Who knew grounding was going to be so much work? Great job Andy, and thanks for taking us along even when the job is not so much fun.
@jameshancock
2 жыл бұрын
Hey Andy, those ladders go the other way around so that you’re not relying on the joint to support you. Especially when you’re carrying stuff. Safety Sally was melting down seeing that.
@OffGridGarageAustralia
2 жыл бұрын
No word about the shoes....
@absoute04
2 жыл бұрын
The silicone was a good idea but Air is in there already. For sure you should have used the die electric or what you have there would stop the corrosion of the metel contact. The problem is the two dissimilar metals that will corrode very quickly just by touching each other. In USA many fires were caused by Aluminum housing wire before they figured it out. Aluminum is not used in house wiring here in most places now. This is called Galvanic Corrosion for your reference , I really injoy your videos. Have learned Much. Thankyou! Kim
@OffGridGarageAustralia
2 жыл бұрын
Thanks Kim.
@randypeterson4055
2 жыл бұрын
I worked at a public utility power plant. We grounded every piece of equipment back to grounding Grid Stations. We uses MEDIUM HARD DRAWN COPPER bare (no insulation) stranded wire. It's available in 6 AWG I believe. Mechanically held up better than soft drawn copper (most copper wire is soft drawn). It was installed out in the elements and indoors, in wet locations and dry locations and near the sea (salt water). It worked well. Just a thought that would work for me when grounding a solar panel stand and panel structure.
@energiasolarparatodos128
Жыл бұрын
oops my friend, how are you, I've been watching your videos about inverters for a while and I saw that you demonstrate that you have knowledge, a question I saw that many people in the United States talk about grounding the battery bank, grounding the negative of the battery, what do you think of this grounding? Is it safe for batteries? Sorry if the English is not good because I'm not from your country,
@UKsystems
17 күн бұрын
@@energiasolarparatodos128 all it does is mean you can get a shock easier as things are reference to ground so it means you can get a shot from the wires rather than it being isolated
@energiasolarparatodos128
16 күн бұрын
@@UKsystems Hello my friend, sorry for my English because I'm Brazilian and I'm using a translator, so my question was about grounding the negative battery terminal, I see many off-grid solar systems using this grounding, here in Brazil many people don't know about this grounding practice, so I had doubts about grounding,
@UKsystems
16 күн бұрын
@@energiasolarparatodos128 the battery terminal is generally extremely unnecessary
@energiasolarparatodos128
16 күн бұрын
@@UKsystems So you've probably noticed that some off-grid inverters give a slight shock to the DC input!
@SkypowerwithKarl
2 жыл бұрын
ANDY! DON’T use common silicone on the wires or electrical boxes. If the silicone smells like vinegar, it’s the wrong type of silicone to use on electrical. If moisture does manage to get in there, it can eat the copper alive. Raytheon ruined many component years ago from this. When I was a kid, I had an RC boat and I wanted to seal the electrical. It turned into a corroded mess. I sealed a box with electrical in a off road vehicle. It turned into a corroded mess. My son sealed wire on a boat trailer lamp. It turned into a corroded mess. On boats I’ve ran into others that have done it too. I HATE silicone. Common silicone out gasses acetic acid as a curing agent for months. With a small amount of moisture entrapped it will attack aluminum, copper, zinc, tin and lead. Even after the fumes have dissipated, the created void and the corroded surfaces are a catalyst for exponential damage. There are silicones that are electrical safe and silicone lubricant/greases are safe. God I hope you didn’t use the wrong stuff.
@andrewradford3953
2 жыл бұрын
Bloody good point. I've used a solvent based silicone in the past which could be suitable.
@SkypowerwithKarl
2 жыл бұрын
@@andrewradford3953 This is such prevalent problem that most of have fallen into that it should be listed as a warning on silicone. Just want to do the right thing and would have been better off doing nothing 😡
@OffGridGarageAustralia
2 жыл бұрын
It's vinegar and acid free silicon.
@SkypowerwithKarl
2 жыл бұрын
@@OffGridGarageAustralia Fantastic! Hopefully this post will save more from what I and many others had happen before we stumble into the light.🥴
@raydoescoolstuff1135
2 жыл бұрын
@@OffGridGarageAustralia Hi Andy, silicone can easily pass water vapor and the corrosion can happen under silicone. That is why you often find black spots of mold under silicone in bathroom shower glass installations after a few years. It is also why insulated glazing units are structurally joined by silicone but vapor sealed with an additional layer of butyl or polyurethane.
@4nrgy
2 жыл бұрын
it is sooo funny when you have everything well conductive(whole structure is metal!) and you draw cables in isolating tubes to it! luv it. that's prove why intelligence is so important.
