Nisch
New Member
Would EMT provide enough protection in comparison to RMC or SCH80 PVC?EMT would be less wavy than PVC and a lot easier/cheaper than RMC
Would EMT provide enough protection in comparison to RMC or SCH80 PVC?EMT would be less wavy than PVC and a lot easier/cheaper than RMC
(E) Severe Physical DamageWould EMT provide enough protection in comparison to RMC or SCH80 PVC?
I'm at the base of a mountain in Phoenix, AZ, so yeah, corrosion isn't much of an issue here.Looks like you are in the mountains, which scratches out the anti-corrosion benefits of PVC over EMT.
I think you are going to combine before you send the circuit down the conduit? There are pros/cons to this. A few large circuits of aluminum would be cheaper and avoid derating issues. However if you ever want to switch to an AC coupled hybrid system, one large 25kW circuit is way bigger than any current inverter can handle (12kW is the biggest people on this forum use). So splitting to 2 or 3 and combining afterward is a bit more future proof.
You can do 3 circuits of #10 before going below 30A on the derating, I think with the AC output rating of your inverters you can even go up to 4 circuits with 70% derate.
You don't necessarily need a line side tap; you can also use something like sum of breakers / combining with your subpanel feeder conductors instead of on a busbar.
My intent is to combine (5) 30A circuits at the array and make the run to the house with 2/0 to the main service panel. It's about 150ft total.
I don't like line side taps because they require more POCO coordination.I'm not sure I follow about not using a line-side tap. My main panel in my garage is full so I don't have room for 5 circuits, or 3 for that matter, but also a line side tap would be much easier wiring wise as my 400A panel in the garage would be a pain to get to, whereas that service panel/meter on the east side of the house would be a much easier route to tap into than trying to get to the interior of the garage.
I think then the challenge is where to tap into this monster and run to another disconnect/meter to the left of it.
What's behind the 3 black covers at the bottom?I'm at the base of a mountain in Phoenix, AZ, so yeah, corrosion isn't much of an issue here.
My intent is to combine (5) 30A circuits at the array and make the run to the house with 2/0 to the main service panel. It's about 150ft total. I'm not sure I follow about not using a line-side tap. My main panel in my garage is full so I don't have room for 5 circuits, or 3 for that matter, but also a line side tap would be much easier wiring wise as my 400A panel in the garage would be a pain to get to, whereas that service panel/meter on the east side of the house would be a much easier route to tap into than trying to get to the interior of the garage.
I think then the challenge is where to tap into this monster and run to another disconnect/meter to the left of it.
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The left one is blank, the other two have disconnects in themWhat's behind the 3 black covers at the bottom?
If breakers, is there a spare? Or space to add another?
If yes to either, this is where I would make the interconnection.
BingoThe left one is blank, the other two have disconnects in them
Ok, so new twist to this. My utility does not like the idea of two separate solar systems and they need to be combined. I apologize for my newbie question, but how would I go about combining the 2/0awg and 8awg. Would that be another small breaker panel? Are there limitations on the amount of breaker panels? So either I need to go back to the original idea of going to the basement panel with the new array, or run my existing solar system to the far east side of the house and combine them there. I'm just trying to get my head wrapped around this whole thing. If I'm thinking about this correctly, the lines need to be protected, so would that just be a fused disconnect on each line coming in to the house from each solar system?Bingo
Ok thank you. I've been seeing some diagrams where there are many layers deep behind breaker panels. I thought I remember hearing something about limits of disconnects, so that got me thinking if there were limitations of breaker panels.A small panel used as a combiner would work. Make sure that it's labeled as such, and I wouldn't put anything else in it.
You might want to check whether your utility has any limitations on connected solar system size.
They would regret saying something like that to me. lolIn regard to the system size, their words were "go as big as you want, we'll update your service to accommodate if necessary".
Yeah, I have an overkill gene that rears it's ugly head all the time. If I had more land, I'd go bonkers. I'm grandfathered into net metering, so it could get interesting.They would regret saying something like that to me. lol
would avoid the unsightly SCH80 going along the wall.
I just figured that since my 35kW would not exceed the 200A rating of that panel in the basement, and that line already has the 200A disconnect near the service panel/meter, it would streamline some of that process.
An inspector rejected my surface-mount PVC conduit horizontally along the wall.
He said OK only vertically to enter the ground.
If find PVC sunburns, also expands and shrinks as Tim says. Ripped conduit out of a body. You can get slip joints.
I redid that project all in Rigid.
My new project is roof not ground mount, and I'm using EMT.
If you don't have a crawl space the entire length, how about running AC wire in attic?
Put inverter on the wall nearest panels.
Technically, it could be that if PV conduit comes up wall to inverter, then RSD is required. Maybe not? But if so, hanging inverter on a post off of house would avoid that. The only risk to firemen would be DC in the conduit and in the inverter. I would use rigid there, transition to PVC underground if desired.
I agree string not micro inverter, either hybrid or basic grid-tie.
With string, you can parallel two strings of different orientations like SE & SW, less clipping but more hours if over-paneled.
I'm not sure how all the wires branch out to breaker panels and disconnects.
If PV lands on a 200A panel, 120% rule applies. 200A panel allowed 120% or 240A total breakers feeding it, 200A main breaker + 40A backfed breaker carrying 32A continuous = 7.68kW
Other arrangements would be need to do 35kW, such as smaller main breaker, 225A busbar panel, Line Side Tap, and others.
Diyer's are mostly of the off grid, self sufficient variety.Why is everyone so against microinverters?
Yeah I am not looking to go off-grid. I'm being forced into DIY'ing this because I can't get an installer to work with me since I didn't source my equipment through them. I *might* have found an installer, but they are so slow to reply, it's not giving me much confidence.Diyer's are mostly of the off grid, self sufficient variety.
Not much use for micro inverters in these scenarios.
Nothing wrong with micro inverters, I actually plan to have some in my system.Yeah I am not looking to go off-grid. I'm being forced into DIY'ing this because I can't get an installer to work with me since I didn't source my equipment through them. I *might* have found an installer, but they are so slow to reply, it's not giving me much confidence.
I could get a pair of Sol Ark 15k's, but that's about 12 grand vs 5 grand for the microinverters. Since I'm grandfathered into net metering, I don't really need to run batteries, and most inverters nowadays seem to have battery management systems integrated, which is part of that increased cost.
There are those that get 'religious' over that particular debate. Personally, I suspect the truth is closer to 'it depends'Why is everyone so against microinverters? I could understand the argument of multiple points of failure, but being a ground mount, it's easily accessed and inexpensive to replace the faulty component.
I see what you mean. The problem with that approach is the basement ends right where this red line is. I could bore under the sidewalk still and go into the crawlspace over the downstairs bathroom, and do a loop around into the room. I still would require boring a decent distance, but would avoid the unsightly SCH80 going along the wall.
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