- Coming up on this week's news,
it's been revealed that cowboy installers
of solar panels are causing up to 10 fires a month.
A court fines an energy firm 80,000 pounds
after an inspector dies in an electrical panel explosion
and the electrician who styles his daughter's hair
with cable ties.
Welcome to Electrical News Weekly
in association with SCAME.
Whether you're listening in the van onsite
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 as always, 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.
A freedom of information request has revealed
that rogue installers of solar panels are causing no fewer
than 10 fires a month across the UK.
Insiders say that the boom
in PV kit has brought a surge of cowboys into the industry
and they're leaving a trail of destruction in their wake.
Many firms are popping up and then disappearing,
leaving homeowners with problem panels with nowhere to go.
Increasing numbers of people are buying solar panels online
and trying to install them themselves.
This is a breach
of insurance companies' guidelines who recommend
that all installations are done
by qualified and certified professionals.
The average insurance claim
from a bodged solar panel job is now costing
around 8,000 pounds.
One installation in 2020 at a block
of flats in Kent caused 1.5 million pounds
of damage and made 30 people temporarily homeless.
Gareth Jones, vice president of the Federation
of Master Builders in Wales and boss
of Carbon Zero Renewable says the situation is frightening.
He tells householders
that going solar isn't like buying a toaster.
It's a big investment so you need to do your research.
His advice?
Get the best quality equipment
and have it fitted by an accredited company.
Theft of solar panels are still on the rise, say police
but they had a breakthrough against PV thieves this week
as they discovered a huge haul in Worcestershire.
Detectives say the kit was stolen
from various solar farms across the country.
Despite the raid, reports
of stolen equipment are increasing every week.
They advise the use of security and surveillance devices
for solar installations in vulnerable locations.
Another renewable energy source that's soaring
in popularity is heat pumps.
The tech received a major boost this week with the news
that top householder Redrow say they will scrap gas boilers
in all detached houses they build
and will fit air source heat pumps instead.
The firm said its decision would make it the first
of the UK's big developers to install heat pumps
and under floor heating as standard.
The government has ordered
that all new build homes must be gas free by 2025.
The government has also acted against a number of suppliers
of electric heaters this week.
It has banned their ads for saying that electric heat
is cheaper than gas.
The ads for the Instaheat, Keilini, Heater Pro
and Heater Pro X all suggested
they were a cheaper alternative
to gas central heating and could rapidly warm a room.
The advert for the Keilini heater
said it could heat every area
in a room in just 60 seconds.
The Energy Saving Trust said gas is currently cheaper
than electricity and it's more efficient
to heat a room with one radiator than a plug-in mini heater.
Electrical safety is also in the spotlight this week
as a judge fines an energy company 80,000 pounds
following the death of an asbestos inspector
in an explosion in an electrical panel.
Christopher Wayne Earley died from horrific injuries
after receiving an arc flash from a high tension busbar.
He suffered burns to a third of his body,
affecting his face, right arm, right side of his chest
and left hand.
Earley, who was due to retire within a year,
died from multiple infections and sepsis
three months later.
He was carrying out the survey
for Global Energy Nigg Limited at its Shop 7 premises
at Nigg Energy Park in the Cromarty Firth, Scotland.
An investigation by the Health
and Safety Executive found
the switch room Earley was surveying
was not in an appropriate condition.
The live switch panels did not have a warning label
indicating they were energized.
Additionally, there was no warning
of electrical danger at the internal doorway
between Shop 7 and the switch room.
The internal door itself was also missing.
This failure to maintain the switch room
in an appropriate condition was the underlying cause
of the incident.
And the judge ruled
that the primary duty of care belonged
to Global Energy Nigg Limited.
The company pleaded guilty
to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act.
Health and Safety Inspector Nile Mill said
that the incident could have easily been avoided
by simply carrying out the correct safe working practices.
Again, that is just such a tragic story again.
The team at eFIXX send their sincere condolences
to the family of Mr. Earley.
One way of ensuring those safe working practices is,
of course, to check that whoever's working
on a job is suitably qualified.
An easy way to do this and minimize any kerfuffle
is with an ECS card as it can be independently checked
with an app.
The Gold Card was upgraded this week
and it can now also show
if you're a qualified supervisor or electrical inspector.
The management of the scheme point out
that there's been a number
of updates recently to the required qualifications.
So the card should provide a suitable method for checking
that someone has the right qualifications for the job.
Someone with clearly the right qualifications
for the job is artist Lakwena Maciver
who has pimped an electrical substation in London
and turned it from a boring box
of transformers and switchgear
into an eye-catching landmark.
The structure is one of the first elements
of a new development in northwest London,
which will see 6,700 homes built
between Brent Cross and Brent Cross West Stations.
And finally, we turn our attention to one
of the most useful items in an electrician's toolbox.
Yes, we're talking about the humble cable tie.
It's been used as a creative solution to lots
of tricky problems, not just in electrical work.
Car mechanics often use them to fix wheel trims.
Police forces in some US states use them as handcuffs
and surgeons even use a special version
to rejoin the sternum after chest surgery.
No wonder some 100 billion cable ties
are produced every year.
Now US Spark Matt Kunz has found another use.
He doesn't sing His two daughters a lullaby.
He styles their hair with a cable tie.
He got the idea
when he couldn't find his girls' bobbles one morning.
His daughters Hendrix and Scout love the look.
So now they use cable ties just like their dad.
Coming up on our YouTube channel next week,
we've got lots of great content, including a Q&A
where I explain how swapping two phases
on a three-phase motor makes it spin backwards.
We drop knowledge on RCDs as we make one
of our ever popular CPD videos live to the masses.
And it's your final warning
that the closing date for entries
to the eFIXX Awards is tomorrow, Tuesday,
the 31st of January.
So don't worry about submitting your tax return.
Get your nomination in instead.
Actually, no, that's terrible advice.
Submit your tax return if you haven't already
and then do your awards nomination.
Pretty sure you can't win an award from debtors' prison.
Anyway, if you think you know the words that I've smuggled
into this week's show, pop your guess into the comments
and we'll dig out a goodie bag prize
to the first to get the right answers.
Last week's words were candy floss and hypotenuse.
And to be fair,
I don't think I did a very good job of smuggling them in
as it seemed like nobody didn't get them.
But the first one over the line was Pawel Banczyk.
So well done to you, Pawel.
Please click the link in the show notes to claim your prize.
Thanks for listening to this episode
of Electrical News Weekly in association with SCAME.
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.