@aday1637
2 жыл бұрын
You got more conductivity in that metal building than a hundred wires. But if you insist. A much better solution is to bolt cable using cable lugs to each panel individually, then to ground. Use some penetrox at each lug connection to avoid oxidation. This will provide much better protection for the panels, themselves rather than just grounding the mounting rails. If I can find a better way than what the 'code' calls for, I always go in that direction. It's my money and my life, not some inspector's. This also furnishes ground to the rails (but who cars as the rails aren't going to stop working if there's a surge:)). Also, your building is metal and is also a ground, especially if the supports extend into the ground. And if not you can ground the entire building with some ground rods. I've seen so many things in the code that make no sense over the years. I ran a large mechanical contracting business for over 40 years, am retired now and enjoy watching your videos. Thanks.
@OffGridGarageAustralia
2 жыл бұрын
It's in the next video 😉
@randypeterson4055
2 жыл бұрын
Making decisions based on gut feelings may not be as safe as complying with the NEC, a safety code for you and anyone who comes along and touches your electrical system after you build it. Are you familiar with electro-magnetic fields created around every lightning strike, the voltage gradient in the earth as you move away from a strike, and arc flashes that do happen between metal objects near a lightning strike that are not bonded to one another. You might just want to watch some Mike Holt's electrical safety and grounding presentations before you take short cuts with electrical safety and grounding. Many of the old electrical facts have been proven wrong, he makes the case for the real electrical facts as related to safety and grounding.
@whatilearnttoday5295
2 жыл бұрын
> Also, your building is metal and is also a ground, especially if the supports extend into the ground. And if not you can ground the entire building with some ground rods Think the idea might be to not make the entire building live in case of a fault. ;D > I ran a large mechanical contracting business for over 40 years How many years were you a fish monger?
@paulcurtis5496
2 жыл бұрын
I remember the days when I would be in the top 25 "Thumbs Up", your channel has exploded!
@OffGridGarageAustralia
2 жыл бұрын
Thanks Paul, you have to hurry up now. People are sucking in these videos like a dry sponge.
@paulcurtis5496
2 жыл бұрын
@@OffGridGarageAustralia I’m trying to figure out the best way to ground Taj-Ma-Haul…
@todddunn945
2 жыл бұрын
Interesting. I used an Iron Ridge rack mount where the clamps that hold the panels to the rack provide the ground connections between the panels and the rack rails. So each pair of rails has only one grounding lug. We are required to use at least #6 (16 square millimeters) solid wire (not stranded) for the ground. I used manufactured supplied splices to make up longer rails so didn't have to put in bridge wires.
@OffGridGarageAustralia
2 жыл бұрын
Yeah, different countries have different rules. If your clamps holding down the panels have spikes, it will work as well. Normal flat clamps will not have contact tot he actual aluminium frame of the panels. None of my panels had any contact to ground without the washers.
@flyingjeff1984
4 ай бұрын
Finally! A proper demonstration.
@excillisbank2611
2 жыл бұрын
Bonsoir ANDY, hum j'attendais impatiemment que tu ouvre le sujet de la connexion à la terre ! enfin une vidéo sur le sujet. bonne continuation.
@lloydwilson9104
2 жыл бұрын
Continudity 🤣🤣🤣 made me chuckle, the class on continudity had a 100% attendance record 😉
@klassichd10
2 жыл бұрын
Thanks, great job! at 26:49 I thougt: "No, do not pull it out now. First fix a cord, to the end of the wire so that it will get easier to pull back the new wire". But you managed it anyway! Kudos
@OffGridGarageAustralia
2 жыл бұрын
Of course, I should have thought about that.
@klassichd10
2 жыл бұрын
@@OffGridGarageAustralia you managed it in record time!
@josephsteffen2378
Жыл бұрын
On automobiles they use a special "grounding" or "electrical" washers on the ground cable lug-to-chassis interface. It is a "star" washer with internal and external "teeth".
@charlieridgway6576
2 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the video Andy , just about to start to earth a small solar array on my roof. Lots of good info for doing my project.
@jimhanty8149
Жыл бұрын
When I set up my 16 panels this fall I found continuity between the 4 sides of the panels was lacking..it was apparent that the one connection per panel wasn’t going to bond all the metal frames properly ….I wound up putting 4 of those special darn fancy connectors you have per panel… one one each extrusion….each connection is swabbed and bedded with a with the N-Alox anti corrosion type stuff…( probably not needed) and one continuous 6 gauge copper wire weaves through all panels back to the electrical area… Yeow…..a real job..now each seperate panel strut is reading as in contact with all the other frames , prices and mounts. It was the only way I could get a good connection between all the pieces… alot of work too.
@noelmorgan113
11 ай бұрын
I watched another video that explained the ground earth isn't part of the DC Solar circuit. Eg. A car, for example, doesn't use an earth rod connection, obviously. A further explanation indicated that in the event of a lightning strike, the earth grounded frames become a 'magnet' to the lightning bolt. It was also pointed out that the voltaic cells are independent of the frame. So, this is a very contestable subject. So, like installing a car stereo, you would need to ground it, but, not the earth ground. I am not an electrician in anyway, but, the other video made logical sense, to me anyway.
