diy solar

diy solar

electrical help please

With the solark, the neutral is common system wide.
Interesting. That’s not a common setup then. I am trying to figure out neutrals and grounds for a panel fed by MPP solar’s LVX6048. on that unit both the input and output blocks include both neutral and ground. I am trying to figure out if keeping the neutral link between the panels will cause problems. I will post a sketch shortly
 
Interesting. That’s not a common setup then.
It may be common for 240V Inverters....but I don't have enough experience with them to say if it is.

Notice the image from the manual in post 17. The Solark is tied to ground but does not provide ground to the circuits.

1629052298912.png
 
I took a quick glance at the LVX and found this diagram:

1629052752712.png

Where they show the lightbulb 'load' you could put the critical loads panel. The diagram certainly implies the inverter is 'driving' the neutral but it could very easily be a common neutral throughout the system. (It would not surprise me if the AC in neutral is directly tied to the AC Out neutral)
 
interesting..... I read the diagram differently. The OP seems to be doing something very similar to what I am considering with a SolArk. The manual transfer switch is only there for maintenance. In normal operation the automatic transfer switch in the solark will be decideing between grid and inverter. You can think of it like this:

View attachment 59331

However, the OP wants to be able to isolate the solark and still drive panel 2 from the grid, so he added the manual transfer switch.

Edit: Modified schematic to avoid crossing lines (easier to read/understand)

View attachment 59388

Instead of using a transfer switch, couldn’t the breakers be used to switch off power into and out of the SolArk to remove SolArk from the setup. I know breakers are not supposed to be used as switches but wouldn’t that still work
 
Instead of using a transfer switch, couldn’t the breakers be used to switch off power into and out of the SolArk to remove SolArk from the setup. I know breakers are not supposed to be used as switches but wouldn’t that still work
Yes, but it presents the danger of the breakers both being accidently turned on and effectively tying the input and output of the solark together.....that could be a very bad scenario. There are bracket systems that can be put around breakers to prevent them both from being on at the same time, but they also prevent both sets of breakers from being off at the same time. It would be unusual to want them both to be off at the same time for an extended time, but I could easily see a desire to completely isolate the critical loads side from the grid side to work on something.
 
Do they make the bracket interlock for 2 breakers that allow both breaker to be off
 
Do they make the bracket interlock for 2 breakers that allow both breaker to be off
Not that I am aware of..... but that does not mean they don't exist.

BTW: They would need to be pretty clever to accomplish allowing both the be off but only one to be on....
 
Do they make the bracket interlock for 2 breakers that allow both breaker to be off
Interlock does not force anything on… only ensures the MAIN is off… anything else can also be off…
 

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Interlock does not force anything on… only ensures the MAIN is off… anything else can also be off…
OK then.... I stand corrected. The one I was familiar with did not allow both to be off.

BTW: For what the OP wants, it needs to be an interlock between to 'regular' breakers, not between the main and a 'regular' breaker.
 
OK then.... I stand corrected. The one I was familiar with did not allow both to be off.

BTW: For what the OP wants, it needs to be an interlock between to 'regular' breakers, not between the main and a 'regular' breaker.
Ahh, you are thinking of a handle tie interlock, no those force one off, and the other on. But I would honk a slide lock interlock brace could be setup to do the job.
 
Ahh, you are thinking of a handle tie interlock, no those force one off, and the other on. But I would honk a slide lock interlock brace could be setup to do the job.
So I guess this would work:
1629059448582.png

With that slide, both can be off, but only one can be on.

One thing I don't like on the above is that all the protection goes away as soon as you open the front face of the breaker panel. Admittedly, if you are opening the front face you better know what you are doing, but mistakes can happen with anyone.

Also, the price for this seems exorbitant: $64.95 on amazon. That money would go a long way toward a transfer switch.

BTW: I *think* to OP already has a transfer switch so this discussion is kinda moot for them.... It may be interesting to others though.
 
Yes, but it presents the danger of the breakers both being accidently turned on and effectively tying the input and output of the solark together.....that could be a very bad scenario. There are bracket systems that can be put around breakers to prevent them both from being on at the same time, but they also prevent both sets of breakers from being off at the same time. It would be unusual to want them both to be off at the same time for an extended time, but I could easily see a desire to completely isolate the critical loads side from the grid side to work on something.

May I ask what tool you used for your drawings? I am struggling
 
So here is my best effort using PowerPoint of what I anticipated based on the LVX6048 manual, and what is currently in place as I work with MPP on the inverter's aversion to any ground connection with the residence. Currently there are no true critical loads hooked up. I did wire a single connection back to the main panel temporarily to test the current situation and it worked, but for right now we are in test mode with only the feeder connection coming out of the main panel. There are also battery and Solar connections to the MPP, but I left them off for clarity purposes. I do not think they are relevant to the discussion. Same with the Genset that will be coming into the other side of the xfer switch.


Anticipated Wiring.jpgCurrnt Situation.JPG
 
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I don't understand the position of the transfer switch..... it only has one input (the main panel).
 
If the grey lines are denoting neutrals, they shouldn't be tied together(paralleled) anywhere in the images, beginning with the one above the word main in the upper left panel. The neutral buses shouldn't be bonded to the panels. Grounds, under normal conditions, shouldn't carry any current.
Phase conductors must be run adjacent to their neutral conductors.
(I probably have no idea what those images represent.)
 
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