Failure to ground the entire system to include all the individual pieces can be devastating especially in an area that experiences lightning on a regular basis.
Grounding kc 120 solar panel.
Safety v oltage transients and t h e sheer fact that they are required for some loads.
Bonding and grounding pv systems ensures public safety as well as the safety of pv installers and field electricians said andy zwit codes and standards manager at ilsco.
Ground mount solar panel systems offer benefits for all homeowners.
To be clear we are always floating the leads of the solar panels never tie panel lead to earth ground other through a dc surge protector if used.
Although many inverters come with integrated grounding and arc fault protection proper care to ensure complete grounding is necessary to ensure that your inverter will not be overcharged from a power outage and other outside forces.
But before we address each of these it s important to understand the actual definition of ground.
Here s how we ground our solar water pump systems.
Minimal grounding is provided by a copper plated ground rod usually 8 ft.
Even if you are a good candidate for a rooftop solar energy system there are many benefits to choosing a ground mounted solar panel system.
For outdoor grounding you need to use thick bare copper wire that can handle large electrical currents like lightening.
This is a minimum procedure in an area where the ground is moist electrically conductive.
To find out more about grounding looking up the authority to full grounding techniques for your electrical system and specific environment the nec.
When installing a solar photo voltaic system pv it is extremely important all the equipment is grounded correctly.
It also limits the voltage to ground that can occur on normally non current carrying metal components ranging from frames and rails to conduit and enclosures.
As shown in module mounting specifications all of the kc modules utilize the type g junction box except the kc 70 kc 80 and kc 120 1 modules which utilize the type m junction box see j box details.
Where the ground may be dry especially sandy or where lightning may be particularly severe more rods should be installed at least 10 feet apart.
There are two types of ground.
From a lightning control point of view there is probably little reason to connect a 6 awg cable from the mount ground rod 100 to the house ground rod after the fact.
Drive a grounding rod at least 8 feet deep into the earth near the system.
Long driven into the earth.
The ground bar is bonded internally when an external bond to earth is installed as described at the link for electrical grounding below.
Chassis or mechanical and electrical.
First ground mounted solar panel systems are very easy to place because they can be located on open land.
Even if you seldom have electrical storms all it takes is one lightning strike or a single lose wire and all the.
Leave around 6 above ground to properly attach your copper wire to the grounding rod.
Grounding a sub panel.
Sub panels are grounded through the cable that provides the sub feed circuit power.