Inverter location [RE-wrenches]

[Jonah Liebes]

It's likely that your DC run will have a higher voltage than your AC run and
as such would be easier (cheaper) to run the long distance. Check your Vdrop
vs wire size for both scenarios to confirm. 

Only the DC needs to be in metallic conduit inside the building envelope. It
can be within walls or anywhere else you can get it as long as it's in
metallic conduit and labeled appropriately per the NEC. If you run the AC
through the walls, it can be in PVC, EMT, or even Romex*.

* Usually, Romex sized for the power conductors will not have a sufficient
grounding conductor (min #8). I think you'll have to go with a #4 romex to
get the ground sized #8. Or just run a separate, solid #8 ground along side
your romex if the AHJ allows it. 

Also, remember there will be 5 wires coming from the SMA: L1, L2, N, the
equipment ground and the grounding electrode conductor. That's hard to find
in #4 Romex.

My $.02



Jonah Liebes 
NABCEPT Cert.




 
-----Original Message-----
From: Kurt Nelson [mailto:sunwise at cheqnet.net] 
Sent: Monday, July 09, 2007 1:00 PM
To: RE-wrenches at topica.com
Subject: Inverter location [RE-wrenches]


Greetings all,

I'm doing a 3,200 watt pole mounted system with an SMA inverter.  It
looks like I can have the inverter out at the array, or indoors by the
service entrance.

Does the code require metallic conduit inside the building in either
case, or if it is the ac output of the inverter (mounted out at the
array), can it be in PVC and/or within wall cavities, etc.?

Which location do most folks prefer.  

Thanks in advance,

Kurt

----------------------------------------------------------------

Kurt Nelson
PO Box 309
Cornucopia, WI 54827
715-742-3406
sunwise at cheqnet.net


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