diy solar

diy solar

Newbie with multiple questions

What’s cheaper one run of larger conductor or two runs?
The single long run of conductor Might be cheaper than good old Romex 10/3, but the thicker stuff won't mount to the MC4 connectors and you'd have to go pretty thick which usually means custom shop ordering. Plus, Romex 10/3 is available in 500ft lengths at most hardware stores. You just ignore the white wire (I just cut it off) and you've already run your ground wires in the same sleeve.

@Austinbriggs123 : Close, but the bus bars you have drawn there would short everything out. They would be 2 bars, 1 for the Positive wires and 1 for the Negative wires. However, having said that, a couple short chunks of whatever thickness your SCC can take (the screw holes are only going to accept a wire so thick) and some wire nuts are all you're going to need. Twist all the Reds together and stick the thick stuff in the SCC, repeat with the Blacks.
 
The single long run of conductor Might be cheaper than good old Romex 10/3, but the thicker stuff won't mount to the MC4 connectors and you'd have to go pretty thick which usually means custom shop ordering. Plus, Romex 10/3 is available in 500ft lengths at most hardware stores. You just ignore the white wire (I just cut it off) and you've already run your ground wires in the same sleeve.

@Austinbriggs123 : Close, but the bus bars you have drawn there would short everything out. They would be 2 bars, 1 for the Positive wires and 1 for the Negative wires. However, having said that, a couple short chunks of whatever thickness your SCC can take (the screw holes are only going to accept a wire so thick) and some wire nuts are all you're going to need. Twist all the Reds together and stick the thick stuff in the SCC, repeat with the Blacks.
Yea haha my drawing sucks I have ordered a negative and positive bus bar. Lows has some 10 gauge for like 160 bucks for 500ft of stranded copper wire.
 
The single long run of conductor Might be cheaper than good old Romex 10/3, but the thicker stuff won't mount to the MC4 connectors and you'd have to go pretty thick which usually means custom shop ordering. Plus, Romex 10/3 is available in 500ft lengths at most hardware stores. You just ignore the white wire (I just cut it off) and you've already run your ground wires in the same sleeve.

@Austinbriggs123 : Close, but the bus bars you have drawn there would short everything out. They would be 2 bars, 1 for the Positive wires and 1 for the Negative wires. However, having said that, a couple short chunks of whatever thickness your SCC can take (the screw holes are only going to accept a wire so thick) and some wire nuts are all you're going to need. Twist all the Reds together and stick the thick stuff in the SCC, repeat with the Blacks.
Thank you so much everything is starting to click in my head haha!
 
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