@UKsystems
17 күн бұрын
However this is still in my country but we would call an extraneous metal part. It is a metal part that you could have a shock from if it’s somehow became energised in a DC system can be referenced to earth definitely and earth can be a part of it, but it requires special engineering and design, this is more to stop the panels accidentally becoming energised
@Ranger-sl5sq
Жыл бұрын
Nice work Andy! Just the video I was looking for as i've ordered all of this gear already for my off grid project and wasn't 100% sure on the AS standards to earth PV systems. Just a recommendation as a retired electrician - paint any orange conduit with weathershield UV paint as it's designed for underground only and doesn't have any UV stabilizers in it. It will go brittle and crack in the AU sun after a year or so otherwise
@junkerzn7312
2 жыл бұрын
I couldn't quite see the wire setup, but you can also use a single ground wire (per string) and ribbon it across all the solar panels in that string. No need to have multiple ground wires. Then put the surge suppressor device (which takes plus, minus, and also ground wires) as close to the MPPT/inverter as possible. Excellent video! People don't discuss frame grounding enough. No need to ground the rails if all the panel frames are grounded, they will get their ground from the panel frames. Though it doesn't hurt, either. There is no such thing as too much when it comes to grounding :-)
@OffGridGarageAustralia
2 жыл бұрын
It is only one wire going from rail to rail and finally attaches to the ground bar. Yes, if you ground all panels individually, you don't need to ground the rails. But with these washers, it is easier, I think. And the result is surprising. It will be in the next video.
@junkerzn7312
2 жыл бұрын
@@OffGridGarageAustralia Can't wait! I've never considered it doing it the other way around. In fact, I've never measured the resistance between panel frame and rails on any project so this is breaking new ground for me too :-) We've always drilled a small hole in the bottom of each frame and laid a completely stripped bare wire along the whole string, screwed down to each frame individually. Then brought the wire back through the conduit (leaving the green insulation on that part of it) to the MPPT.
@OffGridGarageAustralia
2 жыл бұрын
@@junkerzn7312 That is a lot of work grounding every single panel, wow. Each panel has got it's dedicated ground hole already with the symbol next to it. However this does not give you any connection to the actual frame and you still need to use star washers. I was surprised when I found out none of my panels had any connection to ground at all! I have never used these washers before and due to the anodised aluminium, there is not electrical connection. I was really expecting that some of the clamps had pierced though it but I measured the whole west roof and all panels were completely isolated.
@felixmotanul5242
Жыл бұрын
Wrong. The panels do not tie to the ground. Ground only the structure for the panels. Some inverter manufacturers specify this in their user manual.
@LITTLEEXPERIMENTCHANNEL1
2 жыл бұрын
The problem being an engineer is we are a doomed race, if the limits of accuracy is up for question there will be another engineer who doubts the first engineers decision on the best thing to do to make it right. It ends up being a loop of the correct action to take to solve it. In the end, the job is done so well that the pyramids of Egypt are reduced to dust before the work on them panels returned to nature.
@OffGridGarageAustralia
2 жыл бұрын
I love this one! Great comment.
@SamMiller-x4f
Ай бұрын
Yes. 75% of these codes are bureaucrats that work with electrical equipment manufacturers. #1 Rule Of The Universe : There Isn't Anything That The Government Can't FuCck Up!
@wideawaketotruth5301
2 жыл бұрын
👍BAMBIE👍 THANKS ANDY!!!
@Sylvan_dB
2 жыл бұрын
You can test your rail joint. Install an earth lug on each side. Do not wire together. Measure resistance between the two earth logs. This is only a partial test. The real test happens after months and years in the elements. Will your joint retain conductivity as well as the manufacturers joint? Edit: I suspect your joint is as good or better, and I'd only do a single earth lug on that joined rail.
@OffGridGarageAustralia
2 жыл бұрын
I will do the test in the next video.
@tullgutten
8 ай бұрын
I've never seen it written somewhere but for grounding aluminium mounting frame you should go all aluminium and stainless, no copper mixing before the very last part. Every aluminium part should be linked with aluminium cable and mounting with stainless screw, and a aluminium to copper crimp ferrule with anti oxidation grease in it when transitioning to copper. Mixing in copper cable outside is asking for corrosion problems. Yes professionals use copper but i don't think most think about the galvanic corrosion.
@puntabachata
4 ай бұрын
Sorry. Stainless steel is reactive with aluminum and will corrode it. This is because they are dissimilar metals.
