Conduit question for GTI

Jcpen68
Jcpen68 Registered Users Posts: 5 ✭
in Grid Tie and Grid Interactive Systems #1
We have an install going on where the inverter is mounted inside a screened in patio. The Service disconnect and grid connection occur on the exterior wall of the house. Question is if 690.31, interpreted accordingly, will drive us to install metal conduit for the DC circuit inside this screened in porch? I guess the real question is if the screened in patio is considered part of the structure or not? For us, the run is very short (5'), so we are going with the metal. But I am curious what others are doing?
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,623 admin
    #2
    Re: Conduit question for GTI

    From a practical point of view--If your utility cannot get in to cut the GT power (if every needed) and they believe they cannot reach the disconnect (porch is "locked"), they will pull the meter to your house until they have completed whatever work they needed to do.

    And, the fire department--They will use a fire ax to access the disconnect if they believe they cannot get into the screen room quickly.

    The conduit is there for increased safety (before disconnect/fuses/etc. to reduce chance of fire spreading into the home). And, 5-10 feet of it is not bad for lightning control either (spark gap connected to ground). I would use metal conduit.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • inetdog
    inetdog Solar Expert Posts: 3,123 ✭✭✭✭
    #3
    Re: Conduit question for GTI
    Jcpen68 wrote: »
    We have an install going on where the inverter is mounted inside a screened in patio. The Service disconnect and grid connection occur on the exterior wall of the house. Question is if 690.31, interpreted accordingly, will drive us to install metal conduit for the DC circuit inside this screened in porch? I guess the real question is if the screened in patio is considered part of the structure or not? For us, the run is very short (5'), so we are going with the metal. But I am curious what others are doing?
    The screened in patio is definitely a structure under the NEC. Heck, even a free standing panel which holds a disconnect and a meter 20 feet from the house is a structure.
    The only question would be whether it is part of the house structure or a separate structure. And anywhere under the footprint of the roof and not outside an exterior wall is considered inside from the point of view of this section of the code.
    SMA SB 3000, old BP panels.
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