Installing PV Wire And Conduit For Our Solar System!

[@CountryLivingExperience]

ALL OF OUR SOLAR EQUIPMENT...CLICK HERE: www.signaturesolar.com/?ref=countrylivingexperience

[@waynehartlerode8936]

Also no need for that size of conduit to run that many wires!!! crazy

[@loghomebuilder407]

Thanks for including links to all of your sources!

[@CountryLivingExperience]

You're welcome!

[@georgedrenes8143]

Thanks for making this video. I have nearly an identical system but I opted for a second auto-transformer. You’re a bit ahead of me as I don’t have my components in place yet. I really appreciate the details you include in your videos as I too am not an electrician. Keep them coming!

[@CountryLivingExperience]

You're welcome. I may get a second transformer as well. Just to have a back-up. Glad we could help with the details.

[@jamesnewman7860]

@@CountryLivingExperience I went an got a second auto-transformer to, a few people on diy solar power forum are wiring these up together so they have a less of a chance of losing the neutral, have you heard of this?

[@CountryLivingExperience]

@@jamesnewman7860 There is always intelligence in having a backup.

[@Tuggs]

The guys and gals at Signature Solar are awesome and we're very helpful getting me the stuff I needed for my 5k off grid system. It is really nice to have a source for PV equipment here in Texas.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

It has been nice to have someone so close for sure.

[@keystoneliving841]

Great video! I just got done running my 8 gauge pv wire thur my conduct the other day ... I ran 4 wires also here's a tip - cut off the mc4 connector right away then run thur conduct that way theres no way its gets caught up inside the conduct ... keep up the great work!

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Thank you

[@sgtspaulding9461]

What size conduit did you run for those 4 8 gauge wires?

[@keystoneliving841]

@@sgtspaulding9461 I ran 2 ... 2in pipes i believe

[@sgtspaulding9461]

@@keystoneliving841 I’ve got about 150’ to go, that could get pretty expensive. No way to get all 4 in a single 2” pipe?

[@keystoneliving841]

@@sgtspaulding9461 I believe it was 2in I will check tomorrow during the daylight hours... but I know the pipe i used could barely take 2 I had to use a ton of dish soap, but i will get back to you about the size i used

[@riverunner9978]

Great explanations on all stuff great video thank you!!

[@CountryLivingExperience]

My pleasure!

[@whidbeyhiker4364]

Instead of fish tape, use twine and a vacuum. You tie a a small piece of lightweight cloth, paper towel or plastic to act as a sail then you turn the vacuum on the other end, Then you tie the twine to a stronger pull rope or ribbon that they make for this purpose and pull it through, Easy peasy.

[@waltthayer3459]

@@whidbeyhiker4364 you beat me to it

[@davebruessow6842]

I run my off-grid with no batteries all the time (believe it or not). Thank you for sharing...

[@CountryLivingExperience]

You're welcome. Then how do you power your house at night or in a rain storm?

[@davebruessow6842]

@@CountryLivingExperience transfer switch (to grid). I'm only powering an isolated area in the home (master suite/office/den for blackout/emergency) and 3kw of PV is all I need in Phoenix, AZ...

[@Maurice1151]

Hey mate, why did you run your cables with the mc4 connectors connected?

[@darisanshanger1616]

Oh my goodness.. Sally would string me up if I cut the water line.. this stuff reminds me of my Marine Corps days running wire during deployment.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

lol. As long as I fix my mistakes, my wife is pretty chill.

[@darisanshanger1616]

@@CountryLivingExperience you’re Blessed!!