@wayne8113
2 жыл бұрын
Thanks Andy
@IXISSV
2 жыл бұрын
If your next episode has a "nudity test", think I'll skip that one! 😂🤣😂 25C in Aus, 40C here in the UK today 🥵 you can have your heat back soon 👍👍 Great vid as always 👍🍻🍻
@OffGridGarageAustralia
2 жыл бұрын
Thank you, stay safe and cool over there!
@ericanderson9004
Жыл бұрын
Anodize is a conversion coating which builds a oxidation layer to (help) prevent corrosion. Does not make aluminum stronger.
@OffGridGarageAustralia
Жыл бұрын
Thank you!
@One.--
2 жыл бұрын
Very nice system I'm sorry to see all that shading from the trees
@OffGridGarageAustralia
2 жыл бұрын
Shading makes this whole setup interesting.
@lloydprunier4415
2 жыл бұрын
Back in 92' I worked for a industrial service company and we built and installed ignition systems on industrial natural gas engines. The tech that designed the systems and taught me how to do the building of the wiring headers and stainless shielded ignition leads. He insisted that all the weatherproof connectors be filled with silicone. After working there for 3 years and getting to rebuild some old systems it became obvious that the acid in the silicone actually caused corrosion. I think dielectric grease would be better!
@OffGridGarageAustralia
2 жыл бұрын
This silicon is acid free 😉 It does not have this typical vinegar smell.
@davidrknowles9792
2 жыл бұрын
I just use rail flipped over and tapped as my rail joins, the profile works perfectly flipped.
@edwinrb97
2 жыл бұрын
Saludos desde Puerto Rico
@john_in_phoenix
2 жыл бұрын
Lucky you, our high today (and for the past two weeks) is about 43 to 44° Celsius. During February we may have days that only get to 25°, but very, very few cloudy days. My roof is two stories, and I am over 60, so I hire people. If I was 10 years younger I would probably attempt it myself, but I am not, so I won't. It's "monsoon season", which means about dusk we might get some clouds build up, and a trace of rain. The mountains surrounding us get lots of rain this time of year, but relatively little here. We average around 175 millimeters a year of rain. FYI, this connection is what noalox or Ox-Gard is for, the copper to aluminum galvanic corrosion is a common problem. I think you tried carbon grease, same thing just more expensive and not as well tested (just because it hasn't existed as long). The objective is to not let oxygen in, supposedly the zinc is a sacrificial ingredient to corrode first (I have my doubts). If the silicone has a vinegar smell, you may have just encouraged corrosion (but I don't really know).
@OffGridGarageAustralia
2 жыл бұрын
Thanks John, the silicon does not have this smell, no. I hate this smell and would never have bought it 😉
@steveoswald63
2 жыл бұрын
THANK YOU! I was wondering what those parts (earthing washers) were for. Much thanks!
@JohnBaker3000
Жыл бұрын
Nice! Good tutorial for us all! Thank you!
@ratnadeepdhar4816
2 ай бұрын
Very nice watching Sir. Regards Ratnadeep India 🙏
@grumpyjohntxredneckrc6346
2 жыл бұрын
Just Use Di-Electric Paste On All Copper To Aluminum Connections For Corrosion! Plus ALWAYS Pull Construction String Back With Your Old Wire To Help Pull New In!😁😎
@OffGridGarageAustralia
2 жыл бұрын
I don't have any copper to aluminium connections. The earth lugs are all Nickel-plated aluminium.
@silviuguseila2552
2 жыл бұрын
@@OffGridGarageAustralia You do say "Copper Alluminium connection" around 12:40
@andrewradford3953
2 жыл бұрын
I have a bucket of earth lugs with those nuts that don't fit any rail I have. If you or a friend are heading up this way you can have them, if you need more in the future. Just buy nuts for use with different rail. Use a cheap wire stripper tool that spreads the cable insulation in situ. You can easily bare 15mm for every earth clamp. There is a problem with cold gal paint. It provides some galvanic protection, but it still allows oxygen through to cause oxidisation. We just used grey enamel spray paint. Silicone is a better solution. Love those conduit clamps. Don't trust cheap flexible conduit in the sun. In summer the rain can come from Cicadas..
@andrewradford3953
2 жыл бұрын
Somebody pointed out that the acetic acid in the silicone causes corrosion. There are non acid silicones. I think this might be a can o worms. I live near a busy small airport, it's annoying at times. And I think the trainee pilots are told to fly to the farm with the solar arrays then go back.
@OffGridGarageAustralia
2 жыл бұрын
Thanks Andrew, for now I have all the clamps I need for my setup, just need more of these washers. The silicon has no acid in it afaik.
