that they are properly connected, safe and that they comply with the regulations. If they do not then work may have to be postponed until the distributor rectifies any issues highlighted.

The time involved for installation

This will depend on the size of the property, number of circuits and location of the old fuse board. Stripping out the old, marking up cables ensuring they are in good condition and long enough then installing the New Consumer Unit.

The time involved in Testing

All of the circuits in the property will have to be tested, there is a series of predefined tests that must be applied to each of the circuits, and the results of this testing form a big part of the certification you will receive.

This is perhaps the most important part of changing a Fuse Board, however it is often the part that is not carried out correctly or at all by those who charge below market value for installing a new Consumer Unit. Often they will Fudge the test and fake the certificate, because they haven’t allowed time in their cost to do it correctly or they just are not capable of testing to the correct standard.

Allowance for Fault Finding

A good electrician will have built in an allowance for some Fault Finding because experience tells us that there are often minor issues that need to be resolved, if this has been built into the cost then often the electrician will not bother you with the detail, but will just rectify simple faults as found. Major faults would be notified to you and be discussed as a separate Job.

Again someone who is quoting below market value will not have factored in time for fault finding and you run two serious risks here. The first is that you are likely to be presented with an “Extras” bill at the end which could be substantially higher than your original quote or secondly the “electrician” will bodge the job in order to make it work so he can get paid his original fee, the result is you are left with a potentially dangerous installation.

Certification and Registration

Electricians have to comply with strict regulations, a change of consumer unit is a serious undertaking and must meet all of the relevant Standards and Regulations, in order to comply with these Electricians will issue Certification for both the Electrical Installation and for Compliance with Part “P” of the Building Regulations. Apart from the fact that doing this properly takes time, it also requires the electrician to be registered with an awarding body and all the associated costs that go with that, such as ongoing training, insurance, membership fees.

Profit

And finally we get to Profit, which is after all why any Electrician is in Business. A good electrician who runs a good business will have built in a profit margin into his quote for the job, this is how he stays in business and can provide a good service to his clients, he will be happy to take payment in any legal manner.

Your cheep quote electrician, will not have factored in profit, because in his mind it is pretty much all profit, he will supply a cheap quality consumer unit, fudge the test results, hide any faults that show up and then tell you he prefers to be paid in cash.

He is likely not registered, not insured and possibly not even qualified. If anything goes wrong and it will you have absolutely no comeback.

Conclusion

When you take all of the above into consideration, you will appreciate that there is a big difference between what you can buy a Consumer Unit for off-the-shelf in a well known DIY Chain, and the cost of a fully installed fully certified and fully guaranteed Unit. You should ask yourself when you get a cheap quote “How can he do it so Cheap”?…what is not getting done…

Most reputable electricians would agree that anything below £350 is too cheap and something is being missed and anything above £550 for a standard domestic board is too high (unless there are mitigating circumstances).

Glasgow westend Electrical Contractor

ELECTRICIANS IN WESTEND GLASGOW

2014 has been a busy year so far, as we approach the end of august i have seen many more clients coming to us for our expertise in electrical rewiring commercial and domestic both are equally as busy at the moment and long may it continue. Some of out larger customers include businesses with Glasgow airport and larger shopping centres in and around Glasgow.



Another massive change to the electrical industry this year in the installation of commercial LED lighting in buildings and shopping centres, not only does it reduce the cost of the electricity bills for the client but the lamps last up to 10 x as long as regular lamps that have previously been installed.



also on the rise for our business is the installation of custom tv installation around the home, from simply putting the tv on the wall to a complete wall make over with various points av ports and speaker installations, we are a professional installation company for audio visual equipment and are the best in Glasgow at what we do feel free to get in touch if you have a query or if you require a quotation.

