Hardware
Why does earth leakage trip after a solar install in South Africa?
Most post-solar earth-leakage trips are shared RCDs, wet-circuit mixing, EV/charger Type mismatch, or a neutral-earth fault introduced on the backup board — not "the panels leaking." Treat it as a CoC electrician problem: identify which RCD trips, which loads share it, and whether the hybrid's backup neutrals are bonded as the OEM and wiring rules require.
Updated 27 October 2026 · Illustrative ranges — not a formal quote, credit decision or legal advice.
Answer first: Note which breaker/RCD trips (main, backup, wet circuit, EV). Photograph the board labels. Do not keep resetting into a persistent earth fault. Call the registered person who signed the CoC — CoC · earthing · DB upgrades · RCD Type B.
Common SA buckets
| Bucket | What to check |
|---|---|
| Shared RCD too sensitive | Backup + wet + EV on one device |
| Wrong RCD type for EV | Type A where Type B / OEM rule applies |
| Neutral-earth on backup | Bonding / MEN behaviour vs OEM manual |
| Moisture / outdoor sockets | Garden, borehole, pool boards after rain |
| Damaged DC side blamed on AC RCD | Separate — DC arcs need isolation checks — MC4 |
Worked homeowner log
- Time of trip vs Stage restore or rain.
- Which loads were on (geyser, pool, wallbox).
- Whether the hybrid showed an earth / isolation alarm.
- Photo of the RCD that moved.
Hand that pack to the electrician. Blind breaker upgrades without diagnosis waste money — nuisance trips · inspector tips.
EV and wet circuits
Wallboxes and pool equipment are frequent co-travellers on earth-leakage drama. Separate protection where the design allows; follow the OEM RCD type — EV wiring · pool pump · SPDs.
What not to do
- Do not bridge out the RCD "temporarily."
- Do not lift earth conductors to stop trips.
- Do not blame the metro meter first — finish the board diagnosis.
Related: dual-supply labels · choose installer · red flags.
Homeowner folder to keep with the CoC
Store the quote annexures, OEM manuals, serial photos, export-limit screenshots and metro reference letters together. When a future technician or buyer inherits the plant, that folder beats scattered WhatsApps — choose installer · selling with solar · warranty transfer.
Re-check fixed charges and tariff codes after any meter change so savings models stay honest — fixed charges · 2026/27 tariffs · metro tariffs hub · bill still high.
Field notes from SA handovers
At commissioning, ask the partner to demonstrate the behaviour described on this page, photograph settings, and confirm NRS-listed SKUs match the invoice. Refuse non-listed gear and export promises that ignore your metro’s live PDF — red flags · NRS list · SSEG · read a quote.
Why the RCD suddenly "discovered" the hybrid
Many older homes ran for years on one upstream earth-leakage device that was already near its nuisance threshold. Adding a hybrid backup board, EV wallbox tails, pool DB feed and outdoor sockets stacks milliamps of healthy leakage until the device trips on rain or Stage restore. That is not proof the panels are leaking into the roof; it is proof the protection topology was never redesigned for the new plant. A registered person should re-zone RCDs so wet, EV and backup circuits are not fighting one tired device — DB upgrades · RCD Type B · EV wiring.
Backup neutral / earth bonding traps
Hybrid OEM manuals are explicit about when the backup neutral may bond to earth in island mode and when it must not. A board wired as if it were a generator ATS can create a second earth reference that trips upstream RCDs the moment the hybrid islands. Dual-supply labels exist partly so the next electrician does not "fix" the wrong bond — dual-supply labels · changeover ATS · earthing.
Worked diagnosis order (homeowner + electrician)
- Identify the exact device that moved; photograph it.
- Open one downstream circuit at a time (pool, wallbox, outdoor, backup) until the trip stops.
- Insulation / earth-loop tests on the guilty circuit — not a blind breaker upgrade.
- Confirm EV RCD type against the wallbox OEM sheet.
- Confirm hybrid island bonding matches the manual and the CoC drawing.
