Stumped with Combo Meter Panel and CT Sensor

[TropicalTodd]

Thanks in advance for any help.

I'm currently in the middle of my solar install. Gird tie 9.6KW PV with Sol-Ark 12K emp.

I was in the process of getting my main breaker de-rated to 175 Amps when I realized that my Combo Meter panel has the hard bus bar connections between the meter and the Main shut-off breaker. Speaking with Sol-Ark, there are no rope style CT sensors that will work with Sol-Ark 12K.

So now I'm not sure what direction to go.

-Can you place the CT sensors on the main lines before the meter?
-Do I need to replace the entire panel with a new box that will allow for CT sensors
-Can I just add a sub-panel between the Sol-Ark and the Combo panel and put CT sensor to those leads? If so, what size panel would that require?

 

[amtun819]

Thanks in advance for any help.

I'm currently in the middle of my solar install. Gird tie 9.6KW PV with Sol-Ark 12K emp.

I was in the process of getting my main breaker de-rated to 175 Amps when I realized that my Combo Meter panel has the hard bus bar connections between the meter and the Main shut-off breaker. Speaking with Sol-Ark, there are no rope style CT sensors that will work with Sol-Ark 12K.

So now I'm not sure what direction to go.

-Can you place the CT sensors on the main lines before the meter?
-Do I need to replace the entire panel with a new box that will allow for CT sensors
-Can I just add a sub-panel between the Sol-Ark and the Combo panel and put CT sensor to those leads? If so, what size panel would that require?

I am in the same situation. I am planning to tap ct to main line coming to the meter. I am not bypassing the meter or anything. it is just reading the current. at least that would be my excuse.

 

[TropicalTodd]

I am in the same situation. I am planning to tap ct to main line coming to the meter. I am not bypassing the meter or anything. it is just reading the current. at least that would be my excuse.

Do you have a link to any information on this? If that is a viable option it would very easy for me to finish my setup.

 

[Shimmy]

For single phase it is usually possibly to put a CT around each hot at some point on the bus, but it is tricky. For my panel there was more space ahead of the main than after.

 

[eleceng1979]

Does the optional ct’s available from solarark not accomplish what you need? They have a specific option for a larger window ct for bussbars. This is from the 15K manual. Their CT’s are true CT’s. They provide a current output, not mv output like rope CT’s. One could buy/make a converter but is an advanced solution.

 

[TropicalTodd]

Not enough room in behind the bus bars for standard CT to fit.

Heard back from Sol-Ark, they don't recommend installing CT before meter and said local utility would probably have issue with that setup as well.

 

[goldserve]

Normally to get access to the lines before the meter socket, you need permission to disconnect the meter and someone from the power company has to do that for you.

 

[eleceng1979]

In Ohio, my Poco strictly forbids anything inside the meter can. From a liability standpoint they are responsible to the first disconnect. The meter box is a no fly zone here, YMMV. We are not allowed meter/main combos like yours due to this. A clear line of demarcation. One could make a lame argument that your CT’s could cause meter reading issues. It is lame, but their argument.

There are companies that will wind custom CT’s. Also they have mv to I converters in order to use rogowski (rope style) CT’s.

The easiest way might be to divorce the meter from the main with new equipment.

 

[amtun819]

Do you have a link to any information on this? If that is a viable option it would very easy for me to finish my setup.

Do you have a link to any information on this? If that is a viable option it would very easy for me to finish my setup.

you just use ct around the L1 and L2 coming into the meter.