How to ensure safe and effective solar grounding

Learn how to ensure safe and effective solar photovoltaic grounding.
⏱️Timestamps:
0:06 Intro
1:13 Electrical reference
1:35 --- Zero volt reference
3:15 --- Phase voltage
3:40 Ground fault
4:05 --- Ground fault
5:52 --- Shock hazard
6:52 --- Ground fault path
8:45 --- Ground fault protection
10:02 External high voltage
10:20 --- Lightning protection
12:13 --- Arc and side-flash
12:43 --- Lightning path
13:23 --- Auxiliary electrode
15:07 Other videos and resources
📝Resources:
--- National Weather Service, USA Flash Density Map [www.weather.go...]
--- NFPA 70, National Electrical Code (NEC) [www.nfpa.org/c...]
For more information, visit: go.umd.edu/Farm...

[@TiredOfTheGarbage]

Excellent video! You even covered multiple ground scenarios which is something even a lot of electricians get wrong.

[@cancerman3954]

Totally Brilliant. 5 Stars. This video has viral potential from what I have seen on KZbin and DYI channels. Should be mandatory in all high schools and electrical courses. Looking forward to grounding solar disconnect breaker box and inverter/battery for a off grid set up but the inverter is supplied with AC.🇨🇦

[@ЮрійФедорович-у8д]

most informative video on grounding. watched few times to fully grasp everything. thanks

[@powerguymark]

Grounding systems are a blessing and a curse. They are a blessing because if a piece of equipment in your house fails you are much less likely to have enough current flow through your heart. They are a curse in that they actually make your home a more susceptible to damage from a lightning strike NOT less. If a lightning bolt strikes the physical Earth in your neighbor's backyard there is a much higher chance of the voltage coming back up through the the grounding system than not. During a lightning event my home would be better served if I could implement an isolation switch temporarily isolating my system from the earth ground. The problem is I would probably forget to put it back to normal after the storm passed. Also, in the unlikely event that I would also have an equipment failure inside my house I would not be protected from electric shock. The truth is: MOST LIGHTNING DAMAGE ENTERS THROUGH THE GROUND SYSTEM. THE GROUNDING SYSTEM DOES NOT PREVENT DAMAGE FROM LIGHTNING IT OPENS A BACK DOOR ALLOWING IT TO HAPPEN.

[@y2k15ak]

Super explanation! Please also comment on transformerless vs transformer based solar inverters and the various types of PV panels.

[@niallvbrennan6629]

Fine video, thoughtfully presented. I would suggest also showing Ground protection on a real world system, and also touching on conductor sizing for eg PV grounding. Thank you for this very helpful vid.

[@aloksharma8117]

excellent video again! Do you do professional solar system installations or assist in inspecting the systems? or refer someone to install the system that I am buying? thanks a lot!

[@samsungw200]

Good video, thank you. How would I ground a standalone system not connected to the main?

[@AJTarnas]

could you make a video or describe what to do for an off-grid solar PV + battery (not-grid-tied, no-grid) situation?

[@alanbutterworth4219]

Thanks for the video. Are you saying that there should be a grounding system on the roof that covers the perimeter of the solar panel array, and that should be connected to its own copper rod in the ground? The frames of the panels themselves should then all be tied together and be presented to the earth terminal in the solar controllers or if using a solar inverter, to the inverter itself? I am completing a 40ft catamaran which has a 6kw solar panel array, two 10kw solar inverters, two 45kwh LiPO4 lithium battery banks and two 15kW electric outboard motors. I will be running the two hulls independent of each other, with 3kW of solar going to each solar inverter. I was thinking of doing four spike charge dissipators at the corners of the catamarans roof which would be linked together with 70mm2 cable. During weather that posed a risk of a lightening strike, I was going to then fit 4 removable large copper cables which would be attached to the spikes and draped into the water. None of this grounding would be attached to the frames of the solar panels, but would be to try to keep the charge of the localised sea area and the surrounding air above it, at an even voltage thereby reducing the risk of attracting a lightening strike. The cat is a solar cat so no mast to worry about. Does that solution sound likea good idea?

[@flyingjeff1984]

Excellent. Now, why do the PV installers not run a ground from the ground mount, via the wiring trench, to the ground rod which is going to be near the entrance panel/meter base?

[@Terrathrax]

I'm curious that if I ground my roof mounted solar array, doesn't that create the potential to attract lightning to the higher grounded point now?

[@alanw5879]

Yeah this is extremely helpful, but how about isolated 12v solar setups that are not tied into a homes main panel. Does having grounding rods around panels help in a lightning strike? Im just setting up a couple batteries with a couple 100watt panels, for a back up during power loss, but not hooked into the house in any way.

[@TiredOfTheGarbage]

Yes that would help. Separate system needs a separate ground.

