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New Solar YouTube Channel

Johnmahon

Johnmahon

What's Your State of Charge?
Joined
Nov 2, 2019
Messages
111
Hey Guys, people like @Will Prowse, David Poz, Andy Kirby, Explorist Life and @Justin Laureltec have all inspired me to build an off grid solar powered shed, which I will use as the primary subject model for my YouTube channel. Please, if you would not mind, take a look and subscribe to the channel, I would be forever grateful and I hope it will help provide relevant and useful content to this platform as I continue to learn!

Check it out: https://youtube.com/crowninternet

Gratefully,

John Mahon
 
Educate,Educate,Educate. ground rods are your friend. CGFI is not just for hair drying in the bathtub. Neutral is NOT ground.
 
Hey @Picasso - grounding of the system was completed today! The inverter, the SCC and the panels are all grounded with an 8 foot copper rod pounded into the ground :). Thanks!
 

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Johnmahon said:
Hey Guys, people like @Will Prowse, David Poz, Andy Kirby, Explorist Life and @Justin Laureltec have all inspired me to build an off grid solar powered shed, which I will use as the primary subject model for my YouTube channel. Please, if you would not mind, take a look and subscribe to the channel, I would be forever grateful and I hope it will help provide relevant and useful content to this platform as I continue to learn!

Check it out: https://youtube.com/crowninternet

Gratefully,

John Mahon
Click to expand...

I've watched all your solar videos (some multiple times) and you've done a great job of explaining everything and they are very helpful. Thank you from a fellow Arizonian.
 
GMB said:
I've watched all your solar videos (some multiple times) and you've done a great job of explaining everything and they are very helpful. Thank you from a fellow Arizonian.
Click to expand...

hey @GMB - thanks so much. I really appreciate the comments. I wanted to do a video this week but had to leave town for a wedding. Hopefully another one this next week. If you have anything to show, I’d love to see it. Take care until next time!
 
Johnmahon said:
hey @GMB - thanks so much. I really appreciate the comments. I wanted to do a video this week but had to leave town for a wedding. Hopefully another one this next week. If you have anything to show, I’d love to see it. Take care until next time!
Click to expand...
Still getting everything pieced together with packages arriving daily from Amazon and such. Batteries are on a boat from China - should be here in about 3 more weeks. Picked up 10 panels from Santan Solar in Gilbert last week. Working on how I'm going to mount everything now.

It will be a pretty unique set up (the project, no so much the solar install) so I'll be sure to post some pics once I've made some more progress. For now, it will be used to run an AC unit to keep my pup cool in the upcoming summer months while we are at the property and I'm outside working.
 
Picasso said:
Educate,Educate,Educate. ground rods are your friend. CGFI is not just for hair drying in the bathtub. Neutral is NOT ground.
Click to expand...
Oh my, why can't neutral be ground too, sort of, after all neutral and earth ground are married in the main panel?
 
Johnmahon said:
Hey @Picasso - grounding of the system was completed today! The inverter, the SCC and the panels are all grounded with an 8 foot copper rod pounded into the ground :). Thanks!
Click to expand...
nice
I like the din rail mounted dc breaker, where did you get the breaker?
Good heavy bus bars, the positive bar being so out in the open like that is a little worrisome tho..
 
offgriddle said:
nice
I like the din rail mounted dc breaker, where did you get the breaker?
Good heavy bus bars, the positive bar being so out in the open like that is a little worrisome tho..
Click to expand...
Got the breaker on amazon. The bus bars look intimidating but really not that much juice passes through and i always use insulated tools. Thanks for the comment.
 
offgriddle said:
Oh my, why can't neutral be ground too, sort of, after all neutral and earth ground are married in the main panel?
Click to expand...
Can it? Sure... as you note, the neutral should be bonded to the grounding system. But the neutral carries current, the ground SHOULD never carry current. Using a neutral for a ground could impart current where it would cause issues.
For instance, during service of something, if neutral is used for a ground, interruption of a conductor could result in a shock, or equipment damage.
 
Supervstech said:
Can it? Sure... as you note, the neutral should be bonded to the grounding system. But the neutral carries current, the ground SHOULD never carry current. Using a neutral for a ground could impart current where it would cause issues.
For instance, during service of something, if neutral is used for a ground, interruption of a conductor could result in a shock, or equipment damage.
Click to expand...

Isn't it a conundrum? I responded to a house fire once where the main panel has lost it's ground and since ground and neutral were bonded together per usual, the metal housing of the main panel became live and started carrying x amount of current which caused some of the panel mounting screws to heat up and catch the wooden 2x4's they were screwed into on fire! All caused by the lack of a ground, which isnt supposed to be carrying current in the first place yet does ..

Anyone who has painfully completed the path between a sufficient ground and the neutral of an operating electrical appliance can attest that there is measurable voltage present on the neutral, yet, there is not supposed to be voltage there because neutral is grounded.

I have a headache, I need to summon the spirit of Tesla for an explanation.
 
Last edited:
Supervstech said:
Can it? Sure... as you note, the neutral should be bonded to the grounding system. But the neutral carries current, the ground SHOULD never carry current. Using a neutral for a ground could impart current where it would cause issues.
For instance, during service of something, if neutral is used for a ground, interruption of a conductor could result in a shock, or equipment damage.
Click to expand...
Well said!
 
offgriddle said:
Isn't it a conundrum? I responded to a house fire once where the main panel has lost it's ground and since ground and neutral were bonded together per usual, the metal housing of the main panel became live and started carrying x amount of current which caused some of the panel mounting screws to heat up and catch the wooden 2x4's they were screwed into on fire! All caused by the lack of a ground, which isnt supposed to be carrying current in the first place yet does ..

Anyone who has painfully completed the path between a sufficient ground and the neutral of an operating electrical appliance can attest that there is measurable voltage present on the neutral, yet, there is not supposed to be voltage there because neutral is grounded.

I have a headache, I need to summon the spirit of Tesla for an explanation.
Click to expand...
The more frequent scenario is when the incoming neutral conductor fails... ALL 120v circuits now run through what could be a single #10 bare copper wire through the earth to the transformer pole ground rod...
Absolutely make a mess of appliances etc...

I would LOVE to find the idiot that approves #8 aluminum bare conductor swinging in the weather for a house neutral feed... especially in coastal areas... ugh!
 
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