How have other done DIY solar systems? State say NEC 690 prohibits this.

[reader2580]

I talked to my electrical inspector today and he mentioned the state of Minnesota won't allow homeowners to install Solar PV systems even though homeowners can do all other electrical work themselves. NEC 690 says that only qualified personnel can do solar PV and it appears the state is enforcing this. How have others been able to DIY their own solar PV systems?

I already ordered my solar panels and I hope they haven't shipped yet so I can cancel the order.

There isn't a chance in the world that I can afford $3 a watt to install solar. That would be over $27,000 versus $10,000 to do it myself. The payback on a $27,000 system would be 25 years minimum based on my $800 a year electric bill.

[organic farmer]

... How have others been able to DIY their own solar PV systems?

I guess each state is different.

In my town roughly 1/4 of solar power users are net-metering. Those are done by certified installers and they cost a lot more to complete.

3/4 of solar power users in our town are strictly DIY and obviously are much lower cost, with battery banks.

... I already ordered my solar panels and I hope they haven't shipped yet so I can cancel the order.

Good luck

... There isn't a chance in the world that I can afford $3 a watt to install solar. That would be over $27,000 versus $10,000 to do it myself. The payback on a $27,000 system would be 25 years minimum based on my $800 a year electric bill.

I agree.

[SunEagle]

Almost the same issue in Florida. They require someone with both a Contractors license and a solar certification. That makes it very hard to get a legal grid tie system by DIY.

I would suspect that you look for someone that can meet your State's requirements that is willing to install the hardware you purchased. Good luck

[reader2580]

I am having a heck of a time getting a straight answer on if I can do a solar PV system myself.

I called the state electrical board who thought I could do it myself and referred me to an area rep. The area rep says I should be able to do it myself, but it depends on the power company. I talked to the engineer at my power company and their only requirement is that I get an inspection. I now have to talk to the local inspector again on Monday.

The electrical company engineer said he knows of several grid tie systems installed by homeowners.

[Plut]

There may be a Homeowners test you can take. In my state of New Mexico I was able to take a 20 question test. It was open book (NEC). I gave me the qualification to install at my own home. However it not give me the ability to do work for anyone else.

[SunEagle]

I am having a heck of a time getting a straight answer on if I can do a solar PV system myself.

I called the state electrical board who thought I could do it myself and referred me to an area rep. The area rep says I should be able to do it myself, but it depends on the power company. I talked to the engineer at my power company and their only requirement is that I get an inspection. I now have to talk to the local inspector again on Monday.

The electrical company engineer said he knows of several grid tie systems installed by homeowners.

Great. Lets hope you can perform a DIY system in your area. Keep us informed.

[Sunking]

It is not the state, it is local jurisdiction Politics plain and simple. You will see this in mostly Democratic controlled districts with a organised Union Labor. I have worked all 48 lower states and ran into this all the time. You usually see it in cities with Chicago and NYC being the worse. The Unions basically have bought and paid for the local politicians and regulators. Great example is Illinois. In most part of Illinois a home owner can pul permits, do the work themselves, and pray they pass inspections. In Cook County there is no way a homeowner can do any skill trade work on their homes. Cook County has gone so far as to amend their electrical code making it impossible for a HO. Example you must use conduit for any electrical work in residential installation. Union Reps cruise the streets looking for work being performed. When they find a job site they check to make sure a permit was pulled and union labor is being used. If not the Fire Marshall will be there in minutes to shut the work down. If you fail to comply, the sheriff is dispatched and will arrest anyone working. It is legal Racketeering. When the goberments does it, it is legal.

That may or may not be the case for you. In Dallas a HO can do their own work, but not commercial or industrial. In some cases you can justify it for public safety. A good example i sin a community where houses are just joined or in very close proximity to each other. In areas of CA codes are stricter because of seismic activity. Then there is your Insurance company, and they have something to say about it.