[@zuzax1656]

You are a great teacher, not only because you admit when you make a mistake, but explain what you did wrong and what to do to correct it for your students (us, your fans). Me, being a wannabe engineer, saw how you had the wire coils on the PVC roller and immediately thought, "this will not end well." Notably, because the roller itself wasn't centered to the riser (the coils will tend to gravitate toward the pulling force), and there was no separation between them (a piece of heavy cardboard, or scrap plywood, a little larger than the coils will do), which will lead to them getting tangled, as you found out. The only other question I have is whether you wanted the MC4 connectors to remain on the wires as you fed them through the conduit for some reason? It seems that it would have been easier to feed the cables through if you had cut them off (leaving enough wire to splice later), if you didn't need them at the switch. I presume it was just an oversight in the excitement of getting a major step done, which, to be honest, I'd have made myself. Oh well, hindsight is 20/20. I'm really looking forward to the next episode. P.S., I was wondering if you are planning to have a licensed electrician check everything over prior to 'throwing the switch'? My belief is that it is always a good idea to have a wisened set of eyes check my work, especially if it is out if my wheelhouse. Besides, you could make a new friend that may lend their expertise for a plug on your channel. 😉

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Thank you, I appreciate it. I am certainly no engineer either. I try to learn from my mistakes and am not afraid to show them. I did want the mc4 connectors to remain on those first runs of wire because I knew the conduit was large enough and it was way easier to connect extra lengths to the ends than splicing them. I actually had a friend of mine, who is a licensed electrician, connect the breakers at the main panel for me. While he was here he obviously looked at the whole system. He doesn't know anything about solar but said I had all of the other connections correct in theory.

[@mentalarson]

I picked up my 6 EG4s last Thursday. Stoked! I bought the 6-server rack too, but my batteries didn't include the battery-to-bus bar jumper wires like shown in DavidPoz's video. I'll need to buy/make 12 x 12" jumper wires to get my battery bank going.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Awesome! We were there on Wednesday picking ours up. I am editing the battery video as we speak. Mine had all the wires. I would give SS a call and tell them they are missing.

[@mentalarson]

@@CountryLivingExperience Yep. Just a glitch. They are sending the cables.

[@hedfuka8608]

Thanx for showing us what you're doing, I've been collecting panels etc for a solar set up,and the DC isolator is not as straightforward as I was hoping..👍

[@CountryLivingExperience]

No problem. Glad we could help.

[@BedsitBob]

You'll need a hell of a lot of wire, to install it all over our solar system. 😁

[@TheRealNathanBusch]

😂

[@zoshomestead]

Great video Thanks for sharing 👍🏽

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Thanks. No problem.

[@unclefester6501]

Busy dog. Lots of supervising for the trenching.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Lol. He is always supervising and running around like a mad man.

[@neilgrant706]

Hey there I'm laying some solar cables underground in my garden. Was the conduit normal plastic stuff or armoured?

[@CountryLivingExperience]

It is normal pvc grey electrical conduit. Much needed if near a garden.

[@neilgrant706]

@CountryLivingExperience thx bro, top job BTW

[@billparsons7732]

Is there a reason you didn't pull THWN from the combiner box to your inverter(s)? PV wire costs much more than the same size THWN with 600-volt insulation. I also don't understand why you pulled the wire with installed connectors. Thanks for the video.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

You're welcome. "PV cables usually have an XLPE insulation with excellent resistance to sun and weather, as well as extreme temperatures. Also, the regular DC cables only last between five and eight years with the best maintenance. This is unacceptable for solar panels that are designed to last a very long time. Therefore, the National Electrical Code prohibits using just any cable in your solar panel. The only two options you really have are PV wire and USE-2 cables. PV wire is specifically rated in accordance with UL 4703. THHN wire is used as general building wire and lacks the construction and strength of specialized cables designated as UL 4703 or USE-2. Solar PV photovoltaic cables are used throughout the entire lifespan of the solar panel, which is typically 25 or 30 years, and the manufacturer typically offers you a warranty for this entire time."

[@billparsons7732]

@@CountryLivingExperience Thank you for the detailed explanation; it's appreciated. I was referring to the cable run from the combiner box at the array to the house. Meaning only the cables in the conduit that have no exposure to UV or the elements. Therefore, THWN, since the wire is outside in an underground conduit.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Ah, I understand. The solar company recommended that everything on the DC side be with PV wire. I have to go with their recommendation and guidance. Additionally, the other big solar channels David Poz and Will Prowse use the PV wire all the way to the inverters (though theirs usually does not look like it is in conduit). Your call my friend.