@SoundzAlive1
2 жыл бұрын
Hi Andy, when you pulled the earth cable out you could have attached a string to it so you could attach that string to the new earth cable and pull it through easily. Continuity for plastic coated wires and Continudity for bare wires!!! André in Sydney
@OffGridGarageAustralia
2 жыл бұрын
Absolutely! 🤦♂️
@MrMarkodonnell
2 жыл бұрын
I just went out to measure resistance to ground on my tin shed which has 16 250 watt panels I don’t have any earth leads although I do plan on putting them on. My measurements were such that the resistance between the shed and the panels was affectively zero so I guess the ground has already been made through the rack mounting to the shed. I do have an earth which is joined to my 240v grid supply which joins to The earthing rod next to my meter box.
@OffGridGarageAustralia
2 жыл бұрын
Yeah, usually any building structure cannot be used as grounding. It may help with overall resistance but the panels always need to have their own dedicated ground wire. If you get rust on your roof for example, the connection will get really bad.
@davef.2811
2 жыл бұрын
@ 23:25, there's a whole other shed/garage to work on in future videos, no? Looking forward to that! Beautiful, efficient work you do there!
@OffGridGarageAustralia
2 жыл бұрын
Yes, absolutely, We have a bit of roof space to fill 😊
@JohnWilliams-junglejohnny
2 ай бұрын
I used kindorf to mount my 10 panels on and they are threw bolted at 4 points of each panel , I put 2 #6 ground wires on 2 of the end of kindorf so all panels were in contact , put 1 steel rod in ground at corner of array and ran grounds to that , then from that ground followed pv wires Bach to inverter and put to inverter ground .i was told that is correct way to run grounds for panels by commercial installer
@josephsteffen2378
2 жыл бұрын
"Continuity" tester...haha. In USA they are referred to as "Mega-Ohm-Meters". Basically a ultra low ohm scale meter. Very important for low voltage and/or high current circuits. Low voltages need super clean contacts, terminations, and fat conductors. High current circuits require adequate wire guage and good terminations as well. Remember: I^2R=P... Gota have a low resistance path. Excellent installation...first class. Those square grounding "washers" are too cute! Drip loops are important in exterior wiring, just saying. Would be interesting to see how that zinc stuff performs...
@OffGridGarageAustralia
2 жыл бұрын
Yeah, different names for that same tester. And it is continudity tester, btw 😊
@DavidHalko
2 жыл бұрын
In the US, I used to sell “continuity testers”, not sure when the name changed.
@evil17
2 жыл бұрын
@@DavidHalko That’s Andy’s humour, we also call them a Mega Tester, all the same.unit, different name for different folks.
@silviuguseila2552
2 жыл бұрын
don't you mean micro-ohm-meter? not mega?
@josephsteffen2378
Жыл бұрын
@@DavidHalko I may have conflate some words: the tester we used to measure the resistance to the ground plane was called a "megger" not "Mega-Ohm-Meter". There was another word or trade name of a meter used for the same purpose. Memory is getting rusty....1986....USARMY Communications Electronics Installation Bn. We built comm-centers, satcom terminals....
@Dutch_off_grid_homesteading
10 ай бұрын
Heya, earthing your solar panels is a must for safety. that said I have to do it myself too still
@chuxxsss
2 жыл бұрын
You have a good week Andy.
@Mr.PLomax
7 ай бұрын
well done, i have learned something today.
@Clou82
2 жыл бұрын
Grüße aus Berlin/Brandenburg und mach weiter so
@OffGridGarageAustralia
2 жыл бұрын
Danke Dir!
@loucinci3922
2 жыл бұрын
Shockingly good details.thanks for sharing
@OffGridGarageAustralia
2 жыл бұрын
No problem 👍🤭
@SuperBrainAK
2 жыл бұрын
looking good!!
@jasondevine6014
2 жыл бұрын
Wow I learnt something today. 4 panel earthing washers per panel?? I have only been using 1!
@OffGridGarageAustralia
2 жыл бұрын
That's our rules down here, check with your local regulations. I found sometimes the frame corners don't make good contact with each other so this might be the reason they want now 4 washers.
@ozzybloke4830
2 жыл бұрын
Same we were just using the one per panel. Pretty sure your supposed to be a qualified electrician to do any work on voltages over a certain amount which I think they may have just lowered ( not sure of the actual voltages). The crimps do come with the clenergy earth clamps but we didn't use the either but we were doubling the wire up and twisting which fit the lug better ( 6mm was tight) with CRC zinc it spray to protect.
@monti409
2 жыл бұрын
I recently had solar panels installed on our ( 4 inch) concrete roof, I noticed by your video your grounding each panel, yet as I had observed when installing my panels the installer only grounded the frame. Thank you.
@OffGridGarageAustralia
2 жыл бұрын
I have grounded only the rail, but used these ground washers to poke through the anodized layer on the aluminium frames of the panels and rails. It depends on your local rules and regulations.
@monti409
2 жыл бұрын
Ok, thanks , I may install this on my panels away as a safety precaution. Thanks again.
@russkubes
2 жыл бұрын
I will forever call it Continudity here forward.
@OffGridGarageAustralia
2 жыл бұрын
Is that still wrong 😂 It's a hard word for me...
