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  • #16
    Originally posted by DanS26 View Post

    A rod in the ground not connected to anything is just that......a rod in the ground.....it can be ignored.
    I like that. It probably just saved me a few hundred dollars!

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    • #17
      If you just want one panel and a battery for emergency power why even attach it to the house and hassle with permitting, code, etc. Set it next to the house, put the electronics in an outdoor enclosure, and keep it isolated and forget it. Run an extension cord indoors as needed.

      You could buy massive amounts of emergency batteries, think 18650 battery banks, that would run cells, LEDs, and flashlights for weeks for the cost of making a single solar panel and battery setup permitted and compliant.

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      • #18
        Originally posted by ImInPhxAZ View Post
        If you just want one panel and a battery for emergency power why even attach it to the house and hassle with permitting, code, etc. Set it next to the house, put the electronics in an outdoor enclosure, and keep it isolated and forget it. Run an extension cord indoors as needed.

        You could buy massive amounts of emergency batteries, think 18650 battery banks, that would run cells, LEDs, and flashlights for weeks for the cost of making a single solar panel and battery setup permitted and compliant.
        Yeah, that may be the way I have to go. My only thought on the permanently-mounted panel on the patio roof was that it could keep the battery charged at all times prior to a power outage, and of course during the outage. I also liked the idea of everything in the garage since I had the room, it was protected from weather and heat (here in FL) and during a storm I wouldn't have to run outside and plug in cords, run them through the patio, etc. The garage just offered some nice *convenience* features in that regard. Although now the whole project is sounding less and less *convenient". Anyone want to buy a 100 watt solar panel and a 100 amp-hour battery? I'm sure the shipping costs for the battery alone would totally make it a good deal.

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        • #19
          Originally posted by swbrains View Post
          I know the wire through the attic (which I will remove tomorrow regardless) is unfortunately not long enough to go from rod "B" to near the rear patio roof (where I would mount the panel. I do have another length of #4 that I was planning to use between the proposed rod "D" and existing rod "C". The two together could possibly make it from the opposite side of the patio roof (about 20 feet north of the panel location in my diagram) to rod "B". But they'd need to be connected somehow in between there which would likely be yet another ground rod, or perhaps a thermal weld or irreversible crimp.

          No, I hadn't been thinking about grounding the DC system -- is it actually an option or is it required for this type of setup?

          If the whole system were "floating" with no grounding whatsoever, then would the surge from a lightning strike near the panels be more likely to send high current *into* the house through the pos/neg power wires that come from the solar panel through the attic to the charge controller and inverter?
          A floating system is fine, just remember to fuse both the DC+ and DC- side of the battery.

          If the panels are floating (unconnected to ground in any way), how can current flow? Current requires a closed circuit.

          Yeah, my (code friendly) suggestion would be to put rod D on the same side of the house as A and B. Use your existing #4 connected to C to connect the PV frame to D. Use your short piece of #4 to connect D to B or A.

          If it were my house, I'd leave the PV system completely ungrounded and isolated from anything that might possibly connect to the house wiring, but I can *not* suggest that as advice.
          Last edited by sensij; 11-29-2017, 09:35 PM.
          CS6P-260P/SE3000 - http://tiny.cc/ed5ozx

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          • #20
            Originally posted by sensij View Post

            A floating system is fine, just remember to fuse both the DC+ and DC- side of the battery.

            If the panels are floating (unconnected to ground in any way), how can current flow? Current requires a closed circuit.

            Yeah, my (code friendly) suggestion would be to put rod D on the same side of the house as A and B. Use your existing #4 connected to C to connect the PV frame to D. Use your short piece of #4 to connect D to B or A.

            If it were my house, I'd leave the PV system completely ungrounded and isolated from anything that might possibly connect to the house wiring, but I can *not* suggest that as advice.
            Thanks again. I do currently have fuses on both battery cables so I got one thing right!

            Unfortunately I don't think either of the existing #4 wires that I have will make it from A/B to D if D is anywhere in the back yard.near the panel. I'd need to splice them to make it the full distance, but that creates another issue. Of course, if I had an electrician come out to drive the new ground rod, I guess he could do the irreversible splice as well at the same time.

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            • #21
              Do have an issue with the two ground rods being bonded via a wire through the attic?
              Yes, You are inviting a fire if you get a strike

              There are mechanical grounding, of the frames and racks, and the grounding of the wiring system.


              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 ||
              || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
              || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

              solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
              gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister

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              • #22
                Yeah, I'm removing the bonding jumper through the attic today.

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