[@Penguinmemes9]

How do you conduit the pV cable that is part of the panel ? Is it necessary?

[@CountryLivingExperience]

I have never done that. You only need it to come into a combiner box near the panels and then into the conduit the rest of the way to the inverters.

[@ElJasperino]

Very helpful, thank you! How did you found out about the order? (Batteries, panels, turn the inverter on?)

[@CountryLivingExperience]

The solar company informed me and the inverter manual.

[@Carl9524]

I wonder if optimizers could be used on panels ?

[@CountryLivingExperience]

You could but our inverters have high quality MPPT's. Not sure if the extra cost is worth it.

[@Moes_Prep_and_Tech]

Question, I have 3 arrays, 2 ground and one future project that will go on garage roof. How does one go about doing coduit for 2 or 3 projects? in the same conduit? A seperate one?

[@CountryLivingExperience]

I would just run 1 large conduit now and call it good. Digging for new conduit again would be a lot of labor that you could save now.

[@mentalarson]

It looks like you were able to feed 4 MC4 connectors through a 2" conduit. Do you think I can get 8 MC4 (4 sets) through a 3" with 90's at both ends using the same staggard method? I'll probably tape up the whole snake and try to feed it through the conduit before I bury it, but I'm heading off to buy the conduit now, and I'm hoping 3" will work. It's nasty expensive and 4" is even worse...or would it make more sense to lop the ends off my 100' MC4s and feed 8 wires through a 2" conduit? I was planning to cut 7' MC4s to run from the 100'ers to the DC disconnect then from the disconnect to the inverters to avoid cutting the 100s.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Yep. That is actually a 1.5" conduit. I did put a little bit of lubricant in the conduit but they went through with no issue. I think 8 would go through a 3" easily.

[@Wrensspeedshop]

Yes you can. That’s more than large enough to run 8 runs through. I would honestly run your cables through 2”, and if by chance you have about a foot or two of cable that you can spare, you can always go through and cut you 8 pieces and tape them together and go up to the hardware store, Lowe’s, Home Depot, etc. and figure out what size pipe it will fit in. If you try to put it in 1.5” and it just barely fits then you definitely want 2” inch because you’re going to have to account for any bends or twists & turns that you may run into.

[@compass504]

I'm still wondering .. do you not need a ground run from the pannel area to the equipment room? I'd rather not but I'd appreciete your input.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Nope. Panels are grounded separately if they are on a ground mount away from your home.

[@jeremyallard5449]

Nice channel, You can get nylon fish tape, no dis respect meant cables should be on reels not coiled, make a portable wire rack to serve lots of purposes inside and out. Metal conduit is good.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Thank you. No offense taken, I experimented with the coils and quickly found out that it wouldn't work...and as I mentioned in the video we needed reels.

[@craigburns7618]

You don't need a fish tape to pull wires back, you can also use pull string or pull rope. Just tape a piece of plastic bag and to the end of your string or rope stuff it into the conduit go to the other end and hook up a shop vac suck it through tie it and tape it to the end of your wire and pull it back through the conduit..

[@CountryLivingExperience]

I have seen that trick. I liked using the fish tape. It worked well.

[@charlesklapp2601]

You didn't show what I was looking for. You showed the electrical box under your panels with the box's output going through the conduit. How is the input to the electrical box done? What kind of connector allows the PV wires to come in without water getting in?

[@CountryLivingExperience]

That box was temporary. Look in this video for how I wired the combiner box and how the wires entered and left.......kzbin.info/www/bejne/eIO0YnZ_hNyNbcU. It is at the beginning part of the video.

[@fisherus]

How are you ground bonding everything from your PV array to your inverter? I didn't see you run a ground wire between them through the conduit.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

You don't need to do that.

