Electrical safety
Do I need a DB upgrade for solar or an EV charger in South Africa?
Often yes — at least a partial DB (distribution board) rework. Hybrid solar and home EV chargers add breakers, surge protection and sometimes a higher main breaker or three-phase conversion so you can actually deliver the savings the quote promised. This is registered electrician work under SANS 10142 — not a weekend DIY job. Budget for DB labour on every serious quote; a cheap install on an unsafe board is how ROI and insurance both die.
Signals your board needs attention
- No spare ways for inverter AC, battery breaker, SPD or EV charger.
- Old ceramic fuses or undocumented DIY wiring.
- Earth-leakage (ELU/RCD) that cannot discriminate circuits safely.
- Installer wants an essentials / non-essentials split for backup.
- Adding ~7 kW EV charging on a busy single-phase supply.
What “good” looks like on a quote
Line items for: main isolator check, new breakers, labelled essentials bus, Type 2 SPD where required, neat trunking, and a fresh CoC. Vague “electricals Rxxx” with no board photo is a yellow flag.
Trade wholesalers (the Sonepar/Rexel pattern globally; Herholdt’s, ARB, Voltex, ACDC, SONAH and peers locally) exist so electricians can source compliant switchgear quickly — another reason serious installers buy through trade counters, not random imports.
Safety first
Never open a live DB yourself. Ask for before/after photos and keep the CoC with your house papers — insurers and buyers ask for it.