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Is the MPP1012-LV UL458 (floating ground) certified

RaZar

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Aug 1, 2021
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I just bought a MPP1012-LV hybrid to use on my van conversion. My solar salesman tells me it needs to be UL 458 certified. I can't find any certifications in the users manual. Does anyone know if it is?
 
It is not.



According to the National Electrical Code, battery-less (on grid) or battery-based (off grid / hybrid) power inverter used in residential renewable energy systems must be listed to UL1741.


While UL458 is the safety standard for Power Converters/Inverters and Power Converter/ Inverter Systems for Land Vehicles and Marine Crafts.


UL458 listed Inverters are designed for mobile use—for example, on boats and RVs, which are sometimes off-grid without permanent grounding and sometimes hooked up to shore power/power grid for battery charging and to supply supplemental energy for AC loads. The UL 458 inverter is incapable of selling energy to utility.


The two UL standards differ mainly in two things. One is how they handle the grounding in AC system, the other is whether the battery charger is tested or not.


UL1741-listed inverters must allow for the neutral-to-ground bond to only occur at the main AC service panel. UL458-listed inverters have internal automatic neutral-to-ground switching relay. This relay allows for neutral to ground bonding to occur when the inverter is in off-grid DC to AC mode, it also separates neutral from ground at the utility power service if it is connected to a utility hookup. It does so because in mobile power systems, neutral is bonded with ground.


As for battery charger testing, UL458 doesn’t test the battery charger part of the inverter even some models are built with battery charger.


UL 1741 tests the battery charging part to make sure its safety standard is met.


Some inverters are listed under both UL458 and UL 1741 standards with a dis-connectable cable near the AC terminal, so you’ll need to read the installation manual carefully about the step up.


An inverter model is either “UL listed” or “NON UL listed”.
 
Mopat - Thanks so much for your quick, clear and knowledgable reply! Please excuse my rookie understanding but it looks from the 1012-LV manual and Will Prowse review of the 800watt model that there is an automatic neutral to ground switching relay (surely it has to have one?).
Anyway if you have the time, I would really appreciate you taking a quick look at the manual. My only concern is that I don't burn down my conversion (that has taken 3 1/2 years so far) or electrocute my wife and our kids!

 
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