[@KK7BGA]

@@CountryLivingExperience I am in the process of purchasing my system now. Can you explain more to why a ground is not required from panels to inverters? My ground mount will be 150 feet away and Inverters in the garage near my main panel. I have been trying to research if I needed to run an additional ground from the array and can not find a clear answer...some do and some do not.. Thanks

[@CountryLivingExperience]

@@KK7BGA I researched for 2 years and consulted with Signature Solar for a few months before I started building my system. I never once ran across anyone who ran a ground wire from their panels to the inverter. It was not suggested by Sig Solar. There is no provision for it in the equipment and it is not built that way. I don't know where you saw it. What is done, is grounding your panels if they are installed on your roof or on a mounting system that is wood. The panels are connected to one another with grounding wire and then grounded near the panels. If on the roof, the grounding wire is brought down and connected into your main panel along with every other ground. It is not directed toward the inverters.

[@mentalarson]

You mentioned you're going from the panels into a PV combiner box, correct? I'm setting up an 8S2P array (395W 49VOCx8=392V), and Signature Solar told me I can use Y connectors from the 2P strings right to the DC disconnect then into the inverter. I'm still a little fuzzy on all the fine points of solar components, but I'm curious why that additional component is necessary at the array.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

That is what they gave me too and that is what I currently connected. I will add the combiner box later but only for adding spds for lighting and not for combining anything.

[@stevenlane729]

As I understand it, the combiner box will have fuses and diodes to protect individual strings (from over and backward current), a y connector wont provide this safety feature.

[@orinedghill4751]

What size wire are you using for this distance and what wattage you are talking about here? I want to run a 48-volt system @ 3000 watts.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

We use 10ga. I have one string at 5282w and one at 3520w.

[@louigta]

I though that NEC codes prohibit running PV wire inside a conduit. No?

[@CountryLivingExperience]

No, not that I know of.

[@chadwicks4631]

What size pv wire did you use? Signature solar only sells 10 and 12 gauge.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

We used the 10 gauge.

[@JR-ck8qf]

should you use 10 gauge thwn or pv wire going in conduit? I've heard conflicting answers on this.@@CountryLivingExperience

[@CountryLivingExperience]

@@JR-ck8qf I have always understood that both are perfectly fine.

[@michaelshin69]

Always wondered why folks don't run as they are running the pipes? No need to pull hard.

[@davidmcg6940]

Great videos as usual. I was wondering I thought you're supposed to switch to metal conduit for those PV wires once they enter the home based on 2020 NEC code?

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Thank you. I did my best to adhere to some code but I certainly did not follow it all. I took advice from an electrician friend and the solar company on what to do.

[@davidmcg6940]

@@CountryLivingExperience I appreciate that. Also, it's nearly impossible to do as the code is always changing. It was really more a question due to my ignorance of code than anything else. As always, appreciate you and all the time and effort you put into the videos. I can't imagine the work and effort it takes to produce them. If I lived near you I'd buy you a beer... or two...

[@CountryLivingExperience]

@@davidmcg6940 I appreciate it David.

[@jcs1492]

Great video, how much voltage drop did you get on that run from panel array to inverter?

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Thanks. I have not noticed much but never fully calculated it.

[@charlesaschmann9962]

Very curious about DC power loss over that long run. What is your loss from panels to house? Avoidable?

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Not a big loss at all. Only avoidable if you have the panels on your roof or right next to your house. Sig solar does a video on power loss in wires. Just up-size the wire.

[@unclefester6501]

Southwire has a voltage loss app. It allows ac, dc and 1, 2 or 3 conductors.

[@newbeginningsinbulgaria]

Hi, My panels are about 40m (130') from the house. I'd like to run my cable overhead but can find nothing online about the pros and cons of doing that. Do you know if it's acceptable, or frowned on? I can easily string it a good 15-20' above the ground, so no issues with catching ect.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

I would not recommend running PV wire in the air. I would always put it in conduit underground.

