<div dir="auto">Power stations use ground return. when we constructed power stations in my electrical years, we dug extensive trenches filled with copper conductors to provide the widest earthing system. <div dir="auto">In a three phase system, only the differential current returns to the power station. That means that there is little current going back. </div><div dir="auto">However, the neutral you see on the pole does not go back to the power station, it returns to the transformer. </div><div dir="auto"><br></div></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Nov 27, 2016 22:40, "Allan Sindelar" <<a href="mailto:allan@sindelarsolar.com">allan@sindelarsolar.com</a>> wrote:<br type="attribution"><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<div style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0)" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" text="#000000">
Mark and all,<br>
Thank you for some very useful replies. You confirmed my
understanding. You know how a customer can be so sure of (usually)
himself...<br>
<br>
Mark, I don't care that much about the structure of the utility. But
it's this customer's understanding of utility structure that got me
the consulting job for a system that would allow him to disconnect
from it. <br>
Allan<br>
<br>
<div class="m_-8730913471364579538moz-signature">
<div class="m_-8730913471364579538WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Allan Sindelar</b><br>
<span style="font-size:10.0pt"><a href="mailto:allan@sindelarsolar.com" target="_blank">allan@sindelarsolar.com</a></span><br>
<span style="font-size:10.0pt">NABCEP Certified PV
Installation Professional<br>
NABCEP Certified Technical Sales Professional<br>
New Mexico EE98J Journeyman Electrician<br>
Founder (Retired), <span>Positive
Energy,
Inc.</span><br>
<b><a href="tel:505%20780-2738" value="+15057802738" target="_blank">505 780-2738</a> cell</b><br>
<br>
<b><u></u><u></u></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="m_-8730913471364579538moz-cite-prefix">On 11/26/2016 8:32 AM, Mark Frye wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite">
<p>Allen,</p>
<p>Back when people used to read books to learn, at least you had
to spend several hours studying something, then you could be 50%
an expert. Now with the interwebs, watch only at least the first
20 minutes of a YouTube video and you can have an unshakeable
conviction in a new belief as truth.</p>
<p>If you are off grid, what do yo care about the structure of the
utility anyway. None of use use "grid" power directly, but
always through some form of power transformation.</p>
Mark<br>
</blockquote>
<br>
<blockquote type="cite">
<div class="m_-8730913471364579538moz-cite-prefix">On 11/25/2016 5:27 PM, Allan Sindelar
wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite">
Wrenches,<br>
Is there such a thing as a "grid neutral"? I have been providing
design support to a client for a large off grid system; a
prepper, rare in these parts. He claims that utility current is
carried in part through the ground and in part through a neutral
conductor, and such a "utility neutral" is deliberately
undersized. At first I pushed back (see below). Now I just
wonder what Wrenches more knowledgeable than I am will say.<br>
Thank you,<br>
Allan<br>
<br>
<div class="m_-8730913471364579538moz-forward-container">
<div class="m_-8730913471364579538WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Allan Sindelar</b><br>
<span style="font-size:10.0pt"><a href="mailto:allan@sindelarsolar.com" target="_blank">allan@sindelarsolar.com</a></span><br>
<span style="font-size:10.0pt">NABCEP Certified PV
Installation Professional<br>
NABCEP Certified Technical Sales Professional<br>
New Mexico EE98J Journeyman Electrician<br>
Founder (Retired), <span>Positive Energy,
Inc.</span><br>
<b><a href="tel:505%20780-2738" value="+15057802738" target="_blank">505 780-2738</a> cell</b><br>
<b><u></u><u></u></b></span></p>
</div>
</div>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
</div>
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