I'm new! First post. Been digging in!

[Fezzik]

Hi kids!

I had a tiny 12V system a few years ago, just for absolute emergencies (2 chest freezers, basically) But through that learned a lot.

Moving up, and have been putting in a LOT of time on this system. EG4 6000XP, EG4 PowerPro battery. A dozen Hyundai Panels, soon to add some Q-Cell, or Solarever Bifacials soon (we get a lot of snow, Bi-facial seems like a no-brainer). Installing this all in my garage.

Doing everything myself. It has been a ton of work, but trying not to cut corners.

I have many questions for you guys, but glad I found this forum. I hope it will bring some answers, and hopefully I can provide some as well.

FYI, I am a Journeyman Electrician, still working in the trade, but none of my work involves Photovoltaic systems. I'm just as new to this as everyone else, except maybe I can do load calculations in my head quickly!

Look forward to learning!

This is my project as of Christmas weekend! Not pictured is my underground from the grid, and feed to a basement sub-panel.

 

[Fezzik]

BTW, nothing going to be exposed, everything will be in pipe. Sometimes have guests and lots of kids around, I want everything protected in EMT.

 

[Crowz]

Looks nice and welcome to the site !

 

[Steve_S]

Welcome to the Forum.
Conduits & Raceways are great but all the DC considerations must be applied.
As a Journeyman Electrician you have a respectable handle on AC but DC has plenty of it's tricks as you've likely come to realize, and honestly, some of it can be a Royal PITA ! Frickin magnetic fields... Sometimes it's hard to think in AC & DC terms at the same time...

Sorry to be Picky, but you have a oopsie without realizing it... 3rd photo shows your battery cables going into the EG4. The (-) has a sharpish kink "not proper", angle that lug so it doesn't curve like that.... Avoid sharp turns/angles, especially at the ends that can have issues over time. Keep things "soft & gentle" for turns & corners. Even with ultra-fine strand wire stress on lugs can create issues over time.

I realize this is your first system, and it looks really good, well done and certainly a lot of thought went into it, to make it just so. I do however see a consideration that wasn't accounted for. Your Tight & Neat battery connection is great BUT it's 1 Battery Pack and there appears to be no provision to add more in Parallel. As it sits now, it looks like IF you wanted to add another pack or two in parallel, they'd be placed differently and would end up with different length cables etc etc. Although you have space next to your current pack. I mention this for one simple reason... Everyone starts out and builds what they estimate they need or want... On average, 80% of folks will hit 1 year +/- (sometimes much sooner) and realize they need or want another pack for extra stored reserve... Estimating usage is one thing, real time/real world realities don't often match.

Welcome & Have Fun
Steve

 

[Fezzik]

Welcome to the Forum.
Conduits & Raceways are great but all the DC considerations must be applied.
As a Journeyman Electrician you have a respectable handle on AC but DC has plenty of it's tricks as you've likely come to realize, and honestly, some of it can be a Royal PITA ! Frickin magnetic fields... Sometimes it's hard to think in AC & DC terms at the same time...

Sorry to be Picky, but you have a oopsie without realizing it... 3rd photo shows your battery cables going into the EG4. The (-) has a sharpish kink "not proper", angle that lug so it doesn't curve like that.... Avoid sharp turns/angles, especially at the ends that can have issues over time. Keep things "soft & gentle" for turns & corners. Even with ultra-fine strand wire stress on lugs can create issues over time.

I realize this is your first system, and it looks really good, well done and certainly a lot of thought went into it, to make it just so. I do however see a consideration that wasn't accounted for. Your Tight & Neat battery connection is great BUT it's 1 Battery Pack and there appears to be no provision to add more in Parallel. As it sits now, it looks like IF you wanted to add another pack or two in parallel, they'd be placed differently and would end up with different length cables etc etc. Although you have space next to your current pack. I mention this for one simple reason... Everyone starts out and builds what they estimate they need or want... On average, 80% of folks will hit 1 year +/- (sometimes much sooner) and realize they need or want another pack for extra stored reserve... Estimating usage is one thing, real time/real world realities don't often match.

Welcome & Have Fun
Steve

Thank you. I will take these tips into consideration. Possibly my negative wire can just use the next raceway to the right, easy enough. Makes sense, that can be a LOT of current through that wire, no need to add additional resistance.

As far as looking forward to a second battery, I have taken that into consideration. The pipe that brings in PV wire, can be cut shorter, and another battery and inverter placed side by side with the existing units. We are on grid right now, so the battery is just for emergency situations. We would surely budget our energy useage in that situation. However, the deeper I get into this, I know I will end up with a second battery.

 

[Rednecktek]

Sorry to be Picky, but you have a oopsie without realizing it... 3rd photo shows your battery cables going into the EG4. The (-) has a sharpish kink "not proper", angle that lug so it doesn't curve like that.... Avoid sharp turns/angles, especially at the ends that can have issues over time. Keep things "soft & gentle" for turns & corners. Even with ultra-fine strand wire stress on lugs can create issues over tim

I remember @Will Prowse pointed that same issue out when he did his review, that the placement of the hole didn't line up with the lugs so there was no way to get the cables in straight. He was told that would be fixed with the final product but evidently not.

I'll give you a ? for getting tge wires in straight on the lugs, even with the kinks.

 

[Grateful Ed]

Looks good but I totally agree about the battery expansion, and inverter. I luckily succeeded in properly configuring my system for the start. Don't scrimp on panels and batteries, max the PV input, you want that charger cranking. Welcome to the forum, you can get am answer to just about anything here.

 

[dmkjr]

My latest 6000xp did not have the holes lined up but did have the mounting corrected from one of the earlier reviewed videos where you couldn’t reach the holes while hanging the unit. I can ( and did but do not recommend) hold the unit against the backer board with one hand and screw it in with another. The one issue though, the holes are a little too small for normal screw heads of that size to go through it.

 

[Hedges]

Possibly my negative wire can just use the next raceway to the right, easy enough. Makes sense, that can be a LOT of current through that wire, no need to add additional resistance.

As you probably know, at least for AC not supposed to have current loop pass through separate conduit.
I've heard stories of that causing induction heating, have not been able to reproduce even inductive voltage drop on the bench from it, maybe only an issue with higher frequency harmonics.

Battery DC isn't really DC, it carries a massive rectified 60 Hz ripple when feeding inverter at high power.

I favor keeping battery positive and negative cables together.

I don't think a sharp turn itself is a problem for current flow, but bending radius of wire might be. Anything that can apply torque to a terminal with single screw might loosen it (this one looks more like tighten, although I suppose heating and cooling would work it both ways.)

At first glance I see a green ground wire in same conduit, but on closer examination I realize it is Ethernet or similar cable. Keep that away from power wires. In such close proximity, fields from battery +/- won't cancel, and it will couple in common mode noise.

Hey Steve, speaking of bends, what do you think of 3/0 THHN/THWN cable coming from a breaker in a Square-D box going out conduit in the back? I'm sure I'll have to use some persuasion to get it curved that tight.

 

[Fezzik]

As you probably know, at least for AC not supposed to have current loop pass through separate conduit.
I've heard stories of that causing induction heating, have not been able to reproduce even inductive voltage drop on the bench from it, maybe only an issue with higher frequency harmonics.

Battery DC isn't really DC, it carries a massive rectified 60 Hz ripple when feeding inverter at high power.

I favor keeping battery positive and negative cables together.

I don't think a sharp turn itself is a problem for current flow, but bending radius of wire might be. Anything that can apply torque to a terminal with single screw might loosen it (this one looks more like tighten, although I suppose heating and cooling would work it both ways.)

At first glance I see a green ground wire in same conduit, but on closer examination I realize it is Ethernet or similar cable. Keep that away from power wires. In such close proximity, fields from battery +/- won't cancel, and it will couple in common mode noise.

Hey Steve, speaking of bends, what do you think of 3/0 THHN/THWN cable coming from a breaker in a Square-D box going out conduit in the back? I'm sure I'll have to use some persuasion to get it curved that tight.

Just an FYI, Data cable travelling 1" next to any high voltage DC or AC line does nothing. A constant parallel run could cause problems. This is a shielded data line, that does not require much data transfer. No need to be picky. This would even pass inspection in a high data transfer situation, with a fluke tester. Anyone worried about this type of conduit sharing, stop your worry. I have to certify 10GB Cat6A runs, and although sharing raceway over distance is a no-no, 1" shared conduit is normal, and will not fail a critical data line. In fact, if it is control for the energized equipment, it is recommended, best practices. "Common Mode Noise" is a term for electrical engineers designing circuit boards with very small PCB boards and circuits, and should never really be an issue for you with any of this type of equipment. This might boil down to 'a little too much information'. In summary, run your data wire with your energized wire in your panel, that is no problem. Run it parallel for 150 feet? If you want high speed data, you will have degradation.
AC/DC +/- current should not run through different conduit, not because it is any problem, but because it makes a wire run more difficult to identify for the guy coming behind you to figure out. It is for identification purposes, and for wire length purposes. You could do it all day long and have no effect on that circuit. The service tech who shows up later, however, will curse you as he tones out conductors point to point to verify.
Just a hint guys, electrical code has absolutely nothing to do with how well a system operates, or how efficient it is. NOTHING!! Electrical code is for Safety of the operator, and fire safety. They could not care less if your equipment works efficiently or not. That is not what electrical code is for. Code is there to make sure you don't start shit on fire or hurt someone. That's all.