Budget a proper diagnosis call rather than three WhatsApp "just reset it" visits. Persistence after rain or after every Stage restore is a board problem, not bad luck — nuisance trips · inspector tips · CoC.
Insurance and safety framing
Bridging out an RCD to "stop the annoyance" is how small faults become claim-denial stories. Keep the plant safe, log the trips, and escalate with photos. Insurers increasingly ask whether earth-leakage protection remained in service after solar — answer from the CoC, not from memory — insurance · red flags · choose installer.
Related load notes
Pool equipment, borehole starters and gate motors often share wet or outdoor boards that were marginal before solar arrived. If those loads moved onto the hybrid essentials board without new protection, expect drama on the first wet Stage evening — pool pump · borehole · gate / alarm · essentials.
Stage restore coincidence
When the street returns, voltages swing and wet outdoor boards that sat idle through rain suddenly energise. If earth leakage only trips in that window, log it against the Eskom app Stage end before buying a new main RCD. Pattern data saves the electrician hours — load shedding · Stage strategy · SPDs.
EV wallbox as the usual co-accused
Type mismatch on the wallbox circuit is a top post-solar complaint. Confirm the OEM-required RCD type on the charger datasheet, not on a general DB catalogue page. Portable EV chargers on domestic sockets create their own earth-leakage stories — keep them off shared wet circuits — home charger cost · EV charger desk · EV guide.
Rand and paperwork discipline
Keep invoices, CoC, SSEG references, export-limit screenshots and tariff codes in one folder. When the next technician, buyer or insurer asks what was commissioned, that pack beats a WhatsApp scroll — choose installer · selling with solar · warranty transfer · read a quote.
Re-check fixed charges after any meter or tariff change so the savings model stays honest — fixed charges · 2026/27 tariffs · metro tariffs · bill still high · monthly savings.
Commissioning demo worth insisting on
Before final payment, ask the partner to demonstrate the behaviour this page describes: which breaker moves, which schedule runs, which meter SKU applies, or which isolator locks out. Photograph the proof into the handover folder with the CoC. A demo that cannot be shown usually cannot be supported later — choose installer · red flags · CoC · NRS list.
Where this page sits in the desk
Use this answer for the narrow decision, then jump to hubs for the wider plan: load shedding for Stage sizing, costs & savings for bill maths, batteries for usable kWh, panels & inverters for hardware, and check a quote before you pay a deposit. Tariff context stays on metro tariffs and 2026/27 tariffs.
Maintenance rhythm after month one
Revisit settings after the first full billing cycle and after the first serious Stage week. Export a monitoring CSV, compare to the metro bill, and note any nuisance trips or fan behaviour. Small corrections early are cheaper than annual arguments — monitoring numbers · yearly maintenance · monthly savings · bill still high.
Desk deepen — earth leakage trip after solar sa
Homeowner action this month
Export monitoring CSVs, photograph the board labels, and reconcile one municipal bill against production. If Stage windows are lengthening, revisit SoC reserves before buying more panels — monitoring · SoC settings · Stage 4 · export vs self-use.
Quote / paperwork hygiene
- Incl. VAT line items and NRS SKUs where relevant.
- Who owns SSEG and meter appointments.
- Warranty registration deadlines on paper.
read a quote · SSEG · warranties · CoC · check a quote.
Lock the decision rule into the handover pack
Write one clear operating rule for this topic — what stays on, what stays off, which setting is correct, and who to call. Store it with the CoC and monitoring login. Households that rely on memory fail the first awkward Stage 4 evening.
Revisit the rule when you add loads or change tariff. Stale rules create expensive surprises on the next bill.
Quick questions
Is a single trip after rain normal?
Moisture on outdoor circuits can nuisance-trip once; repeated trips need a board diagnosis.
Can a wrong EV RCD type cause this?
Yes — Type mismatch on wallbox circuits is a top post-install complaint.
Should I reset every hour?
No — persistent earth faults are a call, not a habit.
Sources & related
- Solar News 24 — earthing & bonding
- Solar News 24 — what is a CoC
- Solar News 24 — RCD Type B / EV
- Solar News 24 — DB board upgrades