[@newbeginningsinbulgaria]

Thanks for replying. All the mains power is overhead here, so I'm keen to go that way as the alternative means digging up a whole lot of concrete. It's just odd that there's so little info online about taking solar power overhead? Is there a particular reason you'd not recommend it? If I could bury it, I'd go that way, but it would be a hard task unless it's a real no no to go overhead?. Cheers

[@CountryLivingExperience]

@@newbeginningsinbulgaria There is little information because nobody runs PV wire overhead. I would contact a solar company in your area for specifics.

[@gardenwonders3308]

It looks like you didn't list the red black pv wire from Sig Solar. You had to cut off your mc4s to attach to your dc cut off. Probably would have pulled easier w/o them. Did you not put in an AC cut off?

[@gardenwonders3308]

The solar PV wire is 10 ga. If I run these to a combiner box, would I then run a thicker wire from the box to the house? It looks like you were running PV wire through the conduit. 10 ga? Now for my dumb question. I am still confused about the use of a connector box for strings. OK, 2 strings of 5 x 40 V= 200 V and around 10 Amps. If I join these two strings into one, do I get 200 V at 20 Amps, or 400 V at 10 Amps? I think the use of strings is supposed to keep the voltage lower.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

I had plenty of room to pull with the connectors and it was easy. I needed to keep them to add on to the end as my run was over the 100ft lengths I purchased (122ft). I have a PV(DC) disconnect near my inverters.

[@gardenwonders3308]

@@CountryLivingExperience You didn't answer my math question.

[@joeljimenez5780]

@@gardenwonders3308 I'm not math expert, but I can technically explain the use of connector box for strings solar panels install.*** option 1). connect in parallel strings: it give you the same voltage (200V) and double the current to 20A. ***option 2). connect in series strings: it give you the same current to 10A and double the voltage (400). Whichever connection you work with, please make sure and double check that it should match or within your Inverter rated input Voltage safety operating range.

[@johnstxiii]

Are the solar panels 48V?

[@CountryLivingExperience]

They are.

[@deltapag5051]

Should you run positive, negative and ground in the same conduit?

[@CountryLivingExperience]

There is no ground for these panels on this rack. If you have a stand along rack with panels that you need to ground, then ground them to a rod near the rack.

[@deltapag5051]

@@CountryLivingExperience Yup, understood, they have us ground each frame of the panels. But can you run both the positive and negative DC (one string) through the same conduit?

[@deltapag5051]

BTW thank you for this video and for replying so quickly. There are 11 panels on each string and there are 3 strings (33 panels)

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Yes as long as the conduit is large enough. I ran 2 strings (4 wires) through a 1.5" conduit 100' long.

[@bradmesserle999]

Does anyone know how long of a run you can do with dc pv wire?

[@CountryLivingExperience]

It depends on the voltage of your panels and the voltage loss over that distance. Signature Solar has a video that briefly mentions that. They mention being able to go at least 300ft on 8awg pv wire.

[@marksantiago9841]

What is your pvc size for your conduit?

[@CountryLivingExperience]

1.5 inches

[@marksantiago9841]

@@CountryLivingExperience what is the kw capacity of your solar?

[@CountryLivingExperience]

@@marksantiago9841 10kw

[@Cufc08]

The US is about 60 years behind electrics wise than the UK. Some of the equipment I’ve seen in these videos are like UK electrics from the 50s. Lol. Not seen the other videos to see what Kw set up your going for but always told as close to the inverter as possible you seem to be a good distance away.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Umm, ok. I have hardly any voltage drop on that run since I sized the wire properly.

[@echopapa243]

The GroWatts can run off-grid without batteries.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

The off-grid versions cannot. You have to hook a battery to them. The grid tied versions can.

[@echopapa243]

@@CountryLivingExperience the SPF 5000 ES off-grid can run without batteries, only solar is needed. See the manual on page 2. End of first paragraph.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

@@echopapa243 Interesting. I see that now. When I talked to SS on Thursday, the technician informed me incorrectly then. I was about to connect the PV to the inverter and wanted to confirm. When I talked to him he said "Stop" don't connect until that battery is connected and gave me a reason I didn't understand.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

I just confirmed with Sig Solar. The manual is incorrect for the off grid spf5000. It was translated from Mandarin incorrectly. You need batteries with these inverters. Call them if you like. They are in the process of getting the manual reprinted and informing customers.

