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diy solar

Time to add Panels to 2 X 6000XP

just buy 4 colors.
Yeh - Except he said it has to be red and black. So I guess its testing for continuity. Ugh!

My bigger problem is redoing my wireway and connections to the inverters. When I built the original system I thought it made sense to add the PV conduit into the wireway at the same time. Duh!

Got to figure out a way to run them through the wireway and come out the bottom or elbow inside the wireway and out the end cap. Dunno yet!
 

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(Note: The comments below are based on my non-electrician research and, AIUI, are relevant only if you are in a jurisdiction that has adopted NEC 2023 as their code basis. And even if they have, it's possible there are local overrides. YMMV

If you want to check my work by doing your own reading, the 2023 NEC is available for free, in a somewhat clunky page by page way, if you click on the "View Free Access" button near the bottom of the following page:


You need to sign up for a free account. There are lots of paths on the web site that give the impression you need to subscribe. You do not. And AIUI, the NFPA has been taken to task for trying to always charge for access to these things, even though they are woven into very public regulations.)

I'm in the planning stages for a very similar setup right now. The project is in Michigan which recently adopted NEC 2023.

TL;DR; - The 2023 version of the code has language that very explicitly allows PV DC to co-locate with AC and battery DC subject to marking requirements and that all conductors (including data cables) have a voltage rating at or above the highest expected voltage in the raceway, which is typically going to be the PV DC voltage. Details below.

I have spent quite a bit of time trying to wade through the text of the standard as well as the various interpretations here and on some other forums. On this particular point, AIUI, the 2023 version was updated to address the fact that we now have quite a lot of highly integrated units like the 6000XP, that make it quite difficult to physically separate the PV DC wiring from the AC runs and battery DC runs and in fact seem to encourage the kind of neatly integrated conduit/raceway setup shown in the photos up-thread.

The specific section that I understand to have been revised is 690.31 - Wiring Methods. (Section 690 is the one that covers Solar PV Systems generally)

Sub-section (B)(1) contains the following language covering exceptions to the requirement to separate PV DC circuits.

"Exception: Where all conductors or cables have an insulation rating equal to at least the maximum circuit voltage applied to any conductor within the same wiring method, the following shall be permitted

(1) Multiconductor jacketed cables for remote control signaling, or power-limited circuits shall be permitted within the same wiring enclosure, cable, or raceway as PV system dc circuits where all circuits serve the PV system

(2) Inverter output circuits shall be permitted to occupy the same junction box, pull box or wireway with PV system dc cuircuts that are identified and grouped as required by 690.31(B)(2) and (B)(3)"

I won't go on to transcribe the rest, but I'll say that the marking requirements mentioned in (2) above are pretty basic and even contain an exception where the difference between the PV DC and other wiring is obvious due to physical spacing, which I'd argue it clearly is in most of these highly integrated inverter setups.
 
@itech20 thanks for that. I passed an inspection on my battery backup system un February under the 2017 code. My inspector told me the code change was coming, so I pulled my permit before March12th (when the 2023 code) went into effect. So I’m tied to the 2017 code for my PV system. I’ve got a workaround that is not much rework that i was planning on deploying. But i will ask my inspector if he’d be okay with mixing.
 
@itech20 thanks for that. I passed an inspection on my battery backup system un February under the 2017 code. My inspector told me the code change was coming, so I pulled my permit before March12th (when the 2023 code) went into effect. So I’m tied to the 2017 code for my PV system. I’ve got a workaround that is not much rework that i was planning on deploying. But i will ask my inspector if he’d be okay with mixing.
Roger that. If you have a moment, given that I'm operating in the same jurisdiction with an almost identical setup, I'm curious about two cable questions, one technical and one code related.

1) Were you able to completely enclose your battery cable runs and is it your sense that is what the inspector was looking for? (I purchased an unenclosed SOK racking system and am starting to think I need to build or acquire something to keep the cables enclosed.)

2) Did you make an effort to have the battery-to-inverter runs be of equal length? I'm aware of that as a requirement for some inverter types but it's not explicitly mentioned in the 6000XP documentation.
 
