solar disconnect switch

[yycwrangler]

Looking to put a solar disconnect between the PV's and MPPT. I have 4X100watt panels and have attached an Image of the info. Running them in series.It's above my knowledge level and hoping you can help me. I'd like a dual pole breaker fuse with a breaker switch which I can activate if I want to work on the MPPT etc. Any thoughts of what size I should get..Thanks in advance for your help..Cheers Al

 

[chrisski]

I’d go with 150 volt dc circuit breaker from midnight solar. 10 amps would be good for series. 30 amps for parallel.

 

[Supervstech]

It depends on if you will be disconnecting under load or not.

 

[Bop]

Any DC rated switch or breaker rated 100v or higher, and 10A would do...
In Australia they are readily available for din mount rails for our 'fuseboxes' with a 600v or 1000v rating from any electrical wholesaler (as they are required by law for any solar system, and as 1/3 of Aussie houses have solar panels fitted, the stuff needed is literally sold everywhere...)

My old gridtie where I used to live (the two external cutoffs, one for the east facing array, one for the west facing array)

My current offgrid systems DC breakers (I use them as switches if I have to disconnect for any reason)


Only two of the five are currently in use (hooked up to the north facing and west facing temporary arrays), the rest will be used when I put all the panels up, total cost for the entire box and breakers was under $100 Au

 

[Supervstech]

Any DC rated switch or breaker rated 100v or higher, and 10A would do...
In Australia they are readily available for din mount rails for our 'fuseboxes' with a 600v or 1000v rating from any electrical wholesaler (as they are required by law for any solar system, and as 1/3 of Aussie houses have solar panels fitted, the stuff needed is literally sold everywhere...)

My old gridtie where I used to live (the two external cutoffs, one for the east facing array, one for the west facing array)
View attachment 211880
My current offgrid systems DC breakers (I use them as switches if I have to disconnect for any reason)

View attachment 211882View attachment 211884
Only two of the five are currently in use (hooked up to the north facing and west facing temporary arrays), the rest will be used when I put all the panels up, total cost for the entire box and breakers was under $100 Au

Big difference between a grid tie series disconnect, and potentially a 24A DC disconnect.
Without knowing how and when he plans to use the disconnect, recommending a 10A din breaker to inturrupt potentially 24A of PV under load is unwise.

More info needed to recommend a disconnect.

 

[yycwrangler]

It depends on if you will be disconnecting under load or not.

I could potentially see me throwing the switch with a load occasionally..Would this effect the size of the disconnect switch..Thanks again for your feedback

 

[yycwrangler]

I’d go with 150 volt dc circuit breaker from midnight solar. 10 amps would be good for series. 30 amps for parallel.

Thank you..I'll get on the amazon and get on ordered

 

[robbob2112]

Thank you..I'll get on the amazon and get on ordered

If you intend disconnecting under load you may want to thing about a contactor.

@timselectric has lots to say about those.

 

[yycwrangler]

If you intend disconnecting under load you may want to thing about a contactor.

@timselectric has lots to say about those.

when I say disconnecting under load, it would be if something happened down the line that suggested I interrupt the power feed. Don't have plans on disconnecting on a regular basis

 

[Supervstech]

On mine, i run the pv in on a pigtail to a pair of andersen power pole connectors.
Easy to jerk free and handle loads ok, for emergency.

 

[yycwrangler]

On mine, i run the pv in on a pigtail to a pair of andersen power pole connectors.
Easy to jerk free and handle loads ok, for emergency.

thats definitely another option. However, just knowing I can throw the breaker if needed and also if I'm not in the trailer the breaker will trip

 

[yycwrangler]

I’d go with 150 volt dc circuit breaker from midnight solar. 10 amps would be good for series. 30 amps for parallel.

would this be what you were thinking

https://www.amazon.ca/DIHOOL-Circuit-Breaker-Disconnect-12-240V/dp/B0BFFB9KYQ/ref=sr_1_4?crid=32DJDNDCZJ57D&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.-DSO9IkA90CilEPip6flIntORh7R1DucB7fWnMdC-vGdcbIqAQrmws_c-sAJHO-z1g7sVUUNrDIMAOpBXxwpyGmybsAeIuIuR8d6U8KiIiltlIwURtvoWCB2Bxd-kTF0-ls5t37Jt_2dozDNgdJM0SdVaiO5iZh2IM_XlaDOUnQfPrvBpWmghpsJ6AAlNCcwCV3fL2JXBjMaOKSa-rvsR8by7jwKwjkqqlHej0KwzLhKtTCrn5BPw8gEzdzDMlUBKqzseIKCMfXdc7J1e1vmwxUmGPwni-A7d_jEma79T6s.X8DWrcFJ8LAGYB_myccu9Wx434QzvPmCX_scgDJfh-g&dib_tag=se&keywords=dc%2Bcircuit%2Bbreaker%2Bsolar%2B10%2Bamp&qid=1714269600&sprefix=dc%2Bcircuit%2Bbreaker%2Bsolar%2B10%2Bamp%2Caps%2C124&sr=8-4&th=1

 

[JRH]

On mine, i run the pv in on a pigtail to a pair of andersen power pole connectors.
Easy to jerk free and handle loads ok, for emergency.

Yep… they will handle a good spark if need be… they are stout….I have other disconnects in the circuits but these are a manual emergency back up if needed… one set of SB 175’s for 6 ga stepped to 1/0 wire at the panels and another set on the equipment end 100 ft apart….. never needed to use them except for a planed disconnect for a maintence disconnect… Or imminent lightning storm…
But in either case there was low or no load…

 

[yycwrangler]

Yep… they will handle a good spark if need be… they are stout….I have other disconnects in the circuits but these are a manual emergency back up if needed… one set of SB 175’s for 6 ga stepped to 1/0 wire at the panels and another set on the equipment end 100 ft apart….. never needed to use them except for a planed disconnect for a maintence disconnect… Or imminent lightning storm…
But in either case there was low or no load…

what about the link I posted above in JRH's post..Do you think that would work for the situation I have

 

[JRH]

what about the link I posted above in JRH's post..Do you think that would work for the situation I have

I don’t really know… I like and use some MS gear but much of what I use is from snowplow or boat days…old school stuff I have used for many years…some of the smarter guys here than me will surley know your answer…

Personally I have found the IMO products have worked great as my first line of use…but then I have other stuff downstream if it didn’t…

Good luck…J.

 

[Bop]

Big difference between a grid tie series disconnect, and potentially a 24A DC disconnect.
Without knowing how and when he plans to use the disconnect, recommending a 10A din breaker to inturrupt potentially 24A of PV under load is unwise.

More info needed to recommend a disconnect.

He said in the OP post that it is a series string, so the S/C current is going to be 5.86A (so a 10A disconnect or breaker is fine) and 4 series panels is 89.2v Voc so a 100v minimum would be the minimum DC rating I'd be comfortable with
I'd love to see a series array rated at 5.85A hit 24A...

I have 4X100watt panels and have attached an Image of the info. Running them in series.

;-)