[@echopapa243]

@@CountryLivingExperience Thank you for following up on this and posting a reply. I suggest that SS should post this plainly to their website listing fir the product and post a YT PSA on it. Thanks again. Echo

[@kimchianthony]

Dude...is there a reason why you didn't run the pv wires directly to the wall of the building for the inverters?

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Dudette, yes, I didn't want to trench over the top of my propane line and another waterline.

[@44warlord41]

Hello, I happened upon your channel by chance, and I am interested in doing solar for my off-grid property. Would you happen to be able to tell us what your total cost of your system is please?

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Hello and welcome. We did a video on how much all of the parts and pieces of the system cost here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rJ_KXnZ3eLWirZI. We tried to be as thorough as possible and even included the specialty tool prices.

[@44warlord41]

@@CountryLivingExperience Thank you very much

[@ziggyd3114]

Where’s your ground?

[@94FADE]

It’s easier to just pull the pv wire through without the mc4 heads and then putting heads on after you managed the wires to the home runs

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Most of the wire I purchased already had MC4 connectors pre-installed.

[@unclefester6501]

Seat belt material=pull tape.

[@martinwhite418]

Does nobody just run the cables thru the pipe and then put the pipe pieces together and bury? What is wrong with this idea?

[@BigGayLLC]

Its way quicker just to suck a mouse through conduit pipe and pull with string than to do it that way.

[@cade861]

Why didn't you just run the conduit underground to where it needed to come into the house? It would have been less wire and looked cleaner.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

I didn’t want to cross over my propane line and a waterline.

[@uhjyuff2095]

Are you sure you are not an electrician?

[@keithconrad4892]

Do you get permits to do this work? I am a diy and just don’t think it necessary to spend 1k to get fancy drawings to ask for permission to install solar on my house

[@CountryLivingExperience]

No. We are out in the counrtyside. You need to check with your local jurisdiction however.

[@keithconrad4892]

@@CountryLivingExperience I have never heard any government entity like a county of a state not wanting to collect fees from solar permit. None of their busy anyway just asking hate to go through this permit process they wont let me email them the plans have to come in print of drawings like we in Stone Age.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

I live in Texas. No permit needed.

[@zzubuzz]

So...2:19...you condoit?

[@tylerfawcett6417]

You don’t need to get more wire instead redo the conduit on the house no need to put the conduit so high on the house

[@JayDee25895]

comment

[@chriszbodula1894]

Dude, why such a large diameter conduit and why fish with connectors attached? Use a smaller diameter conduit and fish without connectors. Can’t understand why you would do it this way unless you bought wire lengths with connectors because you weren’t comfortable installing the connectors yourself

[@CountryLivingExperience]

First of all, it is practical to use a diameter of conduit that is larger than needed in the event you need to run more wire in the future. I will be adding to the system so, I will need the extra room instead of running new conduit. It is also obviously easier to pull through larger conduit. I am completely comfortable with adding on connectors but I needed them on the end because I needed to add extensions on the end to complete the runs.

[@Its_Esoteric]

Didn’t call 811 before digging a long trench to the house cutting a water line 🤦🏼‍♂️ bet that was an expensive plumber visit

[@CountryLivingExperience]

No 811 for a rural property for water in Texas. I was able to fix it myself.

[@waynehartlerode8936]

Oh man... wasteful to run that expensive uv resistant wire through conduit! Pointless. It will never see the sun or extreme temperatures. Seems like a good idea to switch over to some thhn wire once in the conduit. Lot easier to pull also! I'm pretty sure NEC is good with running 10 awg thhn in conduit even if its buried.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

It cost me less than THHN at the time. Always run underground wire through conduit.

[@freddurstedgebono6029]

Omg cut the water line to the house 🤣