I've gone through hours of video, forum posts, docs and Giandel support, but I still can't find an outright answer which is what I think we all want when dealing with electricity so no one gets hurt.
Question: How to run ground for DC battery system and AC panel fed from Giandel 24v 4000W inverter to alleviate an open ground.
Base setup:
1600W panels on unistrut ground mount
2 batteries in series for 24v 300amp/hr
60 amp MPPT
Giandel 24v 4000W inverter, does not bond ground to neutral
AC panel old school breakers, no GCFI or Arc Fault breakers
AC panel fed direct wire from Giandel (hot/load, neutral, ground), not via inverter outlet and wires broken out
AC panel feeds AC outlets around a building rather than pulling extension cords.
AC panel has hot from inverter to dual breaker to feed both sides of the panel
AC panel currently has neutral to ground bond removed
Earth ground 8' deep
No external power, AC, Generator, etc. Only incoming power is solar feeding batteries and batteries feeding equipment
Unistruts/panels grounded 6AWG direct to earth ground
AC panel ground bus 6AWG direct to earth ground
Inverter chassis ground connects to AC panel ground bus bar
Inverter AC output direct wires: ground wire connects to AC panel ground bus. Hot goes to jumped dual breaker and neutral goes to neutral bus bar in AC panel
When I test an outlet supplied power through the inverter I show an open ground, but I was expecting a proper ground due to the earth ground connections. I thought perhaps I need to bond neutral to ground in the AC panel as show on page 5 of the "stationary systems" doc (https://diysolarforum.com/resources/grounding-made-simpler-part-2-stationary-systems.161/) but Giandel advised:
"Is your electrical panel a GFCI socket? Please do not connect the neutral and ground, it is dangerous, will cause electric shock, also can not pass HIPOT testing. Unless you use a GFCI socket to connect the inverter's Neutral and ground. If you want the tester show "GROUNDed", that is also possible, just connect the inverter's Neutral to Ground terminal, but please use GFCI socket to connect them."
Are saying I need all GCFI breakers instead of using the panel bar to bond ground and neutral or are they saying use the bar AND use GCFI breakers? GCFI breakers sure cause a cost increase. I believe its 2nd option as everything I've read says you can only have 1 connection between ground and neutral. If a GCFI bonded ground and neutral, there would be several. Course then it could trip the GCFI can clear the fault..
Any other grounds I should make?
Thanks-
Question: How to run ground for DC battery system and AC panel fed from Giandel 24v 4000W inverter to alleviate an open ground.
Base setup:
1600W panels on unistrut ground mount
2 batteries in series for 24v 300amp/hr
60 amp MPPT
Giandel 24v 4000W inverter, does not bond ground to neutral
AC panel old school breakers, no GCFI or Arc Fault breakers
AC panel fed direct wire from Giandel (hot/load, neutral, ground), not via inverter outlet and wires broken out
AC panel feeds AC outlets around a building rather than pulling extension cords.
AC panel has hot from inverter to dual breaker to feed both sides of the panel
AC panel currently has neutral to ground bond removed
Earth ground 8' deep
No external power, AC, Generator, etc. Only incoming power is solar feeding batteries and batteries feeding equipment
Unistruts/panels grounded 6AWG direct to earth ground
AC panel ground bus 6AWG direct to earth ground
Inverter chassis ground connects to AC panel ground bus bar
Inverter AC output direct wires: ground wire connects to AC panel ground bus. Hot goes to jumped dual breaker and neutral goes to neutral bus bar in AC panel
When I test an outlet supplied power through the inverter I show an open ground, but I was expecting a proper ground due to the earth ground connections. I thought perhaps I need to bond neutral to ground in the AC panel as show on page 5 of the "stationary systems" doc (https://diysolarforum.com/resources/grounding-made-simpler-part-2-stationary-systems.161/) but Giandel advised:
"Is your electrical panel a GFCI socket? Please do not connect the neutral and ground, it is dangerous, will cause electric shock, also can not pass HIPOT testing. Unless you use a GFCI socket to connect the inverter's Neutral and ground. If you want the tester show "GROUNDed", that is also possible, just connect the inverter's Neutral to Ground terminal, but please use GFCI socket to connect them."
Are saying I need all GCFI breakers instead of using the panel bar to bond ground and neutral or are they saying use the bar AND use GCFI breakers? GCFI breakers sure cause a cost increase. I believe its 2nd option as everything I've read says you can only have 1 connection between ground and neutral. If a GCFI bonded ground and neutral, there would be several. Course then it could trip the GCFI can clear the fault..
Any other grounds I should make?
Thanks-
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