Photovoltaic panel grounding wire aperture specification

What is effective grounding in photovoltaic (PV) systems?

Effective grounding in photovoltaic (PV) systems is the creation of a low-impedance reference to ground at the AC side of the inverter—or group of inverters—that is designed to be compatible with the distribution network’s requirements and existing grounding scheme.

What is a grounded PV system?

A PV system is defined as a grounded system when one of the DC conductors (either positive or negative) is connected to the grounding system, which in turn is connected to the earth. The conductor that is grounded usually depends on the PV module technology.

Why is proper grounding of a photovoltaic power system important?

Proper grounding of a photovoltaic (PV) power system is critical to ensuring the safety of the public during the installation’s decades-long life. Although all components of a PV system may not be fully functional for this period of time, the basic PV module can produce potentially dangerous currents and voltages for the life of the system.

What is a solar substation grounding guide?

Abstract: This guide is primarily concerned with the grounding system design for photovoltaic solar power plants that are utility owned and/or utility scale (5 MW or greater). The focus of the guide is on differences in practices from substation grounding as provided in IEEE Std 80.

Does a photovoltaic system have a DC grounding system?

Photovoltaic systems having dc circuits and ac circuits with no direct connection between the dc grounded conductor and ac grounded conductor shall have a dc grounding system. The dc grounding system shall be bonded to the ac grounding system by one of the methods in (1), (2), or (3).

Do I need a grounding electrode for a PV array?

While a separate grounding electrode system is still permitted to be installed for a PV array, per 690.47 (B), it is no longer required to be bonded to the premises grounding electrode system. In PV systems with string inverters, the equipment grounding conductor from the array terminates to the inverter’s grounding bus bar.