Hooking up inverter

 I'm about a month away from installing my entire PV system in my off
grid cabin...

Reading the various manuals makes me feel as though I need an Phd in
engineering....I have lots of questions...but I'll start with a real
simple (or stupid) one....

Since my cabin was totally re-wired by a professional to run on AC and
all the wiring and electric panel box has been inspected...when I DO
get around to installing my Xantrex SW4048 inverter...do I have to
GROUND it or is it grounded via the electric panel the electrician put
in? There manual makes it sound as though I'll blow up the world if it
isn't grounded.

Help!

Make sense?

  I ran my barn ungrounded for almost a year. I always felt safer that I could
touch on hot wire and not get a bad poke from it. This only works on small
systems and really needs a ground sniffer. Something to indicate if one wire
goes to ground then the system becomes dangerous again.

You will need a ground at the main switch and only the main switch. Two are
not allowed or advised.

 Most likely, the electrician has connected the ground to the neutral in the main
panel,
but check to be sure that some sort of wire or bar connects the terminal strips
for the white wires with the terminal strip for the green or bare wires in the
main
electrical panel.  In a system there should only be one connection between
the neutral and ground.

You also have to have a ground on the DC side of the inverter, and that is
connected
to the battery negative.  This is clearly shown in the Xantrex installation
manual.
There is a reason for all the ground lugs.

On Tue, 29 Apr 2008 06:49:49 -0700 (PDT), "emma10@comcast.net"


Bill Kaszeta
Photovoltaic Resources Int'l
Tempe  Arizona  USA
bill@pvri-removethis.biz