Grounding/Bonding Safety Check

[deee86]

Hello! I’ve made Will’s popular hand truck generator build with the EG4 3000 inverter + battery and added a small breaker box. I’m planning on ground mounting 8 solar panels outside, and I would like to double check how to safely ground these panels. I have the generator in my living room and will use it there as supplemental power, but I would also like to take it out for use when camping. In both setups below, the 8 panels will be powering the generator.

In the first setup, the hand truck is completely off grid (no AC in attached) and I have the generator unbonded. The bond is done via the bonding screw in the breaker box. To ground the solar panels, I plan to attach the grounding wire to the frame of each of the panels then to an earth ground rod and then route the ground wire with the PV wires in a metal conduit into the house. Then the ground wire would be attached to the grounding lug inside the breaker box on the generator. Would this be the correct way to ground the solar panels? Also, is the grounding rod necessary?

In the second setup, the generator is plugged into the wall of the house with the AC in. In this case, I’ll remove the bonding screw from the breaker box. I’m assuming with the AC plugged in, grounding will be taken care of through the house. For solar panel grounding wire, I could use the same wire as the first setup but just without the attachment to the grounding rod as the house should provide the earth ground.

Would the above methods be a safe way to ground the solar panels? Also, in case I would like to switch between the first and second setups, is there a good way to connect/disconnect the grounding wire to and from the ground rod (if the ground rod is necessary)?



Thanks for all the help!

 

[robbob2112]

Hello! I’ve made Will’s popular hand truck generator build with the EG4 3000 inverter + battery and added a small breaker box. I’m planning on ground mounting 8 solar panels outside, and I would like to double check how to safely ground these panels. I have the generator in my living room and will use it there as supplemental power, but I would also like to take it out for use when camping. In both setups below, the 8 panels will be powering the generator.

In the first setup, the hand truck is completely off grid (no AC in attached) and I have the generator unbonded. The bond is done via the bonding screw in the breaker box. To ground the solar panels, I plan to attach the grounding wire to the frame of each of the panels then to an earth ground rod and then route the ground wire with the PV wires in a metal conduit into the house. Then the ground wire would be attached to the grounding lug inside the breaker box on the generator. Would this be the correct way to ground the solar panels? Also, is the grounding rod necessary?

Using the hand truck with panels and without AC/grid connection
You need everything connected together so you can't get a shock from the difference of potential if you touch two items.
You need the panels grounded so if anyone walking by brushes up against them they won't get a shock from the panels to the ground. Doesn't really matter if this earth connection is at the panels or at the hand truck, but not both... there can be only one.... There are ground rods that are short and meant to be used then pulled up and recovered - usually they are several 2ft lengths tied together with a wire or some that screw into the ground.

Just using the hand truck without the panels and without an AC/grid connection you don't need the ground - the whole unit floats

In the second setup, the generator is plugged into the wall of the house with the AC in. In this case, I’ll remove the bonding screw from the breaker box. I’m assuming with the AC plugged in, grounding will be taken care of through the house. For solar panel grounding wire, I could use the same wire as the first setup but just without the attachment to the grounding rod as the house should provide the earth ground.

With an AC/grid connection the grounding is done via the grid connection to the house ground system and it's rod - don't drive a second one. In any case the panel wires should consist of 3 wires -- PV+, PV-, EGC (equipment ground conductor).

When you say breaker box you mean the breaker box attached to the hand truck I assume? Simplest is to have a rotary switch to throw that connects the 3 wires from the grid to the hand truck... and when it is in hand-truck position it provides the N-G bond, but nothing else.
So 2 position 3 wire rotary switch that does break before make connections.

This sort of thing as an example

Amazon.com

Position 1 == N-G connected, L1 not used
Position 2 == 3 wire grid connection
Position 0 no bond no grid

Would the above methods be a safe way to ground the solar panels? Also, in case I would like to switch between the first and second setups, is there a good way to connect/disconnect the grounding wire to and from the ground rod (if the ground rod is necessary)?

see above

Thanks for all the help!