RicoWarner
New Member
- Joined
- Jul 10, 2021
- Messages
- 2
Hi all - doing major overhaul and upgrade since had multiple failures in system this last winter. It originally was installed by contractors...and Ron Swanson is right about contractors.
Anyway, multiple grounding issues appear to be present. Would ask folks *in the know* to authoritatively weigh in on them.
*starting at the ground-mount PV's, there is one grounding rod for the two array frames. Presumably, this is to provide an Equipment Ground Conductor (EGC).
>For one, it looks like could add a second 8' copper rod bonded to the first for more reliable equipment ground.
>For another, they then bond this EGC to a green conductor that goes some 30' to the combiner box and then is bonded to the DC Negative Bus (that batteries, inverter/charger, and CC connect to).
? 1: should the DC side have a separate SYSTEM ground (NOT equipment ground) than the AC side?
? 2: or should I disconnect this bond, so it is solely an equipment ground and not a DC System ground?
? 3: does the inverter/charger effectively bond the DC Bus and the single-point ground for the house together, by way of battery negative and inverter's connection to the AC neutral bus on output side (which runs to house's SINGLE-POINT BONDING OF *NEUTRAL* TO HOUSE GROUND)?
*Looks like house's single-point ground (near electrical panel, bonded to neutral) is an 8' copper rod driven into ground. I want to do star configuration and drive in a couple more rods, attaching them to the main one.
*regarding the backup generator, it uses a floating neutral, relying on the house's single-point ground and single neutral connection to ground, when it is powering the inverter/charger.
>as such, the frame is a floating ground, and I believe I should additionally drive a ground rod in near where it runs, so I can ground the generator frame.
As such, for those keeping count, that would be the single neutral-bonded ground for the house AC side, plus an equipment ground for both the solar panels and the generator.
? 4: this goes against concept of single-point ground...but both gen and solar panel frames would be unsafe without equipment grounds. The Power Distribuyion System from Schneider keeps the DC Bus separate from the groundBus, suggesting...it needs to be separate.
? 5: there is concept of Ground Loops if have more than one ground. Do the equipment grounds then form ground loops?
Thanks in advance for any authoritative info!
Richard
Anyway, multiple grounding issues appear to be present. Would ask folks *in the know* to authoritatively weigh in on them.
*starting at the ground-mount PV's, there is one grounding rod for the two array frames. Presumably, this is to provide an Equipment Ground Conductor (EGC).
>For one, it looks like could add a second 8' copper rod bonded to the first for more reliable equipment ground.
>For another, they then bond this EGC to a green conductor that goes some 30' to the combiner box and then is bonded to the DC Negative Bus (that batteries, inverter/charger, and CC connect to).
? 1: should the DC side have a separate SYSTEM ground (NOT equipment ground) than the AC side?
? 2: or should I disconnect this bond, so it is solely an equipment ground and not a DC System ground?
? 3: does the inverter/charger effectively bond the DC Bus and the single-point ground for the house together, by way of battery negative and inverter's connection to the AC neutral bus on output side (which runs to house's SINGLE-POINT BONDING OF *NEUTRAL* TO HOUSE GROUND)?
*Looks like house's single-point ground (near electrical panel, bonded to neutral) is an 8' copper rod driven into ground. I want to do star configuration and drive in a couple more rods, attaching them to the main one.
*regarding the backup generator, it uses a floating neutral, relying on the house's single-point ground and single neutral connection to ground, when it is powering the inverter/charger.
>as such, the frame is a floating ground, and I believe I should additionally drive a ground rod in near where it runs, so I can ground the generator frame.
As such, for those keeping count, that would be the single neutral-bonded ground for the house AC side, plus an equipment ground for both the solar panels and the generator.
? 4: this goes against concept of single-point ground...but both gen and solar panel frames would be unsafe without equipment grounds. The Power Distribuyion System from Schneider keeps the DC Bus separate from the groundBus, suggesting...it needs to be separate.
? 5: there is concept of Ground Loops if have more than one ground. Do the equipment grounds then form ground loops?
Thanks in advance for any authoritative info!
Richard