600ft distance from open field to meter/panel

[DThames]

I’d have to go pull my sheets to be accurate but off the top of my head around 300v and 13-15 amps. I have a 44 300w array. I split them up into 2 strings of 18 and one string of 8.

The Sol-Ark caclulator shows #10 at 600 feet good to 9.4 amps. 9.5 amps shows wire size needs to increase.

 

[629658]

Here are the calculations

 

[MisterSandals]

Here are the calculations

Isc 8.69A
Voc 44.8V x 9 = 403V
340'

This shows only 1.74% drop with 10AWG, i wonder why the difference. 8AWG seems pretty unnecessary from what this calculator shows.

 

[629658]

Isc 8.69A
Voc 44.8V x 9 = 403V
340'

This shows only 1.74% drop with 10AWG, i wonder why the difference. 8AWG seems pretty unnecessary from what this calculator shows.
View attachment 123838

That’s beyond my pay grade but I will say our old GT SMA was professionally installed and they had it strung as 4 strings of 11 into a combiner box and one set of #4 from the array to the inverter. We pulled the #4 out and pulled in 3 sets of #8 back in. I just followed the attached calculations from Sol Ark.
Maybe it is the amperage. You have 8 amps in your calcs I’m pulling 13-15 today and it’s sunny.

 

[MisterSandals]

had it strung as 4 strings of 11 into a combiner box

Right so you've got 11AWG (smaller than 10AWG) from your array. Is this 340'?

Your combiner box probably combines all 4 strings in parallel (8.69A x 4 (max)) = 34.76A

and one set of #4 from the array to the inverter.

Assuming you mean from combiner box to the inverter... (and is this 340')?
It would have 403V at up to 34.74A.
How long are the 3 sets of #8? This might be where you are pulling 13-15A today

 

[629658]

Right so you've got 11AWG (smaller than 10AWG) from your array.

Your combiner box probably combines all 4 strings in parallel (8.69A x 4 (max)) = 34.76A


Assuming you mean from combiner box to the inverter...
It would have 403V at up to 34.74A.
How long is this piece of #4?

Almost 350 feet

 

[MisterSandals]

Almost 350 feet

Okay so THIS post-combiner box wire(s) needs to handle the 4x 8.69A = (34.76A).

I see you used to have 4AWG
4AWG looks to easily handle this (34.76A 403V 340') with only 1.82% voltage drop.


It sounds like you've replaced the 4AWG with 3x 8AWG. I will use (34.76A / 3) = 11.58A
Which is slightly better at only 1.52% voltage drop:

 

[629658]

Okay so THIS post-combiner box wire(s) needs to handle the 4x 8.69A = (34.76A).

I see you used to have 4AWG
4AWG looks to easily handle this (34.76A 403V 340') with only 1.82% voltage drop.
View attachment 123846

It sounds like you've replaced the 4AWG with 3x 8AWG. I will use (34.76A / 3) = 11.58A
Which is slightly better at only 1.52% voltage drop:

View attachment 123847

The wire was pricey but now I have infrastructure in place to add an additional 8 panels to our 3rd MPPT and that will about cover all our needs year round.

 

[MisterSandals]

The wire was pricey but now I have infrastructure in place to add an additional 8 panels to our 3rd MPPT and that will about cover all our needs year round.

Making a few assumptions (same amps for string #5) makes it (44.45A / 3) = 14.48A

Looks nicely future proofed and will be 1.91% voltage drop.

 

[playitagainsam]

Aluminum Triplex Overhead wire on poles is going to be the lowest cost option, obviously it's what the utilities do from the transformer to rural houses. It would also keep all your equipment together out in the field, which is a good idea.
Sure wire on poles are ugly, but have you tried trenching through that wooded area yet?