Best Practice for running 8 DC home run cables through roof to combiner box below

aluminumwelder
aluminumwelder Registered Users Posts: 10 ✭✭
in General Solar Power Topics #1
I have 30 solar panels in 4 strings and 8 pv wires I need to get from the top of a 12' tall picnic shelter with metal roof down about 6 ft to go into midnite solar combiner box. I want to drill 2" hole in roof with black rubber boot. can I just put a couple of elbows on top to prevent water from getting in to meet NEC code?
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  • wellbuilt
    wellbuilt Solar Expert Posts: 763 ✭✭✭✭
    #2
    They sell a water proof fitting that fits on 11/4 steel conduit it has 12 holes in a rubber seal that gets tight around the solar wires this runs from under the array to your combiner box to keep water out
    Out back  flex power one  with out back 3648 inverter fm80 charge controler  flex net  mate 16 gc215 battery’s 4425 Watts solar .
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  • littleharbor2
    littleharbor2 Solar Expert Posts: 2,105 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #3
    aluminumwelder said:
    I have 30 solar panels in 4 strings and 8 pv wires I need to get from the top of a 12' tall picnic shelter with metal roof down about 6 ft to go into midnite solar combiner box. I want to drill 2" hole in roof with black rubber boot. can I just put a couple of elbows on top to prevent water from getting in to meet NEC code?
    Typical weatherhead used for utility power drop on 2" rigid pipe.

    2.1 Kw Suntech 175 mono, Classic 200, Trace SW 4024 ( 15 years old  but brand new out of sealed factory box Jan. 2015), Bogart Tri-metric,  460 Ah. 24 volt LiFePo4 battery bank. Plenty of Baja Sea of Cortez sunshine.

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  • mcgivor
    mcgivor Solar Expert Posts: 3,854 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    #4
    littleharbor2 said:
    aluminumwelder said:
    I have 30 solar panels in 4 strings and 8 pv wires I need to get from the top of a 12' tall picnic shelter with metal roof down about 6 ft to go into midnite solar combiner box. I want to drill 2" hole in roof with black rubber boot. can I just put a couple of elbows on top to prevent water from getting in to meet NEC code?
    Typical weatherhead used for utility power drop on 2" rigid pipe.

    Yes that's what I would recommend, even better with a heat shrink multiple conductor boot https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/company-us/all-3m-products/~/3M-Heat-Shrink-Heavy-Duty-Breakout-Boots-HDBB/?N=5002385+3294230515&rt=rud
    1500W, 6× Schutten 250W Poly panels , Schneider MPPT 60 150 CC, Schneider SW 2524 inverter, 400Ah LFP 24V nominal battery with Battery Bodyguard BMS 
    Second system 1890W  3 × 300W No name brand poly, 3×330 Sunsolar Poly panels, Morningstar TS 60 PWM controller, no name 2000W inverter 400Ah LFP 24V nominal battery with Daly BMS, used for water pumping and day time air conditioning.  
    5Kw Yanmar clone single cylinder air cooled diesel generator for rare emergency charging and welding.
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  • Wheelman55
    Wheelman55 Registered Users Posts: 245 ✭✭✭
    #5
    I’ve used these Heyco Solar Mastheads. https://www.elecdirect.com/cord-grips-strain-relief/heyco-solar-masthead-cable-glands

    Multiple sizes and # of holes. 

    Best. 
    Off-Grid in Terlingua, TX
    5,000 watt array - 14 CS 370 watt modules. HZLA horizontal tracker. Schneider: XW6048NA+, Mini PDP, MPPT 80-600, SCP. 390ah LiFeP04 battery bank - 3 Discover AES 42-48-6650 48 volt 130ah LiFePO4 batteries
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  • aluminumwelder
    aluminumwelder Registered Users Posts: 10 ✭✭
    #6
    thanks for ideas. I wound up using a 1 1/4" service entrance weatherhead because the 2" ones were too tall. Needed a low profile so I could have it under a solar panel. Now I just need to plug up the spaces with conduit playdo or something since inspection is in a few days and heyco wont' get here in time. 
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