Battery grounding

[Scott Off Grid]

I am putting together my off grid system in a wood shed, sol-ark 15k, 5-pytes batteries. The batteries need to be grounded. I am installing a ground rod to the outside load center. I was thinking about getting a load center ground bar for the wires from the 5 batteries and then connect that bar to the load center ground bar.
Any opinions or ideas?

 

[Culchee]

I am putting together my off grid system in a wood shed, sol-ark 15k, 5-pytes batteries. The batteries need to be grounded. I am installing a ground rod to the outside load center. I was thinking about getting a load center ground bar for the wires from the 5 batteries and then connect that bar to the load center ground bar.
Any opinions or ideas?

Grounding is such a big subject....

 

[Steve_S]

You have to ground the Load Centre per code. Green 8AWG to a standard grounding rod or plate in the ground per code.
Rod is typically 6', drive down to where the head is subsurface, from there the #8 in and to panel.
Plate I usually supplied to be 30", 24" from side of building.
This varies due to regional electrical code variations, so check your regions Electrical Code requirements !

Of course the Inverter & all other equipment can be grounded to this same point.
Battery Grounding can be a contentious subject.
In LFP land, we do not ground battery packs.
There are two camps with regards to Lead Acid. Years ago when I ran FLA, they were not grounded.

 

[BentleyJ]

To Clarify, are you referring to grounding a metalic battery enclosure or the Negative side of the battery? All Metal enclosures, J boxes, Inverter cabinet, EMT, PV frames need to be Earth Grounded.

The Negative side of the battery is typically not grounded in stationary systems. In fact, many inverter installation manuals specifically say not to ground either + or - of the battery or PV conductors.

 

[Scott Off Grid]

To Clarify, are you referring to grounding a metalic battery enclosure or the Negative side of the battery? All Metal enclosures, J boxes, Inverter cabinet, EMT, PV frames need to be Earth Grounded.

The Negative side of the battery is typically not grounded in stationary systems. In fact, many inverter installation manuals specifically say not to ground either + or - of the battery or PV conductors.

The pytes battery has a screw in the case and a supplied wire to ground the battery. I had not seen this before on other batteries when I researched my system. The batteries are in a metal stand also.

 

[BentleyJ]

Yes, the metal battery case and rack need to have an earth ground. A common bus in the panel were the ground rod connects to everything else is typically how its done as you mentioned above.

 

[Scott Off Grid]

Yes, the metal battery case and rack need to have an earth ground. A common bus in the panel were the ground rod connects to everything else is typically how its done as you mentioned above.

Thanks for the verification

 

[Nan_wpg]

Filterguy‘s “grounding made simpler” guides say to ground dc negative. After reading all of his guides my takeaway was :

connect all metal above ground together, connect all metal below ground together. “Bond” both the ac neutral, and dc negative to,ground.

Victron’s wiring unlimited says to bond dc negitive to ground. Morningstar installation manuals also. Samlex also shows a system binding jumper for dc negative to ground.

steve, would this all apply to LA batteries only? why are LFP batteries not grounded?

 

[Steve_S]

Much of the confusion comes from the Application the system is being used for. If it is Mobile OR if it is Fixed such as a residential installation.
Neither my FLA nor my LFP have been "grounded to earth". I am offgrid residential. All my gear is Earth Grounded. The inverters I used before & my current Samlex have the Ground Bounding jumper within per specs.

CAUTION ON LANGUAGE / TERMS !!!
VAC LAND: Neutral (white), Line {HOT} (black/red), Ground bare copper or Green.
DC Land: Red = HOT (+) & Black = Negative (-) there is no "ground".