What is this metal bar in the IMO disconnect?

[rillweed]

I watched 4 installation videos and looked over the included brief one page manual and didn't see anything about it. All the install videos didn't mention it nor use it

 

[jjww]

a place to land your grounds

 

[rillweed]

what grounds would end up in the disconnect switch?

 

[outboard1196]

what grounds would end up in the disconnect switch?

From panel/ rack.

 

[EnergizerNate]

what grounds would end up in the disconnect switch?

They are rated for AC also I believe, so a ground from an AC line could land here.

 

[rhino]

Which specific model is that one?

 

[J.H.]

what grounds would end up in the disconnect switch?

I have 4 of them…On mine it’s where I land the bonding wires from the different array frames and head back to the main system along with the pos & neg wires for the 100 ft run… then the pos and neg go to the SCC and the bonding wires go to the grounding point where all ground stuff connect

Don’t publish this as a science fact but its what I do… but all metal in the system is bonded and at the same potential…everywhere.
I think that a good thing to have
Ummm….Yea….that’s a good thing to have ….

But there may be other ways to get there… I don’t know.

J.

 

[timselectric]

It is a ground bar.

 

[rogerheflin]

what grounds would end up in the disconnect switch?

All of the ground(s) you should have run with your PV wire. And a ground going to the panel/mount expose metal.

My conduit run to my ground mounted panels has 5 wires, 2 red/2 black (2 strings) + a ground. Ground from the inverter ran with the PV wires connects to that spot, and then the other side of that spot connects to the metal on the ground mounts/panels. Otherwise there is a risk that the panel metal/mounts will float above or below ground and if that difference gets high enough (basically static charge) then various hardware (and possibly you) might get a significant static shock.

 

[rillweed]

Interesting, that makes sense. I've never seen anyone do it for a van build (which is what I'm doing)

 

[Q-Dog]

The box is non conducting so you don't need to ground the box. In a van you may not need the ground bar. Maybe ... could be a convenient place to land grounds if you run all wires through the box.

But on a house it is quite useful.