@roadeycarl
2 жыл бұрын
Nice work! I hope you have used natural curing silicone?! The acid cure silicone actually causes corrosion so we don't normally use it to seal any type or electrical connections.
@OffGridGarageAustralia
2 жыл бұрын
No acid or vinegar in this one...
@robertarends303
2 жыл бұрын
I've seen/done that, and some time later I had need to remove the silcone and re-do the join - it was all green and corroded. I did shake my head when I saw you put silicone on copper. Good news that it can be done - with the correct silicone. I've never realised there were different curing silicones. What was the product you used Andy?
@Lordbyrongillespie
2 жыл бұрын
Acid cure silicone is not common here in oz you would only find it as a specialised product for glass etc and would be 3-4 times rhe price of General purpose, builders, or roof n gutter silicone
@gruetoo1
2 жыл бұрын
Great video. On the manufacturers splice are you discounting the sheer mass of the splice? I am not discounting your bar in between, but for a lighting strike the larger the volume of the metal should allow for more energy flow thru. I really dont think it will matter either way. Both should accomplish the same job. I also believe in overkill, the silicon should work fine. My brain says to do both. Put zinc on bare wire and fitting then seal the zinc in place with silicon. That is how I have seen it on floating grounds on airplanes.
@OffGridGarageAustralia
2 жыл бұрын
Thank you. OK, so this grounding is not for lightning protection. It is for pure electrical safety to bring all metal objects tot eh same zero level as the person is standing on the roof. Yeah, the cable corrosion protection is a bit spongy in the regulations. Whatever works, I guess...
@pulith5220
2 жыл бұрын
Andy u should have taped the old earth cable and the new one together and pulled it out from the bottom it would have made it easier.
@OffGridGarageAustralia
2 жыл бұрын
That would have not worked as I started at the top of the roof. I should have started from the earth bar and work my way up, shouldn't I?
@pulith5220
2 жыл бұрын
@@OffGridGarageAustralia it would work. You just over lap the old earth wire with the new one and use electrical tape and make a strong joint and then pull the wire from the bottom. Dont make the tape joint too fat else you might not have enough room to squeeze through. Just tape it at about two place should be fine. Also since next time your doing it there would be one wire less it would easily come through.
@monsieurd.6890
2 жыл бұрын
Before screwing I do not remove the plastic around the earth cable, the bolt seems to remove it enough to make contact. In fact in manuals I do not see they ask us to remove the plastic. For beter reliability I screw, unscrew then screw again.
@OffGridGarageAustralia
2 жыл бұрын
But then only the screw would have good contact with the wire, while the wire is still insulated from the actual earth lug. If this is in your regulation 🤷♂️ I would say that's dodgy and not good practice from an electrical perspective.
@monsieurd.6890
2 жыл бұрын
@@OffGridGarageAustralia but the wire is screwed into the device. In fact there is no need for a massive contact (as show the 4 very little "pins" that make contact under the panels). If the silicon resists to the elements, your solution is the best. But perhaps it makes no difference. Perhaps.
@FutureSystem738
2 жыл бұрын
Thanks Andy. 👍 Cheers. My grid connect system all went up on the roof in 2010. It’s not grounded. I don’t really lose any sleep over it. I honestly suspect the reg is there to stop potential electrocution, and don’t believe it would help much with a lightning strike. There is just too much energy in lightning. Does anyone have evidence on this? A lot of the regs are bloody stupid anyway, like those damned roof top isolators which were required here in Australia from about 2012? to 2021, that have caused a massive number of roof top fires. I believe that requirement has gone at long last.
@OffGridGarageAustralia
2 жыл бұрын
It is more important when you have a grid connected system as the inverter could potentially be faulty and you have full 230V on the panel frames.
@HG-Pilot
2 жыл бұрын
I could be wrong but the more you ground it the more it attracts the lightning. Your shed is grounded since it is metal so I would measure the quality of ground as it is first...
@OffGridGarageAustralia
2 жыл бұрын
@@HG-Pilot You will see this in the next video. The garage is all metal and grounded but NONE of the solar panels were before I used these washers. And a building or structure is not a ground point. You always need a dedicated earth wire for your equipment. I'm pretty sure this is the same code and rule everywhere in the world.