EICR Glasgow

Electrical contracting in Glasgow 2014

I have been wondering for a while now why our industry has been cutting itself down and not staying true to business. What do I mean by that well I look at the  bass fitters and the plumbers in my marketplace and they all have the same mentality and price structure. No one veers far from the standard price in the Glasgow and Mosspark area whether you are a one man show or a 50 man shop. HVAC companies have good structure and the standards for the technicians are set higher. They wear uniforms, don’t complain about working on call shifts and just seem to have a better grip on customer service than electricians.

Electricians and electrical contractors have been trying to play catch up with the other industries and trades and I have to say it is about time. We make our living doing a highly skilled trade and still don’t know how to do simple things in business and in marketing. There is no doubt that we are great electrical  technicians but we definitely have some work to do on the business side of things.

I created this blog so we can all try to make our electrical industry a better place to earn a living. Let’s face it, this is what we do to feed our families and if we can not do that then why do it. I see electrical contractors everyday that go out of business not because they were bad electricians but they just don't understand how in todays market place new thinking and new approaches need to be taken to be a success. Believe me I was one of those guys. I searched and looked for business resources on running an electrical business approached business gateway in glasgow but never found anything. It was the school of hard knocks for me. I realized that our industry thinks it is some secret that should not be told on how to run a business. I think different, I think that if we all have better training and resources that we all will prosper.

For me learning about business has been a full time occupation since i was 20 and could get a job in the electrical industry after my time as an apprentice electrician was done and to be honest i diet want to go out and work for someone, i have always had a business mind and an attitude to making my own money. so thats exactly what i did, and i dominated my local area, but as time goes on without proper knowledge of where marketing and the industry was heading, the work started to slow down, until i released that i need to work hard at keeping my business at the top. There are multiple ways of doing this and i will digress in my other blogs but running a business in todays market in west end glasgow takes much more than placing an add in a news paper.

Lets make a change the electrical contracting game for the better in Glasgow  because our industry is not like a shelf at asda. We cant look for the cheapest disposable electricians forever and it will catch up to all of us eventually. Let me know if you have anything you would like to learn or know about so we cant discuss it further.

Consumer unit / fuse board changing Glasgow 01418405236

The electrical wire board is the hub that controls all the wiring in your property with each circuit convey electrical present in your building heading again to this one single spot. Numerous properties are even now working on circuit sheets and electrical wiring that were introduced in the 1960s. These maturing establishments are practical, yet miss the mark concerning cutting edge wellbeing principles. In the event that your wires continue breaking it may be the case that this is the ideal opportunity to contemplate changing your old breaker board for a current one that offers better insurance.

electrical experts westend glasgow are a group of expert and qualified circuit repairmen working all over west end glasgow, along these lines, in the event that you are searching for a circuit tester in west end Glasgow, Lambeth or Croydon for instance, then we are splendidly set to offer assistance. Notwithstanding breaker board changes, our administrations spread anything electrical from essentially including an additional attachment, to a full-scale rewire. Each occupation we do attempts to make the electrical hardware in your property more secure, and takes after the strict rules set around the Bs7671 Wiring Regulations (seventeenth Amendment 1, 2011). Changing your circuit board is a noteworthy step towards getting electrical security your home closer to gathering these norms.

Current breaker sheets are fitted with Rcds, or Residual Current Devices, and Mcbs, or Micro Circuit Breakers. These productive gadgets are intended to catch blames in your circuits, and cut the present in a moment ought to anything uncommon be recognized. Fundamentally lessening the danger of electric stun and the flashes or overheating that can result in electrical blazes, these current circuit breakers offer incredible genuine feelings of serenity.

Otherwise called a fuse box or a consumer unit, power box unit or electrical board, the wire board in your property needs to be furnished to adapt to the requests of advanced family machines. Taken together, things like coolers, electric pots, clothes washers and dishwashers are significantly more eager for power than anything that was around when the old circuit sheets were initially introduced. Your new breaker board will be fitted with sufficient breakers to adapt to these raised force requests inside your property, with each one circuit being ensured more viably than at any time in the past.

