About Is it OK to dig trenches under photovoltaic panels
This page covers the layout and digging of the trench for the underground wiring from the meter/distribution panel location on the house to PV panel array out in the yard. The PV system we decided on uses Enphase micro-inverters mounted at each PV panel to convert the DC generated by the PV panel into grid compatible 240 volt AC.
This page covers the layout and digging of the trench for the underground wiring from the meter/distribution panel location on the house to PV panel array out in the yard. The PV system we decided on uses Enphase micro-inverters mounted at each PV panel to convert the DC generated by the PV panel into grid compatible 240 volt AC.
Trenching to bury cable and wires on a large-scale, ground-mount solar array is generally easy enough. You dig a trench, lay the cable, fill the dirt back in. But trenching comes with its disadvantages. One, it’s dirty. Two, what if you hit rock? Three, those divots love to fill with water and make a muddy mess.
If I’d managed to get the trencher I want that would dig a 24” trench, this would have been a far, far shorter part of the project, and I really suggest finding a trencher that can go deep if you need to run conduit underground. Aim for 6-12” deeper than you need, and life should be easy.
The DC power from our photovoltaic array leading into our house is MC-4 cable inside 2' pvc conduit in a trench. When I built the mount to support our photovoltaic array, I dug three 70' trenches, and I had to keep an Ag pump running to keep the water out of those trenches, to allow us to fill the trenches with concrete.
To raise it to 200A you'd have to upgrade your service conductors. If you have conduit installed for the service conductors you might not to trench to replace them, but given the statements here, for California at least, that's rare. As for what it is, it means digging a trench from the MSP to the transformer, and replacing the wires in the ground.
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6 FAQs about [Is it OK to dig trenches under photovoltaic panels ]
Can you use PVC conduit in a trench?
PVC is flexible enough that you can work with a not-entirely-straight trench (like the “isn’t” stretch on Grand Tour), and offers enough protection that you can pull regular wire through it. There are two options for PVC conduit - Schedule 40, and Schedule 80.
Is trenching a cable NEC-compliant?
So, trenching it is! There are a few ways to trench cables through this area in a NEC-compliant manner. I could go with 6” of trench depth and metal conduit, I could go with 18” of trench depth and PVC, or I could go with 24” of depth and underground feeder.
How deep should a cable be in a NEC-compliant trench?
There are a few ways to trench cables through this area in a NEC-compliant manner. I could go with 6” of trench depth and metal conduit, I could go with 18” of trench depth and PVC, or I could go with 24” of depth and underground feeder. Talking to electricians out here, everyone had the same advice: “Go with PVC.”
Should you bury cable and wires in a ground-mount solar array?
Trenching to bury cable and wires on a large-scale, ground-mount solar array is generally easy enough. You dig a trench, lay the cable, fill the dirt back in. But trenching comes with its disadvantages. One, it’s dirty. Two, what if you hit rock? Three, those divots love to fill with water and make a muddy mess.
How deep should a conduit trench be?
And, I’ll add that the actual wording in NEC isn’t 18” of depth - it’s 18” of cover. Big difference if you’re throwing a few pieces of 1” conduit down there. Realistically, for my 3 runs of conduit, I needed a 21-22” deep trench.
Can you use a wire for a solar panel?
That wire is useless. You can’t use it for anything related to the conduit, because you can’t have wire joints in the conduit. Try not to time your trenching for the heat of the summer. It turns out that an ideal spot for solar is actually really, really sunny!
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