Advise needed to grounding my PV System and Utility

[zedconnor]

Hello fellow DIYers, I have some problems with grounding.

3kW Solar System
================
Solar Panels :
4 Pcs 575W Jinko N-Types
Battery :
24V280Ah(JkBMS0.6A ActiveBalance)
Inverter : Felicity IVEM 3kW Hybrid

I live in Myanmar where most houses are still ungrounded.
My utility is SINGLE PHASE 240V
(1 Phase+1 Neutral Wire comes from the Main Utility Meter Box)
My house is ungrounded. There is no ground rod or any grounding wires in my house.
The incoming voltage from Utility is very unstable, sometimes only getting around 150V. For this matter I have installed a

LioA 10kW Servo-type transformer.

This stabilizes the voltage to 220V.



My problem is how do I ground this system?

Can I ground both my PV panels, frames and my AC equipments(including the Inverter) together to a single grounding rod?(which I will install in very near future.)

Any advise would be very welcome. Please feel free to ask me any more info.

 

[zedconnor]

For convenience, I have attached a sketch.

 

[Quattrohead]

Yes drive a ground rod or whatever you can do with local supplies and connect it to all metal frames on the panels and inverter.
DO NOT GROUND THE NEUTRAL, you will be it for the whole hood !!!!
Not going to do much for personal safety but at least protect your equipment from static and near-by lightning.

 

[zedconnor]

Yes drive a ground rod or whatever you can do with local supplies and connect it to all metal frames on the panels and inverter.
DO NOT GROUND THE NEUTRAL, you will be it for the whole hood !!!!
Not going to do much for personal safety but at least protect your equipment from static and near-by lightning.

Thank you for your kind reply.

There are local grounding services offered by Private Solar Installers, they usually carry an Earth tester and will drive a rod with less than 5 Ohm resistance.

But I am still a bit sketchy about their work. And whether I need to isolate AC and DC or combine them to a single Grounding rod.

If using a single grounding rod, do I have to also ground the Inverter AC Input and Output ground ports to it too?

On Google I found conflicting answers where on result says "you should not ground AC and DC together" but other ones say "you need to ground everything to a single rod".

SInce I am dealing with ungrounded single phase 240V lines, I am confused with the answers on Google.

 

[CoolWill]

At the utility transformer, is there a ground? Utilities are usually very good at this, even if local electricians aren't. If one of the two wires coming from the transformer is grounded, find out which one it is at you service end. Despite what's written above, if the utility transformer is grounded, you should ground that wire at your end and from that connection ground everything else. Connect your solar panel frames to the ground rod(s) you install. Use a separate wire to that point to ground everything else.

 

[zedconnor]

At the utility transformer, is there a ground? Utilities are usually very good at this, even if local electricians aren't. If one of the two wires coming from the transformer is grounded, find out which one it is at you service end. Despite what's written above, if the utility transformer is grounded, you should ground that wire at your end and from that connection ground everything else. Connect your solar panel frames to the ground rod(s) you install. Use a separate wire to that point to ground everything else.

How do I check this? We only have a electrical meter box installed on a pole by the Utility guys.(Utility is government owned. There is no privatized utility provider in my town.)

I have driven a 3.5feet 1/2" pure copper rod into the ground outside of my house.
And draw a ground wire from that rod into my house.
This ground wire i just made is NOT connected to anything inside my house yet. And when I test continuity using a digital meter,
the UTILITY Neutral and that wire HAS continuity. (But phase has none.)

Do you know what this means?

 

[Ryujin]

How do I check this? We only have a electrical meter box installed on a pole by the Utility guys.(Utility is government owned. There is no privatized utility provider in my town.)

I have driven a 3.5feet 1/2" pure copper rod into the ground outside of my house.
And draw a ground wire from that rod into my house.
This ground wire i just made is NOT connected to anything inside my house yet. And when I test continuity using a digital meter,
the UTILITY Neutral and that wire HAS continuity. (But phase has none.)

Do you know what this means?

Sounds like your Neutral is already Earth Ground Bonded.