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EG4 6500 EX-48 wiring directly to 120V (only) load panel questions

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jimT

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I am planning to use only 120 V appliances in my cabin and I purchased one EG4 6500EX-48 for this purpose. This inverter will be connected directly to my main load panel and I have questions about this simple layout. The inverter and main panel will be located only 3 feet apart. Thank you for your assistance!

1. Is 6 AWG sufficient for the inverter's output wiring, assuming the wire lengths are around 3-4?

2. In the Main Panel I would like to share 120V on both legs A and B and if you look at the image below of my panel there is a main breaker (100A) at the bottom close to where the inverter wires will enter. Is it OK attach the Inverter's output hot wire to either pole of the main breaker and add a copper bus bar between the two legs as shown in image?

MainPanel.jpg
3. Regarding Neutral and Ground wires I show three cases of attachment in the image below. Which is correct?
  • In case 1 both Neutral and Ground wires are attached to the Neutral bus bars and the bus bars are connected.
  • In case 2 Neutrals and grounds are isolated.
  • In case 3 I added a ground bus bar to the panel and only connected Neutral load wires to the Neutral bus bars.

N&G.png

Again, Thanks for your input!
 
1. Is 6 AWG sufficient for the inverter's output wiring, assuming the wire lengths are around 3-4?
--- 6 AWG is good for up to 55 amps. I would change that main breaker to 50 amp if you don't have one closer to the inverter or one on the inverter. I am also assuming you have a single inverter with a 50 amp /5000 watt amp max rating. If your source is 100 amp / 10000 watt you would need 1 AWG min. The breaker protects the wire from melting and catching fire. The breaker size should match the max amp rating for the wire.

2. In the Main Panel I would like to share 120V on both legs A and B and if you look at the image below of my panel there is a main breaker (100A) at the bottom close to where the inverter wires will enter. Is it OK attach the Inverter's output hot wire to either pole of the main breaker and add a copper bus bar between the two legs as shown in image?
--- I personally have a 100 amp load center and using a dual poll 50 amp breaker that connects to the 3K watt inverter using 6 awg thnn. I use a 6 awg to connect both breakers but I hear to be code you can only use one wire per breaker connection. The workaround is to make two short jumpers and connect the two together along with the inverter source wire.

3. Regarding Neutral and Ground wires I show three cases of attachment in the image below. Which is correct?
-- Yes. LOL
If this is the main breaker box in an off grid solution you want to use option 3. In the load center there is a screw on the neutral buss bar that bonds the neutral to the housing which bonds to the ground bar. You need to make sure the inverter is NOT bonding the neutral to the ground internally so that the ground to neutral bonding is only done in the first point of disconnect aka first load center in your case.
  • In case 1 both Neutral and Ground wires are attached to the Neutral bus bars and the bus bars are connected.
  • In case 2 Neutrals and grounds are isolated.
  • In case 3 I added a ground bus bar to the panel and only connected Neutral load wires to the Neutral bus bars.
Watch the below videos to help on understanding grounding

Hope this helps
 
jeremyee said:
1. Is 6 AWG sufficient for the inverter's output wiring, assuming the wire lengths are around 3-4?
--- 6 AWG is good for up to 55 amps. I would change that main breaker to 50 amp if you don't have one closer to the inverter or one on the inverter. I am also assuming you have a single inverter with a 50 amp /5000 watt amp max rating. If your source is 100 amp / 10000 watt you would need 1 AWG min. The breaker protects the wire from melting and catching fire. The breaker size should match the max amp rating for the wire.

2. In the Main Panel I would like to share 120V on both legs A and B and if you look at the image below of my panel there is a main breaker (100A) at the bottom close to where the inverter wires will enter. Is it OK attach the Inverter's output hot wire to either pole of the main breaker and add a copper bus bar between the two legs as shown in image?
--- I personally have a 100 amp load center and using a dual poll 50 amp breaker that connects to the 3K watt inverter using 6 awg thnn. I use a 6 awg to connect both breakers but I hear to be code you can only use one wire per breaker connection. The workaround is to make two short jumpers and connect the two together along with the inverter source wire.

3. Regarding Neutral and Ground wires I show three cases of attachment in the image below. Which is correct?
-- Yes. LOL
If this is the main breaker box in an off grid solution you want to use option 3. In the load center there is a screw on the neutral buss bar that bonds the neutral to the housing which bonds to the ground bar. You need to make sure the inverter is NOT bonding the neutral to the ground internally so that the ground to neutral bonding is only done in the first point of disconnect aka first load center in your case.
  • In case 1 both Neutral and Ground wires are attached to the Neutral bus bars and the bus bars are connected.
  • In case 2 Neutrals and grounds are isolated.
  • In case 3 I added a ground bus bar to the panel and only connected Neutral load wires to the Neutral bus bars.
Watch the below videos to help on understanding grounding

Hope this helps
Click to expand...
Thank you for your help and I will watch the videos also.

Some additional Info in case it modifies your response:
1. The panel is rated at 100Amp
2. The inverter spec state: 6500W Continuous Output. I assume that means it can continuously output 6500W (on demand). That would be 54 Amp at 120V.

When I make the two short jumpers for the dual poll 50 amp breaker, how do you suggest connecting the three wires (inverter and 2 jumpers) ?
 
Last edited:
Something like this could be mounted inside the main panel. This is a 2 pole device, you only need a single pole distribution block. This is what I found quickly.

www.galco.com

1322580

Distribution Block, 2-P, 175A, Bx/Bx
www.galco.com www.galco.com
 
jimT said:
Thank you for your help and I will watch the videos also.

Some additional Info in case it modifies your response:
1. The panel is rated at 100Amp
2. The inverter spec state: 6500W Continuous Output. I assume that means it can continuously output 6500W (on demand). That would be 54 Amp at 120V.

When I make the two short jumpers for the dual poll 50 amp breaker, how do you suggest connecting the three wires (inverter and 2 jumpers) ?
Click to expand...
You can use something like the below. If it was 10/12 awg a wire nut would work for all three wires but 6 awg or large I would use the below. I use this for splicing two 6 awg for one of my high amp solar arrays. The cost is a bit high but they make good connections and it would be up to code in most areas holding to a single wire per screw terminal on the breaker.


2 wire version
1658436059907.png
 
jeremyee said:
You can use something like the below. If it was 10/12 awg a wire nut would work for all three wires but 6 awg or large I would use the below. I use this for splicing two 6 awg for one of my high amp solar arrays. The cost is a bit high but they make good connections and it would be up to code in most areas holding to a single wire per screw terminal on the breaker.


2 wire version
View attachment 103552
Click to expand...
Thanks for the suggestion. Earlier today I purchased this one:
 
One inverter used off grid only with no grid input: leave the screw in the inverter, do not N-G bond the distribution panel. This has N-G bonding at the source/inverter. This provides complete ground fault protection all the way back to source.
 
Zwy said:
One inverter used off grid only with no grid input: leave the screw in the inverter, do not N-G bond the distribution panel. This has N-G bonding at the source/inverter. This provides complete ground fault protection all the way back to source.
Click to expand...

Yes, one inverter and off-grid. I was looking through the user manual and cannot find any information about the internal N-G bonding. Can you point me to any literature on the subject? Thanks
 
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