Complying with the regulations for photovoltaic installations is a fundamental part of the registration process. In this article we would like to talk to you about the electrical project and the technical report. Are they the same thing? When is an electrical project necessary for a photovoltaic installation? When is it not necessary?
Photovoltaic installation project: what is it?
When we talk about electrical installations (such as photovoltaic solar energy), the installation project is the technical document that defines all the characteristics that the electrical installation must have.
The project is not a single document, but consists of the descriptive memory of the installation, all the necessary drawings, the documents with all the calculations that justify the wiring and the protections to be used, the budget and the conditions of the materials to be used.
These documents must be drawn up and signed by an engineer or technical engineer, so that all current regulations are complied with.
In summary, the project includes all the necessary information for a low voltage electricity generation installation to be used for self-consumption (household appliances, lighting, small machinery, etc.).
When is it necessary to carry out a project?
Not all solar panel installations require an installation project. In order to know in which cases it is necessary, it is necessary to refer to the Low Voltage Electrotechnical Regulation, specifically to point 3 of ITC-BT 04.
This point of the technical instruction details all the cases in which an installation project is required, including the following point (which is the one we are interested in for photovoltaic self-consumption installations):
Low voltage generating installations from 10 kW.
Self-consumption installations, being electricity generation installations, are included in this point. Therefore, if the installation is of more than 10 kW, an electrical installation project must be carried out and signed by a competent technician. If the installation is less than 10 kW, a descriptive technical report (MTD) of the installation will be sufficient.
Another case in which a project will be necessary is when the connection to the grid is at high voltage (and not at low voltage). In these cases, a BAT will not be enough, but we will need an engineer to design and sign the installation.
At what point is it necessary to carry out the installation project?
The design of the installation is usually one of the first steps to be taken, since it contains important information for the commercial offer (size, number of panels, installation cost, etc.).
Are there differences in each autonomous community?
At this point there may be confusion since the processing of photovoltaic self-consumption installations includes procedures with local, regional and state administrations, depending on the power of the installation, the type of self-consumption, the type of connection, whether it is an individual or collective installation, etc.
As to whether an electrical installation project is necessary, there are no differences at the autonomous community level, since the Low Voltage Electrotechnical Regulation is applicable throughout the country.
The project will be necessary to present it to the industry council of the autonomous community when presenting the electrical bulletin, as previous step to create a contract with the electrical distributor of the zone. This step is done once the installation is already in place.
Therefore, and as we have already mentioned before, it will depend on the type of connection to the grid and the power of the installation whether a project or a report is necessary:
- The technical design report will be sufficient: if the connection is low voltage and with a power equal to or less than 10 kW, which must be prepared by a qualified installation company.
- A technical project will be required: if the connection is a low voltage connection with a power of more than 10 kWThe project must be drafted and signed by a qualified technician competent in electrical projects. And the same applies for connections to the high voltage network (for any power of the installation).
Where differences may appear between autonomous communities is in steps subsequent to the design of the facility, such as, for example, the request for environmental and public utility authorizations, or the request for prior administrative authorization and construction authorization, both of which are the responsibility of the autonomous communities.
A building permit will also be required, which depends on the City Council of the location of the installation, and in this sense each one may also present slight differences in terms of procedure and documentation to be submitted.
Do you need to streamline the management of your project documentation?
As we have seen, projects must have various documentation (drawings, budget, materials, descriptive memory, etc.). Having a suitable software tool can save you many hours in the preparation of all this documentation and reduce your delivery times. If you want to know how Wattwin can help you, please contact us.
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