@A2an
2 жыл бұрын
@@OffGridGarageAustralia This is a strange rule. I have four strings of solar panels in all 4 × 500 V Imagine the plus at the beginning of the string gets connected to earth. Now you are on the roof to measure, of course you start from the minus side of the faulty string, Murphy is it play 😉 Now you place your finger on the minus side and of course it's sunny. Now you have 500 V traveling through you. I am quite sure if the MPPT tracker gets faulty and starts conducting power to the solar array it will blow a fuse and if there is no fuse it will burn a PCB track without no doubt. I love your videos please keep them coming 👍 By the way I'm not losing any sleep either, over not grounding my solar panels 😊
@retrozmachine1189
2 жыл бұрын
You are right. It is more about electrocution than lighting. The typical grid tied domestic system has no isolation between the PV and mains/grid. This presents two hazards. A fault in the transistors etc in the inverter permitting mains AC to appear on the solar array / PV wiring; loss of isolation in the array itself permitting HV DC to appear on the solar array mounting hardware. Getting yourself across the array hardware and metal roof could result in electrocution. Simply leaning a metal ladder on the eaves troughs (guttering) could also result in death. It's a fairly complex question because there can be things like the metal roof being tied to neutral via the mains entry point, say a riser pole support structs or fascia hook, being tied to neutral by the electricity authority / network and in turn any metal roof that touches the same. The minimum wire thickness specified along with a typical domestic earth stake is absolutely hopeless had handling a direct (that is any part of, not just the main channel) lighting strike. It could handle currents induced in wiring from nearby lightning. Remember that a typical solar panel is rated for use at 1000V (equiv to the USA's 600V rating). The breakdown voltage is far higher for a panel in good stead.
@BobHannent
2 жыл бұрын
I agree about that BS in the regulation, perhaps to appease those who might like to live by the book, you should post an image or a YT Short using your battery internal resistance measure to check the resistance across your bridge and the manufacturer bridge?
@OffGridGarageAustralia
2 жыл бұрын
Next video, my friend, next video... I didn't want to make this one 90min long 😉
@nortonis3565
12 күн бұрын
Great video as always. I use 2x200W Perc-Halfcut panels on my boat, as we know, there is not much ground in an small boat. Some make them with a plate under the boat etc, some ground in the engine , that again goas out to the shaft and propeller etc. Do i have to ground my panels onboard a boat ?
@marcobrian1619
2 жыл бұрын
In stead of silicon, use liquid insolation paint, like heat shrink.
@gertvanwerven6355
2 жыл бұрын
Why would you use earthing at all. In the Netherlands there is no code or regulation that says you need to earth the panels. I myself can't really think of a reason why this would help (against what?) it will only increase cost.
@OffGridGarageAustralia
2 жыл бұрын
Potential difference can kill. But yeah, other countries, different regulations. Or none at all. 🤷♂️
@UKsystems
17 күн бұрын
A DC system generally does not have our thing, but if there is an inverter fault or something and the gets reference to earth there’s a potential for the panels to become live however some countries do not require the earthing because if you’re going up on the roof, the array should be isolated
@foeke8740
5 ай бұрын
If you connect copper to aluminum, the aluminium will oxidate before your Copper. That's why you clamp a Zink or Aluminum block to iron things like boats and docks at sea. So I would only worry about the oxidation of the aluminium.
@DaveyGage
9 ай бұрын
Silicon may help prevent external corrosion, but *galvanic* corrosion is where you have two different metals making contact in the presence of an electrical potential - like in your situation... i assume the recommended treatment stops that
@sebastianfreund
2 жыл бұрын
13:51 „bombenfest“ 😂👍 no other word describes it better
@Kanuka-Forest
Ай бұрын
There are a lot of questions around grounding solar panels. Many people say it's for lighting protection, which is wrong. Firstly lightning is always looking for ground, if you ground your panels you are actually making it more attractive to lighting. Also if lighting does strike your panels 6mm² cable is not going to safely and effectively carry all of that power away, it isn't. Proper lightning protection is actually heavy guage conductors standing above the structure to be protected and going straight to ground with thick copper straps or cable. Solar panel fault is the second reason, but the busbars and elecrical contacts in panels are nowhere near connected to the aluminum frames of the panels so no contact will be made there. Faulty worn cabling touching the rails is maybe a reason, but cable sucured properly shouldn't go this way. I know it's code compliance, but can anyone tell me a real reason to do this because i don't know.
@UKsystems
17 күн бұрын
Actually it provides no benefit if the DC system is not reference to the Earth as it will just mean that when conducts touches the earth metal it references the system to earth you can very much mean you touch the negative and get her shock the reason why it is asked is generally in case of inverter failure or stuff like that when the DC system gets reference to earth unintentionally if it’s learnt touching a metal park you can’t get a shock
@SEANRMZ
Жыл бұрын
Another great video, the reason your ground is not considered legal cuz the manufacture said its not to sell us there expensive cheep brackets hihi…
@Mike-01234
10 ай бұрын
I would use bare copper solid wire for the ground.
@OffGridGarageAustralia
10 ай бұрын
You must be in the US. The rest of the world is using yellow/green isolated wire for ground/earth connections.
@Mike-01234
10 ай бұрын
@@OffGridGarageAustraliaYes US were still using bare copper for ground.