Were you able to completely enclose your battery cable runs and is it your sense that is what the inspector was looking for?
I really didn’t get a sense one way or the other from the inspector, but I had enclosed my battery cables all the way from the rack over to the inverters. I was concerned about that so I purchased 2/0 THHN for the battery cables, which I knew were approved. Just wasn’t sure about using battery/welding cable.

He was generally impressed with the work overall.

Did you make an effort to have the battery-to-inverter runs be of equal length?
I made an effort, but did not stress about it. I’m running two positives and two negatives from my bus bar, one to each inverter. I’m sure the negative cables are a bit longer, maybe 8-10”. 2/0 THHN is tough to work with, so I was happy with what I did. I have not noticed any issues with the batteries.
 

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I really didn’t get a sense one way or the other from the inspector, but I had enclosed my battery cables all the way from the rack over to the inverters. I was concerned about that so I purchased 2/0 THHN for the battery cables, which I knew were approved. Just wasn’t sure about using battery/welding cable.

He was generally impressed with the work overall.

I'm impressed as well. It all looks very clean and very nicely put together.

I made an effort, but did not stress about it. I’m running two positives and two negatives from my bus bar, one to each inverter. I’m sure the negative cables are a bit longer, maybe 8-10”. 2/0 THHN is tough to work with, so I was happy with what I did. I have not noticed any issues with the batteries.

Roger that and thank you for the photos. This also clears up some uncertainty I had about how bus bars might work inside of a raceway. One quick followup on that. Could you share a bit more about the raceways you used? The one on top off the battery rack looks sturdy and spacious.
 
@itech20 The wireway on the top of the battery cabinet is a 10 X 10 that is about 32”. To make that one fit I needed to cut it down from 48”.

All of the others are 8 X 8’s. They are all Hoffman wireway’s, but the brand really didn’t matter to me.

I got them from an All-Phase Electric in Lansing. Not sure in Michigan where you live, but if its in greater Lansing I recommend them.

I was originally looking for Ebox, but it’s what they sold and I’m really pleased with them.

Johnny Valentine from Gains Solar Service has a few You Tube videos on using wireways. They really helped me out.

You can check out my full build on the show and tell forum. I have found that others have gotten value out of the wiring diagrams.


https://diysolarforum.com/threads/6000xp’s-ruixu-batteries-in-production-for-home-ups-system.78032/#post-1030570
 
@itech20 The wireway on the top of the battery cabinet is a 10 X 10 that is about 32”. To make that one fit I needed to cut it down from 48”.

All of the others are 8 X 8’s. They are all Hoffman wireway’s, but the brand really didn’t matter to me.

I got them from an All-Phase Electric in Lansing. Not sure in Michigan where you live, but if its in greater Lansing I recommend them.

I was originally looking for Ebox, but it’s what they sold and I’m really pleased with them.

Johnny Valentine from Gains Solar Service has a few You Tube videos on using wireways. They really helped me out.

You can check out my full build on the show and tell forum. I have found that others have gotten value out of the wiring diagrams.


https://diysolarforum.com/threads/6000xp’s-ruixu-batteries-in-production-for-home-ups-system.78032/#post-1030570
Many thanks again. This is really helpful concrete information. I'm leaning towards acquiring a server rack for my existing batteries and then constructing something similar to what you've put together here.

I'm in the north woods east of Manistee, but frankly, if a supplier is good and helpful I'm happy to make the drive. I appreciate the pointers.

I will make a point of writing the whole thing up once I'm finished and cross-linking it in here and a few other threads I've dipped into.
 
I'm leaning towards acquiring a server rack for my existing batteries
I almost did that with my Ruixu batteries, but went the pre-built cabinet. I’m an IT guy so I have a server rack in my basement.

For good server racks search eBay for “Raising Electronics”. They’ve got some sturdy, affordable racks that I really like. For the battery rack I started with a 4 post open rack and added shelves. Signature solar has a bus bar that is worth checking out to make it a battery rack vs a server rack.

When I spec’d it I was within $100 of the cost of the Ruixu Battery cabinet, so I went that direction.
 
AC, DC, high voltage, low voltage can all be mixed in the same metal trunk/wireway as long as all wire insulation is rated for the maximum voltage carried.
Also I think it should be ok to wire to the latest code even if your AHJ doesn't enforce it yet, but double check with them. Your's seem helpful so explain why you want to do it.
 
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