What about can I expect from panels on a cloudy day?

[Mike90250]

As several well respected members posted, there is a lot of electronics that comes in metal cabinets.

And those are generally Rated Cabinets, well engineered, with proper knockouts and mounting hardpoints.

[sdold]

Those are panel-mounted components so the metal panel makes sense, but using a road sign looks really odd. It makes one wonder why you didn't at least turn it over and use the bare metal side. That equipment looks like it belongs in at least a NEMA 4 rainproof cabinet, are you sure it's OK where it is, exposed like that?

[Ampster]

The fuss is all about thinking ahead. Voltage. Insulation. AC DC insulated components. What if this goes wrong?
..........

The poster asked a number of ways what could go wrong and did not get a clear answer about mounting on metal. He was not building a Spacecraft so why would those standards apply? He did asked why airplanes can mount electronics on metal and got no response from the Spacecraft Engineer. That was what I meant by fuss. Anybody can say the sky is falling, the value of forums like this are that people can get valuable feedback.
To be clear I am not advocating unsafe practices. As several well respected members posted, there is a lot of electronics that comes in metal cabinets.

[Mike90250]

I don't see a problem either. I don't know what all the fuss was about.

The fuss is all about thinking ahead. Voltage. Insulation. AC DC insulated components. What if this goes wrong?

Some people want to be validated for bad work. Now there appears a 120VAC breaker panel next to the metal plate. Which wires cross where? I say I don't like it because I have lots of questions. Someone else is happy if it's DC <50V

The fuss is 40 years of spacecraft engineering experience where all things get considered. That does not go away lightly,

[Ampster]

Looks good to me

I don't see a problem either. I don't know what all the fuss was about.

[SunEagle]

120V stuff is in a little Eaton panel fed with 30 amps.

Looks good to me

[SunEagle]

This is just silly. Metal conduit and boxes come to mind as well as almost every household appliance. They do not use "non-conductive" materials. They use EGC to ensure the breaker comes into play should the metal surfaces become energized.

This reminds me of people that think bathroom outlets can't be too close to the sink.

This forum is full of people using charge controllers and inverters that are not UL listed and do not really have proper protection inside the units. This stuff poses far more fire or electrocution danger than mounting 12V equipment to an aluminum sheet.

As I have said if the voltage is DC and below 50V then you have nothing to worry about. As for others that perform a DIY electrical installation not using UL listed or over current protection is a gamble. Most people do not just use battery voltage to power their loads. The have some type of inverter that not only boosts the voltage but inverts it to AC. Those are the ones that I try to steer away from what they are doing or at least get some professional electrical help.

[SunEagle]

It's 12V stuff except for the red/green 120V display which is hooked to an arc fault/gfci breaker.

Certainly you both aren't asserting airplane instrument panels, vehicle dashboards and equipment like excavators and the like are made of cement tile backer board.

You are correct. If all of the voltages are DC and below 50V then you should have nothing to worry about. But if any source is AC and above 50V look out.

[bcroe]

In a lifetime of electronic work, EVERYTHING has been mounted in metal. I have
seen a few connections fail and burn up insulation near them, but the surrounding
metal eliminated fire risk. All here is in metal boxes or conduit, OK to mount stuff
on a concrete wall. YES all that metal is tied into a robust grounding system. Big.
connections bolted to wood make me cringe. good luck, Bruce Roe

[SunEagle]

I caution about using metal for mounting electrical components onto. If you feel comfortable with your skill set, have fun.

I agree. Based on my experience a metal based will eventually get energized due to loss of a ground. That can lead to a shock or electrocution. Electrical equipment should be mounted to non conducting material which increases the ability of being insulated and reduced the electrical path to ground through a human.

[Mike90250]

I caution about using metal for mounting electrical components onto. If you feel comfortable with your skill set, have fun.

[Mike90250]

Ok. What do you think is dangerous about my particular install and what should I do about it?

you should use it away from your main house in case of fire. Have all edges been deburred? insulation rated for the proper temperature and compression ?

[checkthisout]

I don't know what to buy either, but I'm looking for approximately 2000 watt PSW inverter and appreciate that you document your build. From what you and Chrisski have shown on your builds, I can see that my RV manufacturer can't crimp wire to terminals. I have bought new terminals, crimpers and strippers to redo it myself.

I have a hydraulic crimper that has varying dies. It makes an octagonal-shaped crimp. Then just purchase heat shrink and raw cable and make them as needed.

if your wire is close to the amp limit and you feel the connections getting warm then it doesn't hurt to flood the the terminal with some solder after crimping and before heat-shrink is applied.

[Mike90250]

Using a recycled metal plate as a electrical mounting surface is a poor choice, IMHO.

Because it's metal or because it's recycled and why?

Because you ask, means you don't understand what can and does go wrong.

Most electrical boxes are metal, with specific engineering constraints built in, like pre-stamped holes, proper spacing for the load capacity of the box, and
the correct finishes to prevent corrosion and electrical leakage. Many are heavy cast metal, not stamped sheet metal. Heavy metal spreads heat rapidly and prevents hot spots from developing fire, thin metal will encourage char behind, where you cannot see it.
People often use plywood, thinking it's a good solid insulator, but it burns. Cement board ( like for a bathtub tile surround) is strong and fireproof, but tougher to work with.

[oregon_phil]

Ok. Might start a new thread. My AIMS 3000 pure sine inverter just quit.

I'm about to cry here...not literally but what the heck?

DOA charge controllers etc now I get that working and my inverter quits..

Just past the 30 day return window on Amazon too. Hopefully their warranty process is smooth. If not, then who makes a good quality 3kw inverter?

I don't know what to buy anymore.

I don't know what to buy either, but I'm looking for approximately 2000 watt PSW inverter and appreciate that you document your build. From what you and Chrisski have shown on your builds, I can see that my RV manufacturer can't crimp wire to terminals. I have bought new terminals, crimpers and strippers to redo it myself.