[@liwei-gs2wd]

does an ac disconnect consider a main panel if installed before this main serice panel? my ac disconnect doesn't have any breaker its a manual switch for disconnecting the meter from the main service manually it has 2 200amp fuse inside. so my question is if do i need a ground neutral bond in ac-disconnect switch and isolated the ground neutral bond in main service panel. or is going to be ok just ground wire into my main service panel with breakers? the existing grounding system?

[@JackPalmerOGI]

On the Ball 👍

[@amythinks]

I'm always so impressed with electricians' ability to quote and cite code off the top of their heads. Wish I could quote the Bible with that kind of alacrity.

[@lightdepsolutionssolutions4099]

Nice job

[@powerguymark]

Grounding systems are a blessing and a curse. They are a blessing because if a piece of equipment in your house fails you are much less likely to have enough current flow through your heart. They are a curse in that they actually make your home a more susceptible to damage from a lightning strike NOT less. If a lightning bolt strikes the physical Earth in your neighbor's backyard there is a MUCH higher chance of that voltage coming back up through the the grounding system than not. During a lightning event my home would be better served if I could implement an isolation switch temporarily isolating my system from the earth ground. The problem is I would probably forget to put it back to normal after the storm passed. Also, in the unlikely event that I would also have an equipment failure inside my house I would not be protected from electric shock. The truth is: MOST LIGHTNING DAMAGE ENTERS THROUGH THE GROUND SYSTEM. THE GROUNDING SYSTEM DOES NOT PREVENT DAMAGE FROM LIGHTNING IT OPENS A BACK DOOR ALLOWING IT TO HAPPEN.

[@robertpreuss2456]

Why would you ground a DC system to earth as the neutral is floating. Wouldn't it be wise to make a lightening rod system to attract unwanted lightening strikes to safely carry it to earth? Cars, trucks, motorhomes all are powered by a DC systems and are not earth grounded as well as boats. We have DC as well as AC aboard our boat and no earth ground.

[@mauroattilionosenzo]

thank you for this video I have know clear view

[@pablonerino]

Ciao! E' un piacere trovarti qui, seguo con interesse il tuo canale e apprezzo la tua conoscenza tecnica. Potresti fare anche tu un video sull'argomento messa a terra dei pannelli? Vedo molta confusione in giro.. Anch'ìo come te non ho i pannelli sul tetto ma sul terreno, e di questo si parla ancora meno. Non sono neanche collegato alla rete! Ma quindi se metto il neutro a terra per avere la monofase, poi il filo di terra va normalmente a finire sulla palina interrata? Un caro saluto. Paolo

[@mauroattilionosenzo]

@@pablonerino la terra va sempre riferita a un singolo nodo equipotenziale...singolo paletto o piu paletti collegati assieme sempre equipotenziale...non ci deve essere differenza di resistenza o una minima tensione tra due terre...

[@pablonerino]

@@mauroattilionosenzo Esatto, altrimenti si può creare una scarica che corre da un paletto all'altro entrando poi in casa, giusto? Però allora mi sorge la domanda: perchè e in quali casi servono due paletti? E perchè alcuni sconsigliano di mettere i pannelli a terra?

[@mauroattilionosenzo]

@@pablonerino I paletti vanno messi ad almeno 10 m uno rispetto all altro quindi piu paletti se le distanze sono oltre I 10 m ma vanno collegati tra loro con un cavo dì adeguata dimensione o una treccia meglio ancora

[@pablonerino]

Grazie, gentilissimo. Però aspetto un tuo bel video su questi temi, e credo che saremo in tantissimi a trarne beneficio! Grazie ancora

[@kennethwilson8633]

Would be nice to see a battery in the system.

[@5stardave]

What about a pure DC battery bank system with no inverters?

[@novatrajana7875]

Hello, DoI need separate earth rod for dc and ac in case of a solar system installation?

[@bramcoteelectrical1088]

Just 1 ground rod common point

[@aloksharma8117]

Hi, do you provide services like inspection of solar system for a fee?

[@philipiansalah3906]

Yes

[@Meme-richie]

Grounding and earthing are actually two different things

[@bobsmyuncle4470]

Ok on the wiring diagram starting at 14:40 there are 2 box's with red arrows in them , 1 on the dc side and 1 on the ac side of the inverter. Are we just supposed to guess how things are wired inside these box's , do you assume we know how things are wired inside these box's. would it not be prudent to show us how things are wired inside these box's. I think if you showed use how things are wired inside these box's it would help us "to ensure safe and effective solar grounding" ???????

[@pablonerino]

Maybe SPD?

[@RyanDiederich]

its color coded lol, white goes to white, black goes to black, red goes to red, green is ground. There is no instructions needed

[@babyprince84uk]

Maybe you need to learn gratitude. To say thanks maybe? He is helping you and helping us

[@bobbyhoggatt9787]

Looks like a older spider man

[@jamesdean7756]

This makes no sense