grounding plate vs. rod? [RE-wrenches]

[David Blecker]

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Scott,

A one inch dia, 8 ft long ground rod would provide almost as much surface 
area as the plate IF you can drive a rod in and IF the soil conductivity is 
high enough to create a solid bond.  Have you verified the soil type or is 
the plate approach just how things are done?  My experience working with 
Native tribes is that the white guy's mind-set to "get it done quick" 
should usually defer to local knowledge and custom for whatever its worth.

Good luck and send tea!
David

At 01:12 AM 12/18/2002, you wrote:
>Hello, all.
>
>I'm installing PV in Nepal for a Kathmandu-based company. They typically use
>copper grounding plates (18"x18") here rather than the grounding rods I'm
>familiar with back in the good ol' USA. Our Nepali techs claim that the
>local soil composition necessitates taking extra steps to increase its
>conductivity. That is, using the larger surface area of a plate as opposed
>to a rod and burying it parallel to the surface, two or more meters deep
>sandwiched between two layers each of salt and coal. Does this sound
>reasonable/plausible? As you might imagine, driving a grounding rod is much
>more appealing to me than (hand) digging a 24-inch diameter hole, 7+ feet
>deep.
>
>Thanks in advance for you insights.
>
>Scott Russell
>Lotus Energy, Kathmandu
>
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----------------------------------------------------------
David Blecker, P.E., Director
Seventh Generation Energy Systems
608-424-1870 (ph)  424-1810 (fax)

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