Why is grounding so HArrrd!!!

[SomethingElse]

Do I need to ground my off grid 2200w inverter and ground laying solar panels? Every post/ google answer seems to leave me more confused. "Ground it to your existing grounding rod from the grid" "install new separate grounding rods for each" "Don't do that it will create a ground loop!" gonna rip whats left of my hair out!....

My home is on grid, built a small supplemental system. 2200w giandel inverter, 12v battery, two 300w panels 50 feet from the house. I ran separate outlets to tv, computer etc but not knowing what to do with the ground lug on the inverter/panels leaves me questioning, is that only for RV type applications?

 

[MichaelK]

I ran separate outlets to tv, computer etc

Could you please go into more detail in exactly what this means? Do you have the inverter wired into one breaker on your electrical panel, or are you just running an extension cord from the inverter to the loads? Are you talking about the regular wall sockets by the TV and computer, or just a power strip connected only to the inverter?

How exactly is your home main electrical box grounded? Do you have a ground rod pounded into the earth, or is the ground supplied by the street service? If your accessory system is totally unconnected to the house grid in any way, you should have a separate ground rod just for the inverter.

 

[timselectric]

If your house already has a grounding system. All new equipment must be connected to it.
One grounding system for everything.

 

[BentleyJ]

Grounding is not difficult, the confusion is due to the word "ground" being used in several different contexts but no one ever qualifies it as they should.
1 System Ground
2 Equipment Ground
3 Earth Ground
4 Negative side of the battery and chassis of a vehicle being referred to as ground with its really just the 0 potential side per convention.
5 Gnd on a circuit board. Same as above, is usually the Neg side or considered 0 potential. Some may even refer to this as "common"

 

[SomethingElse]

Could you please go into more detail in exactly what this means? Do you have the inverter wired into one breaker on your electrical panel, or are you just running an extension cord from the inverter to the loads? Are you talking about the regular wall sockets by the TV and computer, or just a power strip connected only to the inverter?

How exactly is your home main electrical box grounded? Do you have a ground rod pounded into the earth, or is the ground supplied by the street service? If your accessory system is totally unconnected to the house grid in any way, you should have a separate ground rod just for the inverter.

Sorry I should have included that. My inverter has a hard line connection and I ran 3 standard household outlets throughout the house. The ground is coming from the street.

Initially I built the system as a backup generator for when the power goes out. When the power does go out I back feed it into the panel, after disconnecting the main. For that I use a heavy duty 20A custom made male/male extension cord.

 

[timselectric]

For that I use a heavy duty 20A custom made male/male extension cord.

That's referred to as a suicide cord for a reason.
Throw it in the trash. After cutting it in half, so that nobody else gets the same bad idea.

 

[zanydroid]

Grounding is not difficult, the confusion is due to the word "ground" being used in several different contexts but no one ever qualifies it as they should.
1 System Ground
2 Equipment Ground
3 Earth Ground
4 Negative side of the battery and chassis of a vehicle being referred to as ground with its really just the 0 potential side per convention.
5 Gnd on a circuit board. Same as above, is usually the Neg side or considered 0 potential. Some may even refer to this as "common"

It would be great if there could be a hacktivist that goes around deleting all the bad info from the Internet…

Anyway the meta solution for OP is to get better at critical picking of sources (websites and posts)… I would guess that 50% of the answers on Google are wrong

 

[SomethingElse]

If your house already has a grounding system. All new equipment must be connected to it.
One grounding system for everything.

So attach the ground lug on the chassis of my inverter to the ground supplied from the utility company? There Is one nearby used for the internet box on the side of my house. Do I need to run a wire to the frame of my panels out in the yard as well?

 

[zanydroid]

That's referred to as a suicide cord for a reason.

Wonder why it’s called a suicide cord when it could easily be a homicide or murder/suicide cord

 

[cs1234]

That's referred to as a suicide cord for a reason.
Throw it in the trash. After cutting it in half, so that nobody else gets the same bad idea.

I was about to tell him to never admit to doing such a thing on here.. but I figured somebody already saw it.

 

[n2aws]

According to the NEC, there should be one common ground system for the household. All equipment should be connected to it.

So the short answer is, run a 6AWG bare copper wire from anything that is connected to your home grounding system, and attach it to your equipment ground lug.

 

[SomethingElse]

That's referred to as a suicide cord for a reason.
Throw it in the trash. After cutting it in half, so that nobody else gets the same bad idea.

It got me out of a pinch, I'll take your advice and build a circuit with a switch.

 

[JRH]

Sorry I should have included that. My inverter has a hard line connection and I ran 3 standard household outlets throughout the house. The ground is coming from the street.

Initially I built the system as a backup generator for when the power goes out. When the power does go out I back feed it into the panel, after disconnecting the main. For that I use a heavy duty 20A custom made male/male extension cord.

Male to male…..hmmm , ya know there is a nick name for that…!

 

[cs1234]

It got me out of a pinch, I'll take your advice and build a circuit with a switch.

It's just dangerous. Imagine if somebody came by and disconnected it on one end, but it's the live end they left dangling.

Even better, leaving it dangling on what is a dead end, but then you turn power back on.. and it's now a live end.

 

[SomethingElse]

I was about to tell him to never admit to doing such a thing on here.. but I figured somebody already saw it.

I never claimed to be an electrician I am new to the site and read every day till my head explodes. I'll do it again tomorrow too.

 

[SomethingElse]

It's just dangerous. Imagine if somebody came by and disconnected it on one end, but it's the live end they left dangling.

I keep it tucked away, and have only used it once. Your point has been made and I appreciate your input.

 

[timselectric]

So attach the ground lug on the chassis of my inverter to the ground supplied from the utility company? There Is one nearby used for the internet box on the side of my house. Do I need to run a wire to the frame of my panels out in the yard as well?

There are different ways to accomplish proper grounding. Depending on other factors in a system.
The PV EGC should be ran along with the PV circuit conductors. From the array to the receiver of the PV power. This is usually a charge controller or an AIO (All In One).
Everything else should be connected to your existing grounding system. This can be done many ways.
The easiest way depends on how and where everything is located.

 

[SomethingElse]

It's just dangerous. Imagine if somebody came by and disconnected it on one end, but it's the live end they left dangling.

Even better, leaving it dangling on what is a dead end, but then you turn power back on.. and it's now a live end.

It's just dangerous. Imagine if somebody came by and disconnected it on one end, but it's the live end they left dangling.

Even better, leaving it dangling on what is a dead end, but then you turn power back on.. and it's now a live end.

What would you suggest? hard line to the inside of my panel on a breaker with a lockout bracket?

 

[cs1234]

What would you suggest? hard line to the inside of my panel on a breaker with a lockout bracket?

Or a generator input with a lockout bracket/breaker. Then you wire your solar system up to a generator cord and use that to connect up when you want.

 

[timselectric]

What would you suggest? hard line to the inside of my panel on a breaker with a lockout bracket?

Use a generator interlock kit.