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I am providing consulting services to a school district in Southern California, and I came up with an issue regarding the placement of inverters.
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These are PV arrays are "solar carports" and the inverters (usually 60 kW-class) are mounted on columns. The advice I have given the School District is to stipulate in the contract with the EPC company that these inverters should be "placed as high as practical" on the columns. Their counter-offer was to cite a section of the NEC 2017 that places a minimum height above grade (parking lot asphalt).
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But they have failed to do so, as of this morning.
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I remember that the NEC code distinguished between secure locations (e.g. switch gear in a closet under lock and key) and locations accessible to the general public.
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<img src="cid:4edd6798ced445efa22d7d0873082c90@Open-Xchange" style="max-width: 100%;" class="aspect-ratio" alt="" from_clipboard="true" width="445" height="273">
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My case would be the latter. The above photo shows placement lower than "practical" IMHO.
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Any help with a citation in the 12017 NEC <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Handbook</span> would be appreciated.
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- Peter
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<p>Peter T. Parrish, Ph.D.<br>President, California Solar Engineering<br>1107 Fair Oaks Blvd Ste. 351<br>South Pasadena, CA 91030<br>(323) 839-6108<br></p>
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