Grounding the Equipment With a Midnite Solar Classic 150

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solarhungry
solarhungry Registered Users Posts: 29 ✭✭
in Solar Beginners Corner #1
I am planning on working on my grounding tomorrow. I spent much time researching but am still not clear.  I already grounded my panels and solar mounting structure to my combiner box bus bar. I have  a ground rod   connected to the combiner box. From that solar panel  combiner's  box  it's going to the other ground rod that's for the solar equipment by the house. All 6 gauge wire.  From that  equipment ground rod next to the house  then the bare #6 going to a disconnect 60 amp pull out. I'm at this point in my grounding. 
Questions=
1) Do I ground all the  equipment and metal boxes starting from the disconnect and just string everything together. Example= From the disconnect to the classic 150 to the inverter to the battery negative? Does the battery Negative have it's own ground rod?

2) Or ground all above separate with it's own ground wire going back to the ground rod? I don't want to create a loop. 
 Midnite classic 150 owner's manual  shows on page 22 about Chassis Grounding. Has a large lug on the chassis for the ground.  Think it's just explaining to me about choosing the correct wire size. Does the equipment ground wire have to be green sheathed covered ? Can I use bare ground copper?

4) Has a DC GFP (Ground Fault Protection) Looks like I need to just leave that alone. Wondering why you would need to disable this function as that is an option?
Thanks in advance....hope it's not too many questions for one post.
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  • Photowhit
    Photowhit Solar Expert Posts: 6,003 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #2
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    I used an Epanel in my power center (place where the charge controller and inverter and breakers live) It has a bus bar internally that all the grounds run to then a single ground to the grounding rod. Lots of breakers in there, ones before the charge controllers, ones after the charge controllers, a large one for the inverter. provisions for AC breakers as well.

    Image result for E-Panel



    I believe the protocol is if you have 2 grounds that they be connected.
    Home system 4000 watt (Evergreen) array standing, with 2 Midnite Classic Lites,  Midnite E-panel, Magnum MS4024, Prosine 1800(now backup) and Exeltech 1100(former backup...lol), 660 ah 24v Forklift battery(now 10 years old). Off grid for 20 years (if I include 8 months on a bicycle).
    - Assorted other systems, pieces and to many panels in the closet to not do more projects.
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  • solarhungry
    solarhungry Registered Users Posts: 29 ✭✭
    #3
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    Thanks for the reply, Nice looking Epanel. Finely just  found a pretty good video on earth grounding. It mentions like you say... it can have a bus bar. So I will have each equipment it's  own wire for ground going to some kind of bus bar. 
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  • Raj174
    Raj174 Solar Expert Posts: 795 ✭✭✭✭
    #4
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    Hi Solarhungry,
    I have the same setup as you described and connected all grounds to the buss bar in the epanel like Photowhit said.
     I used #6 THHN green ground wire in enclosures and bare copper outside. Left GFP enabled.
    Here is a photo:


    Rick
       
    4480W PV, MNE175DR-TR, MN Classic 150, Outback Radian GS4048A, Mate3, 51.2V 360AH nominal LiFePO4, Kohler Pro 5.2E genset.
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  • solarhungry
    solarhungry Registered Users Posts: 29 ✭✭
    #5
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    Thanks Rick! Looks good,made it look like art. I will have to upgrade to that in the future. Your wires look organized too.
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