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  • Surge protection for inverter

    Hi all,

    I had lightening run in on my modem and TV this past week and fry both of them. Im thinking it ran in on the internet coax cable frying only the modem and TV BUT not sure. Anyways, that got me thinking, how do you protect your inverter from a power surge? Is there any way? I have the solaredge se10k tied directly into my main with a 60 amp fuse. I read up on midnite solar surge protection to install, but it says you have to install it at the top of your electrical box above what you want to be protected. There is no way to do that with my setup since it is connected right into the main power into the house.

  • #2
    There is a large, expensive surge suppressor that mounts in the electrical meter socket. The power company has to install it, and you pay for it .

    Midnight Solar also produces AC & DC suppressors in different voltage ranges
    http://www.midnitesolar.com/products...tion%20Devices
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount (2) | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
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    • #3
      Originally posted by Mike90250 View Post
      There is a large, expensive surge suppressor that mounts in the electrical meter socket. The power company has to install it, and you pay for it .

      Midnight Solar also produces AC & DC suppressors in different voltage ranges
      http://www.midnitesolar.com/products...tion%20Devices
      The power surge protection that a POCO can provide only works on the AC power coming into the home.

      Lightning can find a path to your electronics through the coax or telephone wiring or even through ground conductors.

      It is damn near impossible to protect 100% from a lightning strike but going the surge protector route through your POCO will help.

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      • #4
        You can install a TVSS for your whole panel board. These are common in newer commercial load center. But they sell them for homes, too. How well they work, and the degree to which they would prevent all damage is somewhat questionable in my mind. Since the voltage spike and extra current will take the path(s) of least resistance given a large enough transient you may fry a number of things radiating out from the strike until all of the excess energy has been dissipated.

        I like Mike90250's suggestion -- let the PoCo "own it." I've never tried calling mine to see if they offer such a service.

        https://ewh.ieee.org/r3/nashville/events/2006/TVSS.pdf
        https://iaeimagazine.org/magazine/20...pressors-tvss/
        https://w3.usa.siemens.com/powerdist...rotection.aspx



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        • #5
          It means your CATV Service Ground is improperly configured. TVSS will not help.
          MSEE, PE

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          • #6
            Originally posted by Sunking View Post
            It means your CATV Service Ground is improperly configured. TVSS will not help.
            I wouldn't say that is necessarily true - I worked for Comcast as a field service tech for 8 years and saw many situations where the cable system was bonded properly and still had some equipment taken out. On the flip side I have seen drops literally blown out of the ground, and charred ports at the tap and ground block and no damage inside. I have learned that voltage will basically do whatever it wants and the outcome doesn't always make sense.

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