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#6 grounding wire grounding rod?

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  • #6 grounding wire grounding rod?

    Im finishing up with my gound mount array and Im going to be running my #6 solid ground wire tomorrow to each of the panels and on each of the enphase micros. Can I drive a grounding rod in the ground near my array, or does it Have to be ran to my main AC panel ground bus bar inside my house?

  • #2
    Yes it does.
    MSEE, PE

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    • #3
      Originally posted by Sunking View Post
      Yes it does.
      Isn't there an exception for bonding for remote ground mount array's? At least in the 2008?
      And running it to and connecting it to the ground buss would be a violation at least here. It must attach with an irreversable connection to the GEC.
      Last edited by Naptown; 10-06-2012, 10:17 PM.
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      • #4
        Originally posted by Naptown View Post
        Isn't there an exception for bonding for remote ground mount array's? At least in the 2008?
        Not that I am aware of. Were you thinking 690.5

        Exception No. 1: Ground-mounted or pole-mounted photovoltaic
        arrays with not more than two paralleled source
        circuits and with all dc source and dc output circuits isolated
        from buildings shall be permitted without groundfault
        protection.
        MSEE, PE

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        • #5
          This is an enphase installation. ECG must be carried back to the grounding buss.
          Bondng In this case would be 2 parallel strings of inverters, mounted remotely.
          DC source and output would be isolated Inverter output would be no more than 2 parallel circuits.
          Ground ault protection is integral with those inverters.
          Probably a judgement call by the AHJ.
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          • #6
            Originally posted by Naptown View Post
            This is an enphase installation. ECG must be carried back to the grounding buss.
            Bondng In this case would be 2 parallel strings of inverters, mounted remotely.
            DC source and output would be isolated Inverter output would be no more than 2 parallel circuits.
            Ground ault protection is integral with those inverters.
            Probably a judgement call by the AHJ.


            So run it back to the buss bar in my panel in my house?

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            • #7
              Running it to the buss bar would not be an irreversable splice you will need to crimp it to the ground wire in the service panel or near the grounding point.
              NABCEP certified Technical Sales Professional

              [URL="http://www.solarpaneltalk.com/showthread.php?5334-Solar-Off-Grid-Battery-Design"]http://www.solarpaneltalk.com/showth...Battery-Design[/URL]

              [URL]http://www.calculator.net/voltage-drop-calculator.html[/URL] (Voltage drop Calculator among others)

              [URL="http://www.gaisma.com"]www.gaisma.com[/URL]

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              • #8
                Wow, who in their right mind would want to route a lightening hit back thru their house into the main panel? Ground loop voltage could be huge. Does the grd wire go under the house or thru the attic? Your main panel grd is for only bonding the the inverter and the negitive pv cable to grd. I would Ground the array with a 8' grd rod below your combiner box for the shortest path to grd, not thru your house to the main panel.
                Ret. System Dispatcher PG&E San Francisco

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by Bobodude View Post
                  Wow, who in their right mind would want to route a lightening hit back thru their house into the main panel? Ground loop voltage could be huge. Does the grd wire go under the house or thru the attic? Your main panel grd is for only bonding the the inverter and the negitive pv cable to grd. I would Ground the array with a 8' grd rod below your combiner box for the shortest path to grd, not thru your house to the main panel.
                  take it up with the NFPA
                  NABCEP certified Technical Sales Professional

                  [URL="http://www.solarpaneltalk.com/showthread.php?5334-Solar-Off-Grid-Battery-Design"]http://www.solarpaneltalk.com/showth...Battery-Design[/URL]

                  [URL]http://www.calculator.net/voltage-drop-calculator.html[/URL] (Voltage drop Calculator among others)

                  [URL="http://www.gaisma.com"]www.gaisma.com[/URL]

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Bobodude View Post
                    Wow, who in their right mind would want to route a lightening hit back thru their house into the main panel? Ground loop voltage could be huge. Does the grd wire go under the house or thru the attic? Your main panel grd is for only bonding the the inverter and the negitive pv cable to grd. I would Ground the array with a 8' grd rod below your combiner box for the shortest path to grd, not thru your house to the main panel.
                    We only recommend sticking with the code requirements - the codes are there for a reason and established after considerable thought.
                    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Naptown View Post
                      take it up with the NFPA
                      Ya mean those guys that stuff my mailbox with endless deals?
                      Ret. System Dispatcher PG&E San Francisco

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                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Bobodude View Post
                        I would Ground the array with a 8' grd rod below your combiner box for the shortest path to grd, not thru your house to the main panel.
                        That is best practice but you are steel required to bond all electrodes to form a common system. It would be extremely dangerous if you did not.
                        MSEE, PE

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                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Sunking View Post
                          That is best practice but you are steel required to bond all electrodes to form a common system. It would be extremely dangerous if you did not.
                          I should have qualified my statement by including the fact my array is 75 ft from the inverter and the NEC provides for an alternate structure ground, not a negitive pv conductor grd. I also have a midnight lightening arrestor on the pv conductors located at the combiner box to help keep any surge from damaging the charge controller. I also installed two 8' ground rods, 6ft apart, at the main panel grounding the ground buss thru a short length of #2 cu. This is in addition to the standard Ufer in the foundation. Another Midnight lightening arrestor hung across the 220 buss at the main panel helps on the grid side. Before my solar install, lightening hits nearby have blown out two GFI bkrs and smoked my phone system. I am accutely aware of what mother nature can do.
                          Ret. System Dispatcher PG&E San Francisco

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                          • #14
                            Running it to the buss bar would not be an irreversable splice you will need to crimp it to the ground wire in the service panel or near the grounding point.
                            Land wire to the bus bar. You don't need to splice it. IF you splice it to a grounding conductor, THEN it needs to be an irreversable splice.

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                            • #15
                              Originally posted by unclebeer View Post
                              Running it to the buss bar would not be an irreversable splice you will need to crimp it to the ground wire in the service panel or near the grounding point.
                              Land wire to the bus bar. You don't need to splice it. IF you splice it to a grounding conductor, THEN it needs to be an irreversable splice.
                              EGCs do not need to be splice free, but GECs do, right?
                              SunnyBoy 3000 US, 18 BP Solar 175B panels.

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