Wire board changing is a generally direct assignment that can for the most part be carried out inside a couple of hours relying upon the amount of circuits in your property, and the unpredictability of the wiring as of now set up. The change can just lawfully be effected by a qualified electrical expert who is Part P enrolled. It is vital when changing a breaker board to guarantee that the earth-holding game plans in your property meet current benchmarks, and are overhauled if needed. The circuit board trade expense will fluctuate as stated by your prerequisites, yet is not as exorbitant as you may envision, and its a little cost to pay for your security. fuse board replacement

electricians westend glasgow 

we have been giving electrical administrations to provincial and business customers in South London in excess of 20 years. Clients searching for an Emergency Electrician in partick, a circuit prepare to leave change in Bromley, or another plug attachment in glasgow realize that captivating the administrations of our group of masters will convey quick, productive and expert comes about, without a doubt.

DIY Kitchen fitters or get a professional?

 occurring your quarters by fitting a appendage kitchen can be a earsplitting pretentiousness of revitalising and bringing added cartoon into your home. A proficiently intended, futuristic kitchen serves as an impressive feature in any dwelling; keeping familiar following than recent styles and trends shows off your eye for interior design and is certain to impress any visiting cronies and associates. A kitchen renovation is no little task by any means and there are many things to find by now spending any of your hard earned cash. So, tolerates see at a few lecture to thinking ideas that could learn how to fit a kitchen in the west end of glasgow.

Design

Before you attain any appliances, fittings or decorative appurtenances for you kitchen be unadulterated you have finalised your ideas for the style of the room.  The first step as well as learning how to fit a kitchen is easy; know what you sorrowful. There are in view of that many every second styles understandable to you and it can be a little overwhelming behind bothersome to source ideas for your house. Thing just about what style would member in crime your home and your personality; are you looking of a more avowed kitchen behind a vintage kettle, oven and toaster? Or are you a speculator of the 21st century who needs coffee about the go and very developed colours and textures? Get an idea of the features, colours and design you nonexistence for your kitchen, mean it out and write it the length of.

Planning

The second step taking into account learning how to fit a kitchen is more obscure; when than we have decided for a design and style for our kitchen, its era to begin planning out the look we have and where each of our count features is going to be. Large fixtures and features are going to child maintenance a lot of freshen; ovens, dining tables and late buildup large items are compulsion to be usefully placed to maximise style and air efficiency. Be sure to take measurements of all the rooms dimensions; youa propos going to craving to decree the peak of the room (floor to ceiling) if youa propos planning to install an oven following an descent unit above. Measuring the room is afterward useful behind you are shopping for larger features or fixtures; you can compare late addition measurements to those of your kitchen to determine how customary each subsidiary feature or item is.

Fitting

The third step once researching how to fit a kitchen is the fitting and decorating. Firstly, certain your kitchen out every portion of; surgically surgically remove whatever that is mammal replaced and anything that could make a attain of damaged. Turn off all water and electricity supplies to the room and disconnect completely pipes that gain to/from sinks and drains (if invasion).

When removing pass cabinets, be sure to unscrew and detach any fitting that union them in place; this can prevent you damaging any walls or similar beams subsequent to removing cabinet and draw units. The same scrutinize applies as soon as discharge duty surfaces; ease the worktops off after unscrewing fittings underneath. This is the unqualified time to make repairs to walls or repaint walls, as there are no auxiliary cabinets and draws to accidentally make mixed in addition to free paint.

As you stockpile any cabinet or wall mounted cupboards, be sure to check they are straight in the by now a liveliness level. Leave doors and draws out of each unit until they are fitted properly, this makes for an easier becoming accustomed if you mannerism to remove units and a propos insert. Ensure any added worktops are scratch to the precise measurements in the in front taking them into your kitchen, operate this outdoors is strongly recommended. Cut out sections of your worktops according to the measurements of any new sinks or hobs. Once your worktop is of the right size and shape also you are ready to mass its installation by bolting it or calculation supports.