@billyoung2458
Жыл бұрын
Andy, you should not ground solar panels on a roof unless you are found so for an electrical strike. When you ground the panels you reduce the number of catastrophic failures from 2 to 1, so you actually make the system less safe. Regards, Bill
@MitKnukkelsen
2 жыл бұрын
In my boat i use "White Vaseline -acid free" on all connections.
@BeastMovies
2 жыл бұрын
Gal spray and not paint pot. Squirt. Squirt and all done. Also, had 4 panels laying up against fence for 5+ years, never earthed. Always moving them in to the sun. Should create a load dump as the panels get noisy when the inverters stop charging in the summer or sunny day.
@AndyDarwin_Kh
2 ай бұрын
I have 2 PV system on my house..one is On grid system Using Jinko 610wp Panels x 12 pcs. it didnt give any electric static when I touch them during operation. the other one Hybrid Offgrid system using Longi 555wp x 18 pcs. and it keep giving small electric static whenever we touch the frame. So the rail seems conducting as well.. should I just ground the rail just like what shown in this video ??
@glencooke494
2 жыл бұрын
Hey Andy, Great job trying to keep up with the endless regs that keep popping up, just one thing @ 7:24 not a big issue but should there not be a serrated washer under the head of the bolt to dig into the anodizing. Would be interesting to test that joint on your next update!!! I have some panels facing north at a 17 degree angle and upped it to 27 degrees with a 20% gain in production. Have you thought about angling your panels for the winter sun?
@OffGridGarageAustralia
2 жыл бұрын
Thanks Glen. There are star washers at this connection, I said this at 7:35 😁 I have located some additional space for solar winter production which does not get shaded. There are just too many projects and I need to work through them one by one...
@mechanik159
2 жыл бұрын
Just a suggestion, but have you considered using western union splices for joining two wires. Stronger and neater appearance.
@onthelake9554
2 жыл бұрын
Do a video exploring lightning protection sometime please. :>)
@OffGridGarageAustralia
2 жыл бұрын
I'm not an expert in this and have neither the knowledge nor materials, sorry. LP is not a DIY job.
@onthelake9554
2 жыл бұрын
@@OffGridGarageAustralia You started it . :>)
@evil17
2 жыл бұрын
That would be a very interesting subject. Ive always wondered how much protection one can in any form get, from a spark that can travel up to 20 kms through the air and vaporise a huge tree, to preventing a spike in a circuit.
@UKsystems
17 күн бұрын
@@onthelake9554 however he does know what he’s doing rather than trying to find out from KZitem
@thattoolguy9432
2 жыл бұрын
# bended continudity 😁
@OffGridGarageAustralia
2 жыл бұрын
We're getting there.
@tim3612
2 жыл бұрын
Winter, thought is was cold, shorts.
@OffGridGarageAustralia
2 жыл бұрын
Yeah, it seems strange. We still get the occasional 25° in Winter so shorts seem appropriate 😉
@sportsupdate1413
5 ай бұрын
Sir, Can I use16mm deformed bar as grounding rod?. Thanks!
@rodminty5735
9 ай бұрын
Thanks
@OffGridGarageAustralia
3 ай бұрын
Thank you very much for your support!
@legominimovieproductions
8 ай бұрын
Why didn't you use something like NYY-J 1x16 for the earth? its already UV protected
@slimanus8m
2 ай бұрын
What do I do when I'm in a camper with an IT system, do I just don't ground the panels? how can I put an SPD...mysteries of the universe
@UKsystems
17 күн бұрын
You really have to ask someone with experience because mostly issues now arise you can’t block in more than one class 1appliance for safety
@sang3Eta
2 жыл бұрын
Now you've created a giant lightening rod you need a lightening arrestor in your combiner box because it will have no problem jumping a fuse gap.
@UKsystems
17 күн бұрын
That should always be installed generally speaking
@sang3Eta
17 күн бұрын
@UKsystems They don't recommend grounding solar panels in the UK unless they are going up on a building that already has a lightning rod installed. I looked into it.
@UKsystems
17 күн бұрын
@@sang3Eta that’s why the surgery arrest needs installing in the UK. It gets a bit more complicated as Arthur regulations come to play as it’s count as an extraneous metal part of people can come in contact with it for instance through a window depending on how the roof works.
@kajakmannen1666
Жыл бұрын
Im living completely off-grid and concidering not to ground any of my panels. Its a small system. I only have 2,1kWp installed, 24V panels. The reason for not grounding is that Im affraid of lightning strikes damaging the entire system. If not grounded its basically a metal roof and to my knowledge we havent had a single strike on the house (high trees surrounding the building) since it was built for around 50 years ago. If I ground the panels I will basically creating a lightning rod, which is not good for the system nor my cabin. Any thoughts on this?
@rethinkscience8454
2 жыл бұрын
The real other reason for earth the panels is to discharge corona charge . Every 1 meter above the ground 100 volt charge will be induced into it, