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Issues finding a way to use a Ground Fault Interrupter on the PV side of my system

SunnyWhiskers

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Joined
Sep 27, 2021
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6
Hello all,

Happy Friday!
So currently I am trying to find a way to install a ground fault interrupter on the PV side of my system. Of course this is to remain compliant with NEC 690.41 , I have 2 strings and they are on my roof. My problem is that the inverter I am using states that it cannot be used with solar panels that require positive nor negative grounding. All PV rated GFI are required to be ground. So I'm beginning to fear that I cannot meet this norm unless I mount the panels on the ground. I have confirmed this with multiple GFI companies. I'm hoping that someone on here may have a product suggestion, or any options I may have to be incompliance with this norm. Essentially a PV GFI that does not require it to be connected directly to ground.

Thanks for your time and consideration. This forum has been nothing but incredible.
 
Hello all,

Happy Friday!
So currently I am trying to find a way to install a ground fault interrupter on the PV side of my system. Of course this is to remain compliant with NEC 690.41 , I have 2 strings and they are on my roof. My problem is that the inverter I am using states that it cannot be used with solar panels that require positive nor negative grounding. All PV rated GFI are required to be ground. So I'm beginning to fear that I cannot meet this norm unless I mount the panels on the ground. I have confirmed this with multiple GFI companies. I'm hoping that someone on here may have a product suggestion, or any options I may have to be incompliance with this norm. Essentially a PV GFI that does not require it to be connected directly to ground.

Thanks for your time and consideration. This forum has been nothing but incredible.
What inverter do you have?
 
Hello all,

Happy Friday!
So currently I am trying to find a way to install a ground fault interrupter on the PV side of my system. Of course this is to remain compliant with NEC 690.41 , I have 2 strings and they are on my roof. My problem is that the inverter I am using states that it cannot be used with solar panels that require positive nor negative grounding. All PV rated GFI are required to be ground. So I'm beginning to fear that I cannot meet this norm unless I mount the panels on the ground. I have confirmed this with multiple GFI companies. I'm hoping that someone on here may have a product suggestion, or any options I may have to be incompliance with this norm. Essentially a PV GFI that does not require it to be connected directly to ground.

Thanks for your time and consideration. This forum has been nothing but incredible.
Just curious -what is the ground fault current level in the spec?
 
My problem is that the inverter I am using states that it cannot be used with solar panels that require positive nor negative grounding.
Quite often, this is because the Ground Fault Protection is built in. What inverter are you using?
 
Thank you everyone for your responses. I reached out to the manufacture (it was an MPP inverter) and turns out that since the PV side of the inverter is not galvanically isolated like the battery side, one cannot use an external ground fault device on the PV side. This means that the unit could never comply to the NEC norm if one were to plan to mount panels to the roof of a building. This being said, the inverter was designed with complete off-grid applications in mind where there are grey areas in the compliances one must adhere to. Apparently the cost goes significantly up once you start looking at UL listed inverters and ones that have built GFP on the PV side (like the SMA Sunnyboy line of inverters).
 
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