Help needed with grounding...

[Bowlegs868]

My solar panels are grounded to the battery negative and there are grounds in both AC breaker panels (30A sub panel and main home panel) which are fed via a grounded AC plug from the inverter. The inverter is a "cheap Chinese" pure sine wave inverter and there's no manual for me to look at regarding grounding.

I have a new Victron SCC that has the chassis grounding point but after reading and watching YouTube videos I'm still confused as to what to do (grounding/earthing is annoying, I've decided).

What should I do with the SCC and what should I do about the inverter etc.?

 

[BentleyJ]

First thing is to differentiate between Earth Ground and the Negative side of the DC system. Solar systems, unlike automobiles, typically have ISOLATED DC systems. Meaning that the DC Neg conductors are not attached to the metal enclosure(s) of the Inverter, SCC, battery cabinet, Solar Panel Frames and mounts or metalic conduit. However, all of the aforementioned items should be attached to a proper earth ground.

Second, if the AC breaker panels are fed via a grounded AC plug from the Inverter, where does this earth ground originate from? Without more information we can only suggest (this is not a recommendation) that the solar panel frames probably should not be connected to the battery negative and further, both the Inverter chassis and the Solar Panel frames and mounting rails should be attached to earth ground. Verify that there is continuity from earth ground to the ground conductor in the AC Plug on the inverter and ultimately connects to the the subpanel chassis.

 

[Bowlegs868]

However, all of the aforementioned items should be attached to a proper earth ground.

so ground all the things but do it to a proper earth ground... got it!
currently, the ground connection from the solar panel frame goes into the combiner box, comes out of the surge suppressor, goes to the battery negative and ends on a lug mounted to the plywood board some inches away

 

[Bowlegs868]

Second, if the AC breaker panels are fed via a grounded AC plug from the Inverter, where does this earth ground originate from?

currently, nowhere... I should've actually said AC plug with ground prong instead of "grounded"

there is no utility power but there is an earth ground so I'll make the connection to that... the only concern I have is that it seems that the breaker panel is N-E bonded by design? because I disconnected all the grounding wires and I was still getting continuity between ground and the neutral busbar

I'm confused... is this a region-based thing?

 

[BentleyJ]

Yes, is regional but its a BIG region comprised of countries that are on 60Hz, both single phase, 120/240V as well as 3 phase, 480/277V & 120/208V and follow the same Electric Code as we do in the US. There may be some exceptions but you get the idea. Main panels that are sold in the US generally come with a N-G bond factory installed.

 

[Bowlegs868]

ohhh! the more you know!
this thing was starting to drive me crazy
thanks a bunch! ?