Building Control minefield - New installation, by a newbie!

[KLD]

Desperate,

I'd make that dependent on whether there is a difference in charges for (a) building notice to diy install solar, or (b) building notice to diy install solar and also do the electrical work diy. If there's no difference in charges, then let them find and pay your pal 

Klaus

[desperate]

Klaus

BC wont get into electrical testing/contracting it out, but all the rest is a simple eyeball job for them, so I feel if I call them armed with a MWC then it eases the situation. Admittedly I have an arrangement with the spark, I do his gas, he does my wrigglys.

Desp

[KLD]

Oh, I've just done the wiring in our new extension diy. I called BC beforehand, they had a day thinking about it, and agreed that the testing / certification of the electrical installation is their responsibility.  Eventually, I'll need to notify them that I'm finished polishing the cables, and they'll send a sparky 'round.

Klaus

[ericw]

I think this is from the Domestic Heating Compliance Guide: http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/uploads/br/BR_PDF_PTL_DOMHEAT.pdf
Table 32 is on p66.

Its interesting to see what information should to be labelled on a solar collector. (Table 32)
Largely secondary stuff and absolutely nothing about performance.
As the industry presumably had an the main input in this document, why are they so reluctant to provide a yardstick for comsumers to see how good their products are. Doesn't it just encourage the cowboys?

[KLD]

Its interesting to see what information should to be labelled on a solar collector. (Table 32)
Largely secondary stuff and absolutely nothing about performance.
As the industry presumably had an the main input in this document, why are they so reluctant to provide a yardstick for consumers to see how good their products are. Doesn't it just encourage the cowboys?

And they are quite open about it (page4):

The guide was prepared with the assistance of industry bodies.

The requirements for labelling the panels look odd, to say the least. If it was to inform the customer about the panel's performance, then why indeed not state that clearly? OTOH If it was just so that safety parameters (max stagnation temp, manifold volume, freezing temp of solar fluid) are given to inform the customer / servicing engineer, then why state the irrelevant bits?
Do we have to assume that the cowboys have made it into gov departments 

Klaus

[trubble]

OP - do you feel confident in doing the wiring yourself? If so, do it.
Getting BC involved really isn't necessary, it's a waste of money, and come the revolution (I believe it starts next week), you'll be able to do what you like anyway as they won't even have the money to pay for the petrol for a site visit.
If you're not confident, pay an electrician.
Incidentally, for my extension (done under permitted development - ha!), as it involved a bathroom I had to pay £200 for a fat messy bloke to sweat on my new floor for two hours and then fill some forms in. The rest of it including upgrading 1970's earth bonding and a new ring main I did myself, certainly neater and tidier but unfortunately producing just as much sweat.
For the roof, you need a structural engineer - at a cost of a couple of hundred quid - to tell you wind loading vs shoe size vs snow loading vs joist depth vs planetary alignment is ok.
Or, as you've already done, jump on the roof. If it moves, it's not strong enough. If it doesn't move, it'll withstand the weight of solar panels.
Note if you move house you have to fill some new public sector occupation forms in asking whether you've had any wiring done, and whether you have bits of paper to prove it.
Acceptable answers are 'No' or 'Yes - here's the bit of paper that cost me £150', or the best option which is 'Yes - and I don't have any paperwork, so here's £50 for an indemnity policy to cover it'.
Safety doesn't come into it - they want their forms filled in correctly so they can tick all their little boxes and feel useful, oh, and more importantly they want your money. Avoid.