Doig's - Electrical, Data & Maintenance Services

26/03/2026

The new Pizza & Wing Company being built in Nigel Road, Springs.
Not long to go now and it will be open for business!

27/05/2025

Working at Heights can be challenging.
Our staff are certified and licensed to work at heights and operate the required machinery.

01/07/2023

We are proud construction partners of the brand new MD Carwash at the Sherwood Centre in Brakpan North.

We wish Michael and Dolores all the best and trust that their business will be truly blessed!

21/09/2022

PV INSTALLERS MUST BE ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS
12TH AUG 2022 ERIKA VAN ZYL
By Mark Mfikoe, ECA National Director

This article is taken from the July-August 2022 issue of the ECA(SA)’s magazine ‘SA Electrical Contractor’ and the original article can be downloaded from the ECASA Website

Photovoltaic (PV) installations are electrical installations. Nothing excludes them or makes them specialised. Like any other electrical installation work, PV installations are the domain of the Electrical Contracting Industry

Any contractor doing PV installation work, from installing solar panels to the actual energising of the building, must be an electrical contractor. An electrical contractor must be registered in terms of the Electrical Installation Regulations (2009) and must either be a licenced electrician or must employ one as a contracting firm in his full-time employ. The Electrical Installation Regulations define ‘electrical installation’ as “machinery, in or on any premises, that is used for the transmission of electrical energy from a point of control to a point of consumption anywhere on the premises, including any article that forms part of such an installation, irrespective of whether or not it is part of the electrical circuit.”

All new solar installations require the supervision and general control of an Installation Electrician or Master Installation Electrician.

No person other than an Installation Electrician (IE) and a Master Installation Electrician (MIE) can issue a Certificate of Compliance on a solar installation. No other qualification other than an IE or MIE can qualify a person to so do.

No solar installation is allowed to be used by any end-user without it having been inspected and certified as safe by an IE or an MIE. No other qualification is relevant for this purpose. Please note that a licenced Single Phase Tester cannot work with DC and may therefore not sign off on DC installations, which would include PV and any three-phase installations. Therefore, a person with a Single Phase Tester qualification cannot issue a Certificate of Compliance for solar installations.

We recognise that any electrical installation work, including PV installations, requires the installer to be competent and possess the necessary qualifications, experience and knowledge. Competence must be improved continually to stay at the cutting edge of the game. The ECA(SA) undertakes solar PV training and, this year, we will be doing so with much more intensity.

There are other organisations that offer solar PV training, and it must be kept in mind that any ‘card’ issued by PV training providers is only for supplementary training that expands your knowledge in relation to solar work and is not a qualification to do PV work. The Electrical Regulations in the OHS Act are clear about who may work in that environment and the only qualifying card is one that proves registration as an electrical contractor with the Department of Employment and Labour.

There are other organisations that offer solar PV training, and it must be kept in mind that any ‘card’ issued by PV training providers is only for supplementary training that expands your knowledge in relation to solar work and is not a qualification to do PV work. The Electrical Regulations in the OHS Act are clear about who may work in that environment and the only qualifying card is one that proves registration as an electrical contractor with the Department of Employment and Labour.

As Graham Clarke, an ECA(SA) member and owner of an electrical contracting company in Gqeberha, observes, “… the statement that solar installers are suppliers of electricity and that the isolator to the AC connect point is the point of control and therefore does not have to be carried out by an Electrical contractor as it is not part of the Electrical Installation is a myth and, if there was any doubt, this has been removed by the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the Electrical Regulations, as well as SANS 10142-1 ED3.01”.

All electrical contractors must register with the Bargaining Council for the Electrical Industry (SA) and have their employees governed by the applicable terms of service. The Bargaining Council understands this obligation and will enforce the provisions of the Main Collective Agreement and in particular, registration obligations.

It is illegal to install PV when you are not a registered electrical contractor. You can only qualify to be an Electrical Contractor if you employ an IE or an MIE or you are, yourself, such a person. Registered Electrical Contractors must be registered with the Department of Employment and Labour and the Bargaining Council for the Electrical Industry (SA). These registrations are not voluntary. There is no choice as to the obligation to be so registered. Failure to do so makes one an illegal operator.