[peakbagger]

In NH, I could do a self install but in order to sell SRECS I have to have an licensed electrician sign off on the install. It says so in the enabling legislation. I found an electrician who wanted to learn how to do PV so I did the calculations and gave him the locations in the code book that was covering my design. I had a couple of 12 volt PV panels that I gave him for his off grid installation.

I expect you are running into a local code official whose brother in law owns the only electrical firm in town.

[reader2580]

It is not the state, it is local jurisdiction Politics plain and simple. You will see this in mostly Democratic controlled districts with a organised Union Labor. I have worked all 48 lower states and ran into this all the time. You usually see it in cities with Chicago and NYC being the worse. The Unions basically have bought and paid for the local politicians and regulators. Great example is Illinois. In most part of Illinois a home owner can pul permits, do the work themselves, and pray they pass inspections. In Cook County there is no way a homeowner

I live in a semi rural area that is very conservative and votes Republican reliably. There is no prohibition against homeowners doing any other electrical work. It is only photovoltaic systems that the inspector says I need to have a licensed electrician to install. The inspector is basing this on NEC 690.4(C) that states that PV can only be installed by qualified persons. The definition of qualified personnel in Article 100 is pretty vague.

I have already done two major electrical projects that passed inspection first time around. My standby generator install turned out to be very complex and a lot of work.

I'll see what the inspector has to say once I talk to him on Monday again. I have a line on a licensed electrician who will do the electrical for a reasonable price that is way less expensive than hiring a solar company to do the whole thing.

[foo1bar]

In Cook County there is no way a homeowner can do any skill trade work on their homes. Cook County has gone so far as to amend their electrical code making it impossible for a HO. Example you must use conduit for any electrical work in residential installation

That's just plain bull****.

A lot of parts of Cook county does require conduit for electrical work. (Maybe all, but there's a lot of different towns/villages in Cook County so you'd have to spend some time to check them all.)

Requiring conduit does NOT mean it's impossible for a HO to do electrical work (and do it up to code with permits and inspections.)

For example, Oak Park, IL requires conduit, but the owner can do the work.
"Single-family detached dwellings where the owner or tenant is doing the work may list Owner or Tenant as the contractor. Owners/tenants of single-family dwellings are not required to be licensed or insured."

http://www.oak-park.us/sites/default/files/forms/electric-permit-application.pdf

You will see this in mostly Democratic controlled districts with a organised Union Labor.

It looks to me like you're jumping to conclusions to match your view of the world (ie. if it's bad, it must be the democrats and the unions fault)

[foo1bar]

I'll see what the inspector has to say once I talk to him on Monday again.

Is it a one-man shop?
Is the inspector you're talking to the decision maker for the permit department?
I would look for whether there is an "owner-occupant" clause/law that you can say your work falls under.
Many cities and states do have one - but you'll have to find it for your state/county/village/city and see if it's worded such that you can use it to convince the head of the permit department.

[reader2580]

Is it a one-man shop?
Is the inspector you're talking to the decision maker for the permit department?
I would look for whether there is an "owner-occupant" clause/law that you can say your work falls under.
Many cities and states do have one - but you'll have to find it for your state/county/village/city and see if it's worded such that you can use it to convince the head of the permit department.

The electrical inspector here is an independent state electrical inspector who does electrical inspections for eleven different cities. I'm not sure who has the final say on electrical permits. I think I would have an awful hard time getting the the city to overrule the electrical inspector's decision.

Homeowners are allowed to do any electrical work on their house except solar.

[bcroe]

Homeowners are allowed to do any electrical work on their house except solar.

How about, if the solar is not part of the house? Bruce Roe

[organic farmer]

In my area, the state or town inspectors do not touch it. It is all controlled by the PoCo. The PoCos dictate the state law, and it is Poco inspectors that must approve each net-metering installation. But for off-grid systems, ...

[Sunking]

690 has nothing to do with it. It is local jurisdiction.