Connecting to a Load Center

[asmith66]

See the pictures for my setup.

One 6500, two Lifepower 48v batteries, 6 455 watt panels, off grid system.

I'm trying to connect to the inverter to the load center. It ain't working. I have one test outlet wired and it's not getting power. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

In the attached photo:

One green ground to the inverter.

One green ground to the pv's and then to a grounding rod.

White neutral from inverter connected to the bus bar. Ground neutral bonding screw is inserted.

Black line from the inverter to double pole 60 amp breaker. Wire is connected to the pole that feeds the left side of the load center.

At the top I wired one wall outlet to a 20 amp breaker breaker. Both line and neutral go to the breaker and ground to the bus bar.

I am off grid and have only one inverter. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. Remember, this is the beginers corner so reply back to me like I am as ignorant as I am. Slang, abbreviations etc might go over my head.

 

[#40Fan]

Both breakers are off.

I don't know of a breaker that you attach both neutral and hot to.

 

[zanydroid]

Your N-G bonding setup is messed up (but it probably won't affect functioning). You have N-G bond in the panel and in the inverter. You should only have one N-G bond. OR, when you said "Ground neutral bonding screw is inserted." You mean the green one in the panel, and the one in the inverter is removed? In that case it's fine.

Neutral will be connected to AFCI or GFCI breaker. But that breaker looks wrong, I don't see anything supplying it with neutral. THere should be a neutral pigtail if it's non-plug on neutral, and there is no PON bar on this loadcenter. The outlet won't power up without the neutral.

Have you tried testing with a regular non-AFCI/GFCI breaker? To simplify. Or. Have you used a multimeter to test the voltage on the bus bar?

What kind of info does the EG4 print out about its status? Is it seeing the solar and battery?

If this is off-grid why are you backfeeding from the 60A? Is that just because the main breaker does not go down to 60A? Should plate over the main breaker and use a hold down on that 60A. But it doesn't really matter for why it doesn't work.

Overall it looks good, you have the breakers attached to the correct leg busbars. I assume this is a temp testing setup and you'll encase the solar PV conductors in metallic conduit. Or you don't care b/c no inspections / have gamed out your risk tolerance.

That battery breaker does not look like the recommended type/size on the forum. I'm not an expert though.

 

[wildbillpdx]

Never mind...

 

[Supervstech]

See the pictures for my setup.

One 6500, two Lifepower 48v batteries, 6 455 watt panels, off grid system.

I'm trying to connect to the inverter to the load center. It ain't working. I have one test outlet wired and it's not getting power. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

In the attached photo:

One green ground to the inverter.

One green ground to the pv's and then to a grounding rod.

White neutral from inverter connected to the bus bar. Ground neutral bonding screw is inserted.

Black line from the inverter to double pole 60 amp breaker. Wire is connected to the pole that feeds the left side of the load center.

At the top I wired one wall outlet to a 20 amp breaker breaker. Both line and neutral go to the breaker and ground to the bus bar.

I am off grid and have only one inverter. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. Remember, this is the beginers corner so reply back to me like I am as ignorant as I am. Slang, abbreviations etc might go over my head.

I don’t see how you have the load connected… neutral cannot go to the breaker… it needs to go to the neutral bus.

 

[Rednecktek]

I don’t see how you have the load connected… neutral cannot go to the breaker… it needs to go to the neutral bus.

The neutral is going to the bus bar, on the left last screw down below the 2 green wires.

Your breaker with the single black wire is only feeding the right half of the bus bar, your test breaker is on the left half. Put a jumper in the 2 screws of your double pole incoming breaker, that'll feed power to the other half of the bus bar.

You should be getting 120v between the bus bars and the neutral bar on each side. If not, make sure the inverter is showing 120v output and isn't shut off somehow.

 

[Supervstech]

The neutral is going to the bus bar, on the left last screw down below the 2 green wires.

Your breaker with the single black wire is only feeding the right half of the bus bar, your test breaker is on the left half. Put a jumper in the 2 screws of your double pole incoming breaker, that'll feed power to the other half of the bus bar.

You should be getting 120v between the bus bars and the neutral bar on each side. If not, make sure the inverter is showing 120v output and isn't shut off somehow.

No...
I mean on the top breaker, he said he has neutral connected to the breaker...

 

[Adam De Lay]

Your biggest issue is that your yellow line at the top of your breaker box, you connected both the white and black wires to the breaker. The breaker you have is not a specialized breaker that uses both of those wires. You only need to run the black wire to the breaker. The white wire goes to the same bus bar that you have your ground connected to.

Since you have the green ground screw in the breaker box (and your ground and neutral lines on the same bus bar), you will want to make sure you update your inverter to the latest firmware (79.71) and then set option 42 to ENA.

 

[Rednecktek]

No...
I mean on the top breaker, he said he has neutral connected to the breaker...

Aaahh, I see. I was looking at the bottom breaker, but yeah, that Neutral on the yellow wire on top needs to go to the Neutral bus bar.

 

[niktak11]

The neutral is going to the bus bar, on the left last screw down below the 2 green wires.

Your breaker with the single black wire is only feeding the right half of the bus bar, your test breaker is on the left half. Put a jumper in the 2 screws of your double pole incoming breaker, that'll feed power to the other half of the bus bar.

You should be getting 120v between the bus bars and the neutral bar on each side. If not, make sure the inverter is showing 120v output and isn't shut off somehow.

That breaker on the top is on the same leg as the top pole of the double pole breaker

 

[Supervstech]

That breaker on the top is on the same leg as the top pole of the double pole breaker

Yes... but he has neutral connected to it ...
Neutral goes to the neutral bar.

 

[fumanchu182]

I believe I am very late to this but you are only powering one half of the load center. The right side. All your breakers are on the left side. They are getting no power at all. Whites always go to the neutral bar. Hots (black) always go to the circuit breaker and grounds can go to neutral bar as well.

 

[DC_Ripple]

Tough to see in this picture, but it looks like the top half of the double 40 breaker connects to the Left side.
The bottom of the double 40 would connect to the Right side.

 

[Supervstech]

I believe I am very late to this but you are only powering one half of the load center. The right side. All your breakers are on the left side. They are getting no power at all. Whites always go to the neutral bar. Hots (black) always go to the circuit breaker and grounds can go to neutral bar as well.

I dont know why it is so hard to understand...
connecting to one side energizes that side bussbar that feeds EVERY OTHER BREAKER TAB...
not just that side.

So connecting to L1 only would energize the bottom left and right breaker.
Skip one, then the one up...

Not just the one side...

All of the breakers in his picture are energized...
And if he had matching ones on the right side they also would be energized...

 

[Q-Dog]

I believe I am very late to this but you are only powering one half of the load center. The right side. All your breakers are on the left side. They are getting no power at all. Whites always go to the neutral bar. Hots (black) always go to the circuit breaker and grounds can go to neutral bar as well.

Each bus bar can engage with breakers on both sides of the panel.

 

[DC_Ripple]

@Supervstech, thank you for correcting me! *AGAIN*.

I need to go see one of these panels in person.
My sub panel only does every other breaker on the same side.

Clearly I need more education.

Cheers

 

[Supervstech]

@Supervstech, thank you for correcting me! *AGAIN*.

I need to go see one of these panels in person.
My sub panel only does every other breaker on the same side.

Clearly I need more education.

Cheers

There are odd small subpanels that are that way, but it isnt the norm.