Mounted but unwired solar panels?

tons001
tons001 Solar Expert Posts: 71 ✭✭
in Solar Beginners Corner #1
I have gained a lot of great information by searching this forum so thanks a ton!

I will be working on getting my system up and going this summer. My question is there any issues with mounting my solar panels onto my roof before I have the rest of the system wired? Do I have to worry about damage to may panels if there is a month between mounting them and finishing my install? I will wire them into my Midnite Solar combiner box now and simply leave the breakers off so there are not live wires on the other end. I would like to do everything (racking, panels, combiner, lightning protection, etc.) all at once which will unfortunately be before the rest of my system.

Thanks for any guidance.
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  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #2
    Re: Mounted but unwired solar panels?

    Welcome to the forum.

    There are no issues with having the panels mounted but not connected.
    In the case of a GT install where the array string Voltage may be hundreds of Volts there is a potential arc/shock problem. But with them connected to the combiner box and the breakers switched off it will be fine. That is in fact how you install them; turning the panels on last.

    Of course there's always hail storms, meteor strikes, plane crashes ... :p:D
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  • tons001
    tons001 Solar Expert Posts: 71 ✭✭
    #3
    Re: Mounted but unwired solar panels?

    Thanks. I am really digging the forum. I have read literally days of stuff on here about grounding and learning a lot of great stuff. I am sure I will have more questions soon.
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  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #4
    Re: Mounted but unwired solar panels?
    tons001 wrote: »
    Thanks. I am really digging the forum. I have read literally days of stuff on here about grounding and learning a lot of great stuff. I am sure I will have more questions soon.

    Say, if you've learned stuff about grounding on here could you explain it to us? :p:D
    Seriously; that is one of the toughest aspects of electrical wiring there is to understand. Even people "in the know" debate continually the best way to do it.
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  • tons001
    tons001 Solar Expert Posts: 71 ✭✭
    #5
    Re: Mounted but unwired solar panels?

    I going with method of everything outside gets tied to its own earth ground as close as possible with a lightning arrestor at the outside combiner and the inside e-panel, not bring the ground from the combiner into the house at all for any reason, and tying the lightning earth ground to the house earth ground with a buried 6awg bare wire which is maybe 25 feet away. Am I on the right track? I need to read a few more threads (or days) on battery bank grounding. I am kind of leaning towards fusing both the positive and negative leads at the batteries in the battery box before heading up to my MNDC 175a disconnect box. Again ... my brain is kind of fried on grounding the battery bank.
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  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #6
    Re: Mounted but unwired solar panels?
    tons001 wrote: »
    I going with method of everything outside gets tied to its own earth ground as close as possible with a lightning arrestor at the outside combiner and the inside e-panel, not bring the ground from the combiner into the house at all for any reason, and tying the lightning earth ground to the house earth ground with a buried 6awg bare wire which is maybe 25 feet away. Am I on the right track? I need to read a few more threads (or days) on battery bank grounding. I am kind of leaning towards fusing both the positive and negative leads at the batteries in the battery box before heading up to my MNDC 175a disconnect box. Again ... my brain is kind of fried on grounding the battery bank.

    That sounds about right to me.
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  • tons001
    tons001 Solar Expert Posts: 71 ✭✭
    #7
    Re: Mounted but unwired solar panels?

    Thanks Cariboocoot! :)
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