Wiring the AC branch circuits for microinverter syustem

[Schlag96]

... so I have five branches with 5 panels each, two AC circuits, grouped together by 10 and 15 panels each (astronergy 255 and enphase 215)

I've got the enphase cables terminating in junction boxes at the end of each of the five rails... and I've got 12/3 wire running through conduits to the main panel.

My question - am I wiring the panel strings in series? Parallel? Each enphase wire has red/black/white/ground because it's 240 AC going down to the panel.

And then when I get down to the panel does it matter which side of the Dual Pole breaker that the black and red go into?

Thanks!

[inetdog]

... so I have five branches with 5 panels each, two AC circuits, grouped together by 10 and 15 panels each (astronergy 255 and enphase 215)

I've got the enphase cables terminating in junction boxes at the end of each of the five rails... and I've got 12/3 wire running through conduits to the main panel.

My question - am I wiring the panel strings in series? Parallel? Each enphase wire has red/black/white/ground because it's 240 AC going down to the panel.

And then when I get down to the panel does it matter which side of the Dual Pole breaker that the black and red go into?

Thanks!

1. You need to get an actual electrician involved with your installation, at least to do a sanity check and inspection of the work. The chances of fire or electrocution in this situation are far too high to leave you in charge of a DIY installation with your present level of knowledge!

2. You are wiring the microinverters in parallel on their proprietary interconnect cable harness. You will then be wiring the harnesses in parallel, but may need to use individual breakers for each harness, depending on the microinverter instructions and the current levels involved.

3. It does not matter where the red and black go as long as you have a two pole common trip breaker that is connected to opposite phase bus bars in the panel. If you do not know how to verify that, you should not be doing the work yourself.

4. You need to take care to properly ground the panels frames and racking, and the ground screw on each micro will probably not be enough to do this by itself.

[Schlag96]

1. You need to get an actual electrician involved with your installation, at least to do a sanity check and inspection of the work. The chances of fire or electrocution in this situation are far too high to leave you in charge of a DIY installation with your present level of knowledge!

2. You are wiring the microinverters in parallel on their proprietary interconnect cable harness. You will then be wiring the harnesses in parallel, but may need to use individual breakers for each harness, depending on the microinverter instructions and the current levels involved.

3. It does not matter where the red and black go as long as you have a two pole common trip breaker that is connected to opposite phase bus bars in the panel. If you do not know how to verify that, you should not be doing the work yourself.

4. You need to take care to properly ground the panels frames and racking, and the ground screw on each micro will probably not be enough to do this by itself.

exactly the answers i needed, thank you.

The local inspector has been very helpful and yes everything involved in this installation is solid. I have continuous 6 AWG copper as my GEC clamped to every rail with a WEEB clamp. Every panel is grounded to the iron ridge light rails with WEEB fittings. I have two 8 foot copper rods 6.5 feet apart. my panel ground also runs continuous to the rods, and is also bonded to my hot and cold water and gas.

I do have two DP breakers waiting for my reds and blacks and yes I can verify they're on different sides of the bus bar because they are the Murray ones where you have a DP in the middle and two singles on the outsides.

The chances of electrocution are zero unless I unwrap the pretty red tape the Socal Edison crew put over the ends of my disconnected main service lines. Bastards won't even hook me back up till I "pass inspection." Grumps.

EDIT: Passed final inspection this morning. Inspector said I did a "good job."

Woot!