PV system engineered electrical drawings

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bcompton53
bcompton53 Registered Users Posts: 2 ✭
in PV Installers Forum - NEC, Wiring, Installation #1
I am located in Kansas, working on installing about a 9.3kw system. I have approval from my energy provider for my system, and I used drawings from solardesigntool.com. I applied for the building permit using these plans and the engineered plans for my tamarack ground mount. The inspector seems to be afraid of his own tail, and will not give me the permit without having an engineers stamp on my electrical plans. They are very complete plans that are code compliant and cover every angle, but he literally said "if you fry the electric grid, it will come back on me....and what if this system is build by the Chinese to take out our grid??" That's a quote. I have a licensed electrician who will be overseeing the install and signing it off. But apparently all of this isn't good enough. Does anyone have any advice??? Or is there a go to engineering firm who is licensed in Kansas who could help me? So far all I get from the folks i've called is "it will cost too much and make the project not worth building financially".
Help??
Thanks. 
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  • Dave Angelini
    Dave Angelini Solar Expert Posts: 6,749 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    #2
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    Is the inspector the director of the building department? If so, I agree you are in trouble. Talk with the director and look at the county website to see if there is guidance for DIY solar. What is typically done by the pro's there? 
    "we go where power lines don't" Sierra Nevada mountain area
       htps://offgridsolar1.com/
    E-mail offgridsolar@sti.net

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  • Marc Kurth
    Marc Kurth Solar Expert Posts: 1,144 ✭✭✭✭
    #3
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    Or hire a EE to review your design.
    I always have more questions than answers. That's the nature of life.
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  • Solar Guppy
    Solar Guppy Solar Expert Posts: 1,989 ✭✭✭
    #4
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    I used solardesigntool as well, for wet stamps I used this service greenlancer.com

    Anyone doing their own permit package should expect requirements for both structural and electrical PE sign-off ( wet stamps ).
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  • Dave Angelini
    Dave Angelini Solar Expert Posts: 6,749 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    #5
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    Depends on the state/local for the requirments. California is actually fairly easy! The OP never came back......
    "we go where power lines don't" Sierra Nevada mountain area
       htps://offgridsolar1.com/
    E-mail offgridsolar@sti.net

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  • bcompton53
    bcompton53 Registered Users Posts: 2 ✭
    #6
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    Yeah I got busy. Thanks for the tips. I ended up using solar design and went through vector engineering. Was $170 and no changes made to my design. It’s frustrating to be almost $1000 spent already for permitting and engineering, when all my plans were adequate, but I guess that’s the world we have. The responsible ones have to pay for the incapable.
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