Once every new features and fittings have been completed, mount occurring finishing touches to your kitchen by accessorising subsequent to matching appliances and ornamentation. Kettles, toasters and caf tiers can be bought as a set and if matched neatly taking into consideration the colour of your kitchen, they can truly avow bring the cumulative design together. Add within enough limits blinds or ended that membership the room to emphasize your kitchen window and to any natural roomy entering your room.

Remember, turn off electrical and water supplies to the kitchen in the previously comport yourself any DIY. Apply common wisdom and always be safe taking into consideration taking upon house DIY jobs.

Electricians westend glasgow

New solar power plans in India

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India's plan for world's largest solar farm may stumble over wetlands

Mega solar power project in Rajasthan may touch on protected Sambhar Lake wetlands

A map of the proposed boundaries for installation of a nearly 20,000-acre solar generating facility near Sambhar Lake in India's Rajasthan state, taken from plans submitted to India's government Photograph: /AlertNet

India has announced plans to build the world’s biggest solar-power generating facility on a salt-producing plain in Rajasthan, but experts say the massive project may still face ecological hurdles.

The facility, to be located on 20,000 acres (30 square miles) of land owned by Rajasthan’s government and a salt-producing firm, would have a capacity of 4,000 megawatts of electricity, and cost $1.2 billion in the first phase. India today uses an average of 772,000 gigawatt hours of power annually.

A.N. Srivastava, director of the country’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, said in an interview the project should have a lifespan of 25 years, and would reduce the country’s carbon footprint by over 4 million tons of carbon dioxide each year. Currently 67% of India’s energy requirements are met by rapidly depleting coal deposits, he said, and “to offset this dependency, India needs a clean energy revolution”.

Backers say the project will sit on dried-up land no longer required for salt production.

“There is almost 30 square miles of barren land surrounding the (Sambhar Lake) site which could be well-utilised for green energy production,” R.K. Tandon, chairman and managing director of Hindustan Salts Limited, one of the partners in the solar plant, said in an interview with Thomson Reuters Foundation. The project fits under India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change, which calls for greater use of renewable energy, and would be environmentally friendly, he added.

The project aims to cut prices for solar energy and close a huge gap between power production and power demand in rural areas as per capita consumption of power grows in India, from about 780 kilowatt hours per person in 2009-10 to more than 880 kilowatt hours per person in 2011-12, according to the country’s 12th five-year plan.

But the government has not yet announced the project’s boundaries, and environmental experts fear it may touch on Sambhar Lake wetlands protected under the international Ramsar Convention, and that it could also affect nearby villages and illegal settlements encroaching on the wetlands.

The company providing the land for the project controls 58,000 acres (90 square miles) in the area, and the catchment of Sambhar Lake covers 60 square miles, according to the Sambhar Master Plan prepared by the state government.

Sambhar Lake is one of the largest salt-producing areas in India, and has been used for salt production since the 1870s. The lake basin is spread at the confluence of three districts of Rajasthan – Jaipur, Nagaur and Ajmer – and is close to the fringes of the desert.

The lake depends on rainwater supplies, which have been declining in the area as a result of changing weather patterns and greater use of water by the growing town of Sambhar, with 24,000 people, and by close to 100 small illegal settlements in the catchment area.

Over the past several decades, large areas of land surrounding the lake have dried out and no longer flood regularly. This is the land the government now hopes to use to build the solar farm, Tandon said.

Sambhar Lake, an important habitat for birds, particularly flamingos, is among 25 wetlands of international importance in India.

India’s Wetlands Conservation and Management Rules 2010 prohibit the setting up of industries in flood areas or industrial activity likely to have an adverse impact on wetland ecosystems, according to a Ministry of Environment and Forests official. Such rules may drive the final footprint of the solar project.

Such a project would have to be approved by 12 members of the Central Wetlands Regulatory Authority including seven officials from key ministries such as Environment and Forests, Water, and Agriculture, as well as five environmentalists or other leading experts, the official said.

