Finally signed the deal here in the SF Bay area

[Bikerscum]

PM sent.

[Bikerscum]

Well, I guess the links don't work, let me try this again....

solar14.JPG solar15.JPG solar16.JPG solar17.JPG solar18.JPG solar20.JPG solar21.JPG solar23.JPG solar24.JPG solar25.JPG

[silversaver]

Looks great!! Congrat! Thoses LGs are really nice!! jealous....

[russ]

Looking great! Thanks!

[thejq]

Congrats! Make sure you're on the Solar TOU plan to maximize your return, assuming you have excess production during the day.

[Sunnyvalejohn]

Well, I guess the links don't work, let me try this again....

Nice clean install! Thanks for sharing! Can't wait to see the rest of the install.

[Bikerscum]

Had the city inspection today, kinda odd

The city inspector came today. Had a couple of quibbles about labels and one strange one, at least to me. The main panel is on the outside garage wall, the inverter is in the garage just to the side of it. The AC disconnect box is outside next to the main. He wouldn't approve it... said the inverter's in the garage, the AC disconnect has to be inside the garage.

Sure seems to me the firemen would like to have the disconnect on the outside. The installer said he has never heard of having it inside. I believe him.

He told me arguing with the inspector is futile. I believe him there too.

Soooo... I wait some more.

[inetdog]

I guess that he wants to see the disconnect "in sight" from the inverter, and for someone who is going to be working on the inverter, that has some merit.
Usually the NEC will accept remote disconnects if they are lockable in the OFF position.
Possibly that would satisfy the inspector if it was not obviously lockable when he saw it.
Unfortunately POCO and/or the FD may later insist on a disconnect on the outside too.

If there is a breaker in the outside panel that can also disconnect the AC feed to the GTI (i.e. not a line side tap), then you will have the best of both worlds.

Now, what about an outside DC disconnect for the panels?

[Bikerscum]

The AC disconnect is the standard type Square D that you can flip the lever down & padlock it. You can also padlock the cover closed. There is a 30a breaker in the main panel also.

The DC disconnect is on the inverter itself, none on the outside wall. There are none in the electrical drawing or single line drawing that was approved for the permit.

[thejq]

Sorry to hear about your delay. But to be honest, I've never seem a picture of the SolarEdge inverter not together with the AC disconnect. eg. their own site http://www.solaredge.us/groups/us/in...solar-inverter. Maybe your installer is not familiar with the SolarEdge products? Anyway good luck with re-inspection.

[inetdog]

FWIW, the most relevant section of the 2011 NEC is 690.14(C)(1):

(1) Location. The photovoltaic disconnecting means shall be installed at a readily accessible location either on the outside of a building or structure or inside nearest the point of entrance of the system conductors.

Nuff said....

[foo1bar]

I guess that he wants to see the disconnect "in sight" from the inverter, and for someone who is going to be working on the inverter, that has some merit.
Usually the NEC will accept remote disconnects if they are lockable in the OFF position.
Possibly that would satisfy the inspector if it was not obviously lockable when he saw it.
Unfortunately POCO and/or the FD may later insist on a disconnect on the outside too.

If there is a breaker in the outside panel that can also disconnect the AC feed to the GTI (i.e. not a line side tap), then you will have the best of both worlds.

Now, what about an outside DC disconnect for the panels?

I would think that the built-in safety switch on the Solaredge inverter would be sufficient for an AC disconnect that's in sight from the inverter.

"Location. The photovoltaic disconnecting means shall be installed at a readily accessible location either on the outside of a building or structure or inside nearest the point of entrance of the system conductors."
To clarify for others - this section of code is about the DC disconnect.
If the DC wires are inside metal conduit while inside the house then I think his DC disconnect meets the code requirement. (at least my understanding is the disconnect is built into the inverter for Solaredge inverters and that counts for a DC disconnect for this. And that there is an exception that allows the DC wires to have the disconnect be away from where it enters the structure if they're inside conduit (comply with 690.31(G)).)

[silversaver]

The city inspector came today. Had a couple of quibbles about labels and one strange one, at least to me. The main panel is on the outside garage wall, the inverter is in the garage just to the side of it. The AC disconnect box is outside next to the main. He wouldn't approve it... said the inverter's in the garage, the AC disconnect has to be inside the garage.

Sure seems to me the firemen would like to have the disconnect on the outside. The installer said he has never heard of having it inside. I believe him.

He told me arguing with the inspector is futile. I believe him there too.

Soooo... I wait some more.

That is so strange.... I do see installation in SD area that has AC disconnect in the garage. I guess every cities are different. My city required both AC and DC disconnect outside of house.

I know the PCV pipe were big since I have 100A breaker to sub panel using 4 gauge wires..... Here are photos of inside out.

[inetdog]

To clarify for others - this section of code is about the DC disconnect.
If the DC wires are inside metal conduit while inside the house then I think his DC disconnect meets the code requirement. (at least my understanding is the disconnect is built into the inverter for Solaredge inverters and that counts for a DC disconnect for this. And that there is an exception that allows the DC wires to have the disconnect be away from where it enters the structure if they're inside conduit (comply with 690.31(G)).)

True. The inverter output circuit would be covered primarily by section 705. The only relevant general location provision is in 705.22, namely

(1) Located where readily accessible

There is a requirement for an AC disconnect to be located within sight of the inverter in 705.70

(2) An alternating-current disconnecting means shall be mounted within sight of or in the inverter.

But if you look at the entire section, you see that .70 applies only when the inverter itself is "...Mounted in Not-Readily-Accessible Locations. Utility-interactive inverters shall be permitted to be mounted on roofs or other exterior areas that are not readily accessible." Not exactly applicable to the inside of a garage.

[SunEagle]

True. The inverter output circuit would be covered primarily by section 705. The only relevant general location provision is in 705.22, namely

There is a requirement for an AC disconnect to be located within sight of the inverter in 705.70 But if you look at the entire section, you see that .70 applies only when the inverter itself is "...Mounted in Not-Readily-Accessible Locations. Utility-interactive inverters shall be permitted to be mounted on roofs or other exterior areas that are not readily accessible." Not exactly applicable to the inside of a garage.

Seems like the install followed the code but the local inspector doesn't agree.

It comes back to the 1st and 2nd rule of inspectors.

1. They are always right. 2. Even if they are wrong refer to rule 1.