More information: [email protected]

24/05/2022

We are inundated with requests for intallations of solar systems, generators, power packs and other electrical backup systems. Please feel free to share this article with your friends.

Basically, people have a few options. We will attempt to give you all the best advice based on our experience.

Option 1 - Stand alone battery and inverter systems

While this option is quiet to run, doesnt give off noxious fumes and is reasonably inexpensive, these sysyems are not ideal based on our current electrical supply problems being experienced in South Africa.

The disadvantages are as following:

1. They typicaly are not pure Sine wave output devices. A shaped electrical sine wave is ok for lights, routers, laptops, cell phones etc, but are a definite no no for fridges, deep freezers, aircons and other motor dependent appliances.
2. These systems requite a mains supply to charge their batteries. No mains supply equals no power when the batteries run flat.
3. They typically use cheaper lead acid or gel based batteries. These batteries don't handle repeated discharge and charge cycles that well.
4. They very often dont sync with a generator and dont charge properly when connected to a typical petrol based generator plant
5. Solar panels are not typically able to be used with these systems, unless separate charge controllers etc are added.

These systems are fine for short power outages, but are useless when it comes to extended power outages that last for many hours or even days.

Option 2: Petrol or diesel powered generators.

1. These systems typically dont give a very stable power output even if they do have Automatic Voltage Regulators built in.
2. They can be difficult to start and require regular maintenance to run properly. Less technically inclined people may not be able to do the needed air filter cleaning , carburettor setting etc.
3. Electric start generators are better for older people, children and weaker people who may battle to pull start the generator. Electric start generators need a charged battery to operate and if the battery is flat they become pull start generators.
4. They are not cheap to run. Petrol and Diesel prices make these a very expensive source of electricity generation . Also bare in mind that and extended power outage will have an influence on fuel availability.

Option 3: Hybrid Solar inverters.

While the initial cost of these sytems is higher than the previous options, these systems are the best for our current power crisis.

A decent inverter will have a pure sine wave output, remote monitoring and configuration for easy adaptations to climate conditions and state of the national grid etc.

A lithium iron based battery coupled to a good quality inverter is the safest bet. Lithium iron batteries can handle deep discharges and frequent charge /discharge cycles better than lead acid batteries.

Solar panels charge the batteries as long as there is sunshine.

One only needs a few solar panels to ensure some basic resilience even if there is an extended power outage and the system can be grown as ones finances allow.

Please feel free to contact us for custom based solutions for your power outage requirements. We can tailor a system best suited to your budget that will both save you money in the long term as well as keep your family and business smiling during the ever increasing load sheddings and extended power outages due to failing infrastructure.

All alternative power suppies should only be connected to your electrical reticulation by professionals who can ensure that your safety is not compromised.

09/09/2021

Hard at work building the new Pizza & Wings Company shop in the Sherwood Gardens shopping Centre!

15/09/2020

On the final stretch now. The new Sweet Orr showroom is looking good!

27/07/2020

The new premises for Sweet Orr clothing in Northrand Road in Boksburg is going to be awesome!

The team is hard at work transforming a shell into a masterpiece!

25/03/2020

We will be available for emergency repairs during this shut down period.

This service is for emergencies only, so we won't be doing new installations or alterations.

If someone in your home has been identified as Covid 19 infected, please let us know when you call us. The same applies if there is anyone in your home or business who is ill.
Our staff will have gloves, masks and eye protection.

Please keep small, curious children well away from us and any areas we may have to access to restore your electrical power.

Let's do this shut down responsibly.

God keep us all safe.

08/03/2019

This rat heard us busy opening the power skirting, and bit into a live cable while trying to escape.
She gave birth as she was electrocuted to death.

10/12/2018

These modular plugs really do make it easier to connect all your children and their friends' cell cell phone chargers this holiday season.

10/11/2018