Stand Alone PV system volt / amp problem [RE-wrenches]

[Jerry Caldwell]

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Chris,

I'm not sure which edition of the NEC your building
department has adapted.  I have a 1999 code book
handy, but I suspect there may have been some changes
regarding manufactured homes in the last two editions.

Some county jurisdictions use the California
Electrical Code, which sometimes goes a little further
than the NEC.

NEC Article 550 covers manufactured homes, and 230
covers services.  The 1999 code makes no mention of
240 volts being required for manufactured homes
specifically, but does say " mobile home service
equipment shall be rated at not less than 120/240
votts".  That might be where he's deriving his stance.

I suspect it might boil down to what it says in the
1999 code, Article 550-23(B)(2) -- the service
equipment shall be "installed in a manner acceptable
to the authority having jurisdiction."

If he makes you add a transformer, you can tell your
customer it was the inspector's desire to make you go
beyond the code and there's nothing you could do about
it.  If your customer doesn't want to pay for the
transformer, having him speak directly to the
inspector might at least help persuade him to spend
the few extra bucks.

It's possible your inspector never worked as an
electrician or did electrical design work.  A lot of
inpsectors just take code classes to become
"qualified" for thier job.  That might explain why he
doesn't like your functional solution for the
situation at hand.

Unfortunately, it all comes back to your ability to
persuade this guy in the end - he's the a.h.j.

Hope this helps,

Jerry Caldwell
Light Energy Systems

--- Chris Anderson <chris at borregosolar.com> wrote:

>
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> 
> Any help on this one would be appreciated. 
> 
> We have an off grid home, where we have installed 12
> Shell 160's 6x2 on
> an Outback VFX 2548 with 8 6v Concorde Batteries.
> The system is feeding
> a 100 amp Square D main distribution center. Given
> the inverter output
> is only 120 volt, we fed inverter output L1 to one
> leg of the 100 amp
> main breaker at the top of the main distribution
> panel and jumpered over
> to the second bus/lug on the main breaker in order
> to electrify both
> bus' in the panel with 120v power. There is a 50amp
> breaker on the AC
> output circuit of the inverter.
> 
> I have two problems.
> 
> 1. I have got an inspector who is saying that
> manufactured homes MUST be
> fed by 240V power. He is adamant that the main
> distribution panel must
> be fed by 240v. We have jumpered the bus in grid tie
> battery back-up
> systems like this before, but never on an off grid.
> Anyone have any
> thoughts here or can point me to a code section that
> either confirms or
> negates what we have done? 
> 
> 2. The inspector is also saying that panel must be
> fed with the amps
> indicated on the main breaker. In this case, the
> main breaker is
> 100amps, therefore it must be fed with 100A. Either
> that or the main can
> be replaced if a load calc is done and the home is
> "de-amped". He has
> taken issue with the 100 amp main being fed by the
> inverter given the 50
> amp breaker on the AC output side of the inverter.
> 
> Any help/insight on these two issues would be
> greatly appreciated. 
> Thanks in advance.
> 
>  
>  
> Chris Anderson
> Borrego Solar Systems, Inc.                         
>                  
> 727 Allston Way, Suite B 
> Berkeley, CA 94710
> Tel. - 510-843-1113 x 105
> Fax - 510-843-1116
> Cell - 510-501-7062

Jerry Caldwell
NABCEP Certified PV Installer
Light Energy Systems
965 Detroit Ave
Concord, CA 94518

925-680-4343 office
510-205-2798 mobile


		
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