Some experts also fear that the proposed 20,000-acre footprint of the project may need to be reduced to meet wetland rules, reducing the target for power generation. Under government policies, about 5,000 acres of land is required for each 1,000 megawatts of solar energy produced.

“It is likely that the solar power project may face a space crunch due to existing encroachments around the catchment area of the lake, hence reducing the area for the project site,” said Abhishek Goyal, a New Delhi-based energy consultant for solar energy companies in India.

The government is expected over the next few months to invite bids to carry out the project. Hindustan Salts Ltd. recently invited bids for detailed feasibility studies and analysis of the project, according to its website.

India plans to seek $500 million in loans for the project from the World Bank for the first 750 megawatt phase of the project, which would cost $1.2 billion, Minister of Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah said in a statement.

In the coming months, the government is expected to sign agreements to set up similar solar facilities in Kharagoda (Gujarat), Kargil and Ladakh (Jammu and Kashmir) under the country’sJawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission, which aims to produce 20 gigawatts of solar power each year by 2022.

Sunny India receives solar energy each year equivalent to nearly 5,000 trillion kilowatt hours per year, experts say – . So far, however, India has only about 2,000 megawatts of grid-connected solar.

A memorandum to establish the Sambhar Lake project was signed in late January by six Indian public-sector companies, the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and the Ministry of Power

electricians westend glasgow

The Future of Power

SOLAR POWER 

It took just 10 minutes for Kevin Arthur to be persuaded that the tiny square of red glass on his fingertips was the future of solar power.

He had only recently been involved in a solar energy start-up company and was keen to try his hand at something new.

We would still be in the lab if it wasn't for the Technology Strategy Board – they listened to us when nobody else would – and their faith in our technology is seeing fruition right now – we are world leaders in our field - Kevin Arthur, CEO of Oxford Photovoltaics

 

But that was before he met the charismatic Oxford Universityphysicist Dr Henry Snaith and saw his remarkable solar cells.

 

‘I went into the room a sceptic and came out a believer,' says Kevin, the Chief Executive Officer of Oxford Photovoltaics.

We have been on the most amazing journey with them [Technology Strategy Board] - Kevin Arthur

 

Four years later – with a range of Technology Strategy Board fundings under their belt the two of them were heading up one of the UK's most promising young green electrical companies.

The incredible journey

‘We would still be in the lab if it wasn't for the Technology Strategy Board – they listened to us when nobody else would – and their faith in our technology is seeing fruition right now – we are world leaders in our field,' added Kevin.

 

‘We have been on the most amazing journey with them. In the beginning – on that day in that room just four years ago – Henry showed me a solar cell technology that was low-cost, easy to produce and which could be printed on the surface of glass. 

 

‘The idea gripped me straight away. You mixed up the stuff and printed it on glass. That meant it could be used in the glass skins of commercial buildings - a massive market. I was really excited by the opportunity!'

Unlike conventional silicon solar panels which use rare earth metals and toxic materials, Henry's photovoltaic cells, developed at the Photovoltaic and Optoelectronic Device Group in Oxford University's Physics Department, use cheap, abundant and environmentally friendly materials - Kevin Arthur

 

By November 2009, Kevin already had more than 20 years' experience in the semi-conductor industry and two promising university spin-outs under his belt. He wanted a new challenge. 

 

‘I was entrepreneur in residence at Imperial College when I was phoned by Isis Innovation – Oxford University's technology transfer arm - who asked if I wanted to be chief executive officer of another solar start up.

 

‘I'd already done solar with a university spin-out called QuantaSol so I told them ‘no thanks,' but by the end of that meeting with Henry  I had changed my mind,' explained Kevin. 

 

Low cost solutions for the environment

‘Unlike conventional silicon solar panels which use rare earth metals and toxic materials, Henry's photovoltaic cells, developed at the Photovoltaic and Optoelectronic Device Group in Oxford University's Physics Department, use cheap, abundant and environmentally friendly materials.

