Shifting Solutions

Wire the Array to the Combiner Box

Breakers should be in the off position (or fuses removed) during combiner box wiring. Positive PV array home runs will terminate at series breakers or fuses, and negative ones at the negative bus (combiner) bar. Use a torque wrench to fully tighten all electrical connections inside the combiner box to the manufacturer’s specifications.

Once all the wiring in the combiner box is completed, double-check that the series breakers are in the off position, and then make the final connection in each series
string’s home-run wiring at the PV array. This strategy will ensure that you’re not working with “hot” (energized) wiring during the installation. Use a digital multimeter
to double-check that each series string’s polarity is correct. The transmission wiring that runs between the array and the power room will also be terminated in the combiner box once it’s pulled.

Done Deal
Once the pole is set and the concrete is cured, assembling and wiring a pole-mounted solar electric array can be done in a single day, or over a leisurely weekend. One person can easily get the job done, but it’s nice to have a second set of hands when assembling the rack and mounting the PVs.

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Install the Home-Run Wiring

Your array will require an additional MC cable to run from each series string of PVs to the combiner box. Purchase extra lengths of pre-made, MC cable that have a female connector on one end and a male connector on the other. When cut in half, these cables will need to be long enough to reach from the PVs to the combiner box. This wire is referred to as a “home run.” The ends of the home-run wiring destined for the combiner box should be taped off and handled carefully to avoid shock hazard and electrical shorting.

To keep polarity straight, positive leads should be taped with red electrical tape and negative leads with white. While working with this wiring, the safest approach is to leave one of the home-run conductors of each series string open (disconnected) at the PV arrays until the home runs are in place and terminated in the combiner box.

I like to put the home-run wiring running down the pole and into the combiner box in nonmetallic, watertight, flexible conduit for extra physical protection. The PV end of the conduit will not have a fitting on it, so make sure to seal it with silicone caulk to keep water from running down the wiring and into the combiner box.

The flexible conduit can be secured to the pole using self-tapping screws with pilot holes, and heavy wall (HW) conduit straps. Finally, because pole mounts allow for seasonal adjustment for the tilt of the array, make sure to cut both the home-run wiring and flexible conduit to a length that will allow full adjustment of the array without placing any strain on the wiring.

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Come back tomorrow,Wiring the Array to the Combiner Box

Wire the PVs

When wiring the PVs, remember that they will generate electricity whenever the sun is shining, even in overcast conditions. So pay attention, and make sure you’re qualified to get the job done right and safely.

Some people even opt to cover the modules with an opaque material when wiring the array. Almost all modern PV modules come with prewired, multicontact (MC) connectors. These connectors simply plug together, allowing fast installation and a low-resistance, weather-tight connection. MC connectors should be firmly pushed together and given about a quarter turn to make sure the seal is tight. Your system design will determine how many modules will be wired in series, and how many series strings your array will have. (See my article on wiring configurations for a PV array in HP87.)

Once the series strings are wired, the next step is to fully secure the wiring. All MC connectors should be either taped with high-quality electrical tape or sealed with heat-shrink tubing. While the connectors themselves are watertight, these methods will further weatherproof them, and provide some strain relief to keep them from being inadvertently disconnected. Finally, no PV wiring should be left hanging, since this looks sloppy and just invites trouble. Use UV-resistant (black) zip ties to secure the module wiring to the module frames or mount structure. Clips that attach to the module frame and hold the wires are available as well.

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Check it and we’ll see you tomorrow.

Tomorrow Install the Home-Run Wiring ! Come back you here!

Install the Ground Rod & Wire

Next, pound a ground rod into the earth at the base of the pole, outside the edge of theconcrete footing. Driving the ground rod at an anglecan help you get it in all the way if bedrock is closeto the surface.

Once the rod is driven, run #6 bare, solid, copperwire from the combiner box’s ground lug, downalong the vertical conduit, and then over to theground rod. Where possible, I like to use a groundrod clamp approved for direct burial, completelybury the ground rod, and trench the ground wire in.This looks better, and won’t trip people or animals ifthey pass by the base of the array.

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Tomorrow – wiring the PV’s

Install the Array Equipment-Ground Wiring

Once the lugs are installed, it’s time to run the ground wire from PV frame to PV frame, and then route it into the combiner box, where it will terminate at the box’s equipment-ground lug. To ensure the lowest resistance electrical path, equipment-ground wire installed on PV arrays should be continuous.

On the array, I always use #6 (13 mm2) stranded, bare copper wire, which is more flexible than solid. Trying to bend #6 solid wire in the tight radiuses required when grounding module frames is not recommended. In some cases the NEC will allow smaller-gauge ground wire to be used, but I opt for #6 since it will better resist any physical damage.

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Tomorrow we’ll discuss the ground rod and wire. You’all come back now, ya here!