I got a small electrical shock when grounding solar panels. Why?

[Aridom82]

I was connecting 3 strings of solar panels to ground. I started connecting the panels frames together BEFORE making the actual ground connection and i got a small electrical shock when i touched the back of one panels with my bare (and a bit sweaty) hands. It was probably 40-50 v dc but i was surprised, and it was not an instant shock of static electricity, it was continous like touching a 40-50 volt battery.

Why an ungrounded solar panel is a shock hazard? I was not touching the terminals, and the terminals were not touching the frame or anything. Is indicative of a damaged or malfunctioning panel? After making the actual ground connection it went away and the strings are working fine (or so appears). I am trying to figure this one out but i just dont understand it.

 

[Adam De Lay]

I was connecting 3 strings of solar panels to ground. I started connecting the panels frames together BEFORE making the actual ground connection and i got a small electrical shock when i touched the back of one panels with my bare (and a bit sweaty) hands. It was probably 40-50 v dc but i was surprised, and it was not an instant shock of static electricity, it was continous like touching a 40-50 volt battery.

Why an ungrounded solar panel is a shock hazard? I was not touching the terminals, and the terminals were not touching the frame or anything. Is indicative of a damaged or malfunctioning panel? After making the actual ground connection it went away and the strings are working fine (or so appears). I am trying to figure this one out but i just dont understand it.

What inverters? We’re the panels connected to the inverters at the time of you making the grounding connection?

 

[Aridom82]

What inverters? We’re the panels connected to the inverters at the time of you making the grounding connection?

Voltronic max axpert 8kw. The inverters are gounded.
And yes the panels were connected to the inverter when i was grounding them, i guess i did something stupid but i assumed that only the wires of the panels have any voltage and touching the panels does not do anything

 

[Adam De Lay]

I had the same problem with the EG4 6500s and I’ve also heard of it with the MPP LV6548s.

Apparently some of the cheaper HF inverters don’t have isolation between the PV and the AC H-bus. Still don’t understand how it gets on the frames, but it does.

 

[Aridom82]

I am googling AC H-bus but i only get a lot of pictures of autobuses.

 

[Adam De Lay]

Take a look at this thread. This guy knows a whole lot more than I do about it.

EG4 6500 voltage on PV terminals?

Hi, Is the EG4 6500 supposed to have voltage on the PV input (with no panel attached). I just noticed that if I put my multimeter on either the PV neg or PV positive and stick the neg wire of the multimeter in the ground I’m getting over 100 volts! Is that normal?

diysolarforum.com

 

[Aridom82]

Ok, so is some built in flaw and i am not that stupid after all. One would think that this warning would be printed big and clear in the voltronic/eg manuals... Thanks Adam!

 

[Adam De Lay]

Trust me… it’s not just you that has been surprised by that shock…

 

[Supervstech]

Even Will has posted videos of this flaw in many inverter brands...

 

[Aridom82]

Electricity is a wild beast

 

[Supervstech]

Rule is, ALWAYS ground the frames, and ALWAYS work with the wiring disconnected.

 

[Aridom82]

Rule is, ALWAYS ground the frames, and ALWAYS work with the wiring disconnected.

Yeah but they dont say 'OR ELSE you are going to get shocked idiot' in the manual. I would have followed the procedure.

 

[timselectric]

Most of us have learned this lesson, the same way you have.
This is why we preach safety, to anyone who will listen.

 

[Supervstech]

Yeah but they dont say 'OR ELSE you are going to get shocked idiot' in the manual. I would have followed the procedure.

Actually, in every setup manual it requests you use proper ppe and a qualified electrician...


But, I agree, I havnt seen the or else clause... but it can kill you, and hurt thw entire time you are dying...