New member to the mosh pit. Looking forward to hearing opinions and facts about true off grid setups.

[Montanaman]

Nowhere does anybody speak to transition from exterior inground conduit to in wall cable disposition.
Is PV cable strung through conduit to reach the charge controller panel? Flex metal in wall and ceiling?
I just haven’t seen a video describing the travel to where the business starts.
Plus, conflicting grounding of PV arrays abound. Is a ground wire run from the arrays all the way to the panel ground bus?
Are you grounding the array frame or the circuitry? Both? None? A ground rod is highly discouraged at the array I’mn posts yet I see videos of grounding rods being pounded at the frame and connected.
Your thoughts appreciated,
Montanaman.

 

[timselectric]

Nowhere does anybody speak to transition from exterior inground conduit to in wall cable disposition.
Is PV cable strung through conduit to reach the charge controller panel? Flex metal in wall and ceiling?

Inside the house/ building PV circuit conductors must be inside of metal conduit or raceways. Outside can be PVC.

Is a ground wire run from the arrays all the way to the panel ground bus?

To the grounding system. Which eventually does connect to the main service panel ground bar.

Are you grounding the array frame or the circuitry?

Panel frames and racking (if metal).

A ground rod is highly discouraged at the array

Correct
It doesn't make anything safer. But can cause damage to your equipment during an electrical storm.

yet I see videos of grounding rods being pounded at the frame and connected.

I see lots of ground rods placed in the wrong place.
People are easily confused about many things.

 

[green mountain boys]

Are you grounding the array frame or the circuitry? Both? None?

Do not connect the negative conductor from your PV panels to ground!

 

[Montanaman]

Let me see if I’ve got this right.
The metal frame and the panel frame on remote ground mounted is OK to be connected to a ground rod at the frame? JUST NI CIRCUITRY? Or just let the frames be connected together through a ground wire and let the frame sit on the ground way from the structure? Or does one run a ground wire from the frame through the pvc along side the PV cable all the way to the house ground at the panel? Is there a problem having that ground wire running along side the PV cable in the same race?
I see no ground wire on remote panel install videos coming in from outside to the house panel ground bus…YET. And none of the YouTube warriors like Will have addressed it that I’ve happened to have viewed. This grounding stuff seems huge but it isn’t made clear.

 

[Quattrohead]

The grounding discussion is always a difficult one, you can't do anything about it if your panels are mounted on metal frames concreted into the ground anyway so I absolutely do not see that side of the argument.
Indeed I personally would rather see static or induced voltage from a lightning strike dissipated at that end rather than returning to the inverter area.
You can have a look and see what the TV and radio transmitter guys do but at the end of the day I don't think there's an actual correct answer. Lightning will end up doing whatever the frig it feels like.

 

[timselectric]

Or does one run a ground wire from the frame through the pvc along side the PV cable all the way to the house ground at the panel?

This is the correct way.

The metal frame and the panel frame on remote ground mounted is OK to be connected to a ground rod at the frame?

Allowed, but not recommended.

Or just let the frames be connected together through a ground wire and let the frame sit on the ground way from the structure?

No, you must ground the array for safety.

Is there a problem having that ground wire running along side the PV cable in the same race?

No, that's where it's required to be. (Along side of the circuit conductors)

I see no ground wire on remote panel install videos coming in from outside to the house panel ground bus…YET.

That's their problem, not yours. Don't follow stupid people doing stupid things.

This grounding stuff seems huge but it isn’t made clear.

Grounding is the most important part of any electrical system.
it's not really that complicated. But people seem to get very confused about it.

The grounding system begins at, and is created by the N/G bond, located at the first means of disconnect. (Usually this is the main service panel)
A ground rod (or two connected together) is also driven nearby, and connected at the same location.
From that point, everywhere you run circuit conductors, you include an EGC (Equipment Grounding Conductor). This makes up the grounding system.
Everything conductive (metallic) that you can touch, is bonded to this grounding system.
This includes (but isn't limited to) all Equipment, junction boxes, raceways, solar panel frames and racking.

 

[Quattrohead]

The grounding system begins at, and is created by the N/G bond, located at the first means of disconnect. (Usually this is the main service panel)

This is not how it is done in Florida (lightning capital of the country), every pole has a ground wire that runs up the pole and joins the neutral so the ground neutral bond is there, then that bare wire runs to your house twisted with L1 and L2 into your panel and guess what, there's another ground rod and wire and the second bond is made.
I remember this arrangement in Massachusetts too, so do only 2 states do it this way?

 

[timselectric]

This is not how it is done in Florida (lightning capital of the country), every pole has a ground wire that runs up the pole and joins the neutral so the ground neutral bond is there, then that bare wire runs to your house twisted with L1 and L2 into your panel and guess what, there's another ground rod and wire and the second bond is made.
I remember this arrangement in Massachusetts too, so do only 2 states do it this way?

That's utility side bonding. Has nothing to do with your system. The bare overhead conductor running to your house is a neutral. The utility company doesn't provide a ground conductor to the customer. You have to create your own grounding system. This is done the same throughout North America.