 

‘The technology works by printing a microscopic layer of ‘solid-state dye sensitised solar cells' on ordinary glass. The cells are sealed with a thin layer of glass.

 

‘A layer of cells is just one or two thousandths of a millimetre thick (one or two microns) and can be made in a range of colours and transparencies,' said Kevin.

 

‘In contrast, the equivalent traditional product – amorphous silicon solar cells often found in calculators – are black or brown and the process of making them transparent severely reduces their already low efficiency. 

 

‘These new solar cells are more efficient, more stable, thinner and use lower cost materials,' says Kevin. ‘They make beautifully clear coloured glass,' he added.

 

‘They work at much higher temperatures than existing technology which tends to lose efficiency above 25ºC. They also work well with diffuse light – making them suitable for building facades.

 

Harnessing the power of the sun

‘In 2009, the cells were working at five per cent efficiency, which meant it was converting five per cent of sunlight into electricity.

 

‘That isn't enough for a commercial product which typically works at 15 to 20 per cent efficiency but it was more than enough to show me that the invention had potential. I was hooked,' said Kevin.

All we could think was ‘Amazing! In one step, the Technology Strategy Board has got our company up and running! We could hardly believe it was true! - Kevin Arthur

 

He spent 11 months working on a business plan to allow Oxford Photovoltaics to licence the technology to glass manufacturers and processors. But money was hard to find and the company needed cash before Isis would release the patents.

 

Then in September 2010, Kevin learnt about Innovate 10 Launch Pad – a business competition run by the Technology Strategy Board for ‘disruptive' inventions and business ideas.

 

The prize was £25k and the chance to pitch for an additional £75k in front of 2,000 people at the Design Centre, Glasgow.

 

There was one catch. Kevin discovered this potential funding source late in the day and the deadline for submitting his video entry was noon the next day.

 

‘To make it worse I had a board meeting at 10am. The whole thing is a bit of a blur now. But on that fateful day, I got up at 4.30am, found my video camera, got a tripod from the loft and wrote a two minute script which I stuck to the back of the office door at home.

 

‘Time was ticking, I was on my own and I'd never edited a video before. But I did it and it's still on YouTube. It looks pretty reasonable.

 

‘We got the initial £25k prize in the Energy category and then we had this chance to increase it to £100k at the event itself where we did a short presentation. We beat three other guys and suddenly we had the money to build the company.

 

One step to success with the Technology Strategy Board

If we hadn't got the £100k from the Technology Strategy Board we wouldn't have been able to licence the patents and we wouldn't be here now. But we did. They did - Kevin Arthur

 

‘All we could think was ‘Amazing! In one step The Technology Strategy Board has got our company up and running! We could hardly believe it was true!

 

‘If we hadn't got the £100k from the Technology Strategy Board we wouldn't have been able to licence the patents and we wouldn't be here now. But we did. They did.

 

‘The next day we hit the road and we started pitching to anybody who would listen,' said Kevin.

Once again, the Technology Strategy Board helped us realise our dreams, this time with a £250k grant under the Smart scheme - Kevin Arthur

 

The company took control of the patents, landed £700k from the clean technology investment specialists MTI Ventures and a syndicate of Angel investors and moved to Begbroke Science Park near Oxford in April 2011.

 

Now they faced a new challenge - to go from creating small prototypes to A4 panes of solar power glazing.

That £250k was extremely important because it extended the range of the funding we brought in, and kept us focused on tight timescales and milestones. It gave us more runway - Kevin Arthur

To do that they needed to build the company's research and development capacity. ‘Once again, the Technology Strategy Board helped us realise our dreams, this time with a £250k grant under the Smart scheme.

 

‘That £250k was extremely important because it extended the range of the funding we brought in, and kept us focused on tight timescales and milestones. It gave us more runway,' explained Kevin.

It is yet another British company that is at the forefront of technologies that just a few years ago we would have thought impossible -Kevin Arthur

 

Since then the investment has kept coming. By July 2013, Oxford PV and its 14 employers had secured £4.2m in funding, including an award from the European Commission Seventh Framework Programme for Research.

 

By summer 2013, an improved version of the cell achieved more than 15 per cent efficiency, a level similar to commercial products.

 

‘The technology at our fingertips to change the world'

It's taken less than four years for Oxford PV to go from the lab to one of the UK's most promising green companies, and we did it with the Technology Strategy Board behind us who not only helped us financially but gave us the credibility for other, future investments - Kevin Arthur

 

The first revenues are expected by 2016 while the first office blocks that generate electricity from their windows could follow a few years after that. ‘Imagine that. And it is yet another British company that is at the forefront of technologies that just a few years ago we would have thought impossible,' said Kevin.

 

‘We think the added cost of doing this is 10 per cent on top of the cost of the glass. But this technology pays for itself in less than 10 years,' he added.

 

‘It's taken less than four years for Oxford PV to go from the lab to one of the UK's most promising green companies, and we did it with the Technology Strategy Board behind us who not only helped us financially but gave us the credibility for other, future investments." 

 

‘Henry believes that we have the technology at our fingertips to change the world – and we're determined to prove that he's right.'

 

ELECTRICAL APPRENTICESHIP UK

I’ve just enrolled on a three-year course to become an electrician. It’s a complete career change, but after being made redundant four times from the engineering sector, I want a job that is “recession-proof”. However, because I now attend college during the week, I’m only available to work part-time. I’m worried this could put recruiters off from hiring me. Am I doing the right thing? Steven, 58, via email

You’ve certainly taken a bold step, Steven. Throwing your own money and time into a three-year course is not easy and demonstrates your commitment to changing careers. To some extent, your reasons for wanting to become an electrician are sound: businesses and home owners will always need electricians.

A word of caution though. The industry is far from “recession proof”. As construction and manufacturing projects have been scaled back over the last few years, so too has the need for all the trades associated with them – and electricians have suffered. David Marshall, of Electrical Recruitment Specialists, says he receives up to 150 applications for jobs. And all of them are from qualified electricians, with endless contact books and experience. When you qualify, you’ll be competing against them.

Which is why, if you’re serious about a career as an electrician, you must spend the next three years learning the trade, working in the trade, and building contacts in the trade. There is absolutely no point getting your course while working in a totally unrelated job – even if it’s something technical like engineering, Marshall says. Employers will want to see you’ve learned the ropes during your three years. That means rolling your sleeves up and getting out on site, just as much as it does turning up to class.

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First things first though, Steven. Make sure your course is industry-recognised. I’ve done a bit of digging around for you, and to be taken seriously you must be on a City & Guilds course. If you’re not, change this now. If you are, you should be aiming – eventually – for an Electrotechnical Certification Scheme competence card, a “pass” which allows you to work at any industrial or domestic site. Check the sector’s skills council, Summit Skills, to make sure you’re on the right course at www.summitskills.org.uk.

Your next step is to try and secure work in the field. But as Matt Darville, an engineer at electrical contractors’ body the NICEIC, says: “Offering to do jobs for virtually nothing is a good start.” Electricians start as “labourers”, or “mates”, for about £10 an hour. The next level is called an “improver”, at about £11. They work with electricians, handing him or her cables, knocking down walls, talking to clients – everything except the actual wiring. Without these skills, employers are unlikely to consider you when you become qualified. You have to prove you can get stuck in, stomach long periods outside in the rain, or up a pole if need be. The contacts and job opportunities you’ll get from doing this are potentially huge. The Electrical Contractors’ Association website, www.eca.co.uk, lists the employers with these types of jobs available. Iain Macdonald, of the ECA, urges you to get your pitch right before approaching them, though. If you’re willing, state that you can work at a beginners’ rates, or firms may assume someone like you is too expensive.