Please Help With Direction
- Thread starter Fearless
- Start date
Dave911
Solar Enthusiast
FWIW, I would never put batteries or inverters outside in the weather. Your inverter cost looks to be about 2x just to be Nema 3X.
I would put everything inside a garage, outbuilding, closet, etc. I work on low voltage industrial gear all of the time 480-500 VAC and you won't want to be working outside with that gear. High voltage DC is especially bad. Sure you will have disconnects, but screw up once and your ability to survive a shock goes way down in the weather. The ability to get injured is more than 2x vs being inside in a dry location. Its definitely not worth it. I know they do things differently down south, but still, don't ! Once small water leak into that inverter and its all over. Don't believe me. Talk to any electrician and ask them where they would locate these items if it was their house.
I would put everything inside a garage, outbuilding, closet, etc. I work on low voltage industrial gear all of the time 480-500 VAC and you won't want to be working outside with that gear. High voltage DC is especially bad. Sure you will have disconnects, but screw up once and your ability to survive a shock goes way down in the weather. The ability to get injured is more than 2x vs being inside in a dry location. Its definitely not worth it. I know they do things differently down south, but still, don't ! Once small water leak into that inverter and its all over. Don't believe me. Talk to any electrician and ask them where they would locate these items if it was their house.
The electrician told me the split is in the meter box. The 200A single breaker box by the meter was required so that all power going to the house could be shut off by the meter. I updated my first post in this thread to reflect this.
Now I discovered the Canadian Solar EP Cube. It looks like solar for dummies (beginners). The lack of owner feedback is concerning. Also, in a Youtube video, an interlock was used on a breaker box to engage the inverter. All the switching should be happening in the system.
A couple of these would work if I could find a battery option that passes inspection https://www.mppsolar.com/v3/lvx12kwwp/
Consider using the power pro conduit box and the parallel cables per the layout showed in the manual, as you won't need a separate battery combiner for a 4 battery 2 inverter setup, and can have nice clean install.
Given the distance between the main service and the inverter location a few things need to be noted:
- Transfer switch is going to be best located outside at main service.
- Provide 2 additional 200 amp enclosed breakers in the garage for the inverter outputs, to meet nec disconnect requirements per section 705 and 706
- Assuming the wire length between the service and the location of the 200 amp enclosed circuit breakers in the garage exceeds the 25ft allowance of NEC tap rule, the runs between the transfer switch and the inverter input and output enclosed circuit breakers, should be one 400 amp run(one large conductor or multiple conductors in parallel) and taped in the garage with a Polaris connector, power distribution block, or similar.
- Assuming the wire length between the transfer switch and the 200 amp garage panel is greater then 25 ft, a 200 amp enclosed circuit breaker will be need to be near the transfer switch, on the feeder to the 200 amp garage panel
- All 4 200amp enclosed circuit breakers in the garage that are the disconnects for the inverters inputs and outputs, should be fitted with the appropriate accessories to allow them to locked in the open position.
- All 400 amp runs of wire carrying to total load of the house can be a reduced wire size per NEC 310.12 Single-Phase Dwelling Services and Feeders
- Consider noting if larger conductors are copper or aluminum in tables.
Would the breakers in the inverters suffice?
Due there being exposed live parts exposed when the door is opened to access the breaker this doesn't meet NEC 2020 705.20(4). In addition there is no means provided to lock the built in breaker in the open position as required by NEC 2020 706.15(A)(3) .
Looks good, I would note where the bond is on the plan.
That 7406 transfer switch is not rated for service entry.
Does your existing 400A main panel have stabs rated to accept 200A branch circuit breakers? If so you might be able to use them to feed the inverters without needing the 200A enclosed breakers.
Does your existing 400A main panel have stabs rated to accept 200A branch circuit breakers? If so you might be able to use them to feed the inverters without needing the 200A enclosed breakers.
I have a 400A meter box that will feed the 400A fused disconnect.
You can use flexible conduit, but inside the building there some rules in NEC 2202 690.31(D)(1)
vnr111
New Member
@Fearless hi how do you like your Bluesun panels?
I just went live with 50 bifacial Bluesun panels on Thursday.
I was wary because I can’t find a single review or user that has any review of the Bluesun panel. So I’m not sure if they’re outputting what they should or did I just get ripped off on the panels…
I just went live with 50 bifacial Bluesun panels on Thursday.
I was wary because I can’t find a single review or user that has any review of the Bluesun panel. So I’m not sure if they’re outputting what they should or did I just get ripped off on the panels…
shadowmaker
Solar Addict
If you use search on this forum typing "Bluesun", you'll find many Bluesun users including me. I also have two Bluesun (plus two Deye/Sunsynk/Sol-Ark) inverters to go with them. My panels are 700W shingled cell bifacials and I'm pretty happy with them so far. IRC I paid 0,35c/W a year ago including 24% VAT and postage, so they were cheap for me and perfect for my installation setup. Just last Friday I bought 14,3kWp more panels, but this time I don't need bifacials so went with GCL 550W halfcut monofacials as they were just 0,19c/W including everything. Panel prices seem to plummet here when winter/snow comes.
