School me on Grounding

[Thorium]

What I’m hoping:
This is an off grid system and I can risk the panels/property by skipping grounding, while life safety is covered by PV combiner box w/ breakers on each string of panels. School me if I’m wrong, I’ve done my research but this is my first system.

What I’m not worried about:
panels (property) being hurt by a low probability event (eg lightning or a short).

What I am worried about:
Same low probability event catching my house on fire (eg surge going back to solar charge controller inside my home)

My setup:
- Dozen 250w panels (~8 amps 38V, the used santan solars)
- Panels are mounted separate from home
- strings of 3 in series (4 parallel)
- each string 10awg to midnite combiner box
- each string into 12 DC amp breaker in combiner box
- one pair of 10awg from combiner, into Victron 150/35, which is inside my home

 

[MisterSandals]

while life safety is covered by PV combiner box w/ breakers on each string of panels.

Is that a question?
Breakers protect the wire, not anybody's life.

 

[OffGridInTheCity]

What I am worried about:
Same low probability event catching my house on fire (eg surge going back to solar charge controller inside my home)

This is why one puts lightning arrestors (surge protection) on the PV array. Midnite Solar makes some nice ones such as this -

MidNite Solar Surge Protection Device MNSPD-600

MidNite Solar MNSPD-600 Surge Protection Device

www.solar-electric.com

You don't say you're overall voltage - but 3s panels would be > 48vdc and 48vdc or higher is a relm where you can be injured due to shock ... similar to US 240/120v AC in your house. So grounding and things like DC based GFP (ground fault protection) are useful to limit risk.

I get it - when I first started I just didn't understand the purpose, reasoning, risk to things as clearly as I do now... and was really focused on learning basics / getting things working. Its a lot of fun! But keep reading / learning and it may fill in for you like it did for me. I not only follow all the practices now but also go with ETL or UL components as well as this can reduce trouble with a home owner's insurance claim if you have fire (of any kind - solar or otherwise)

 

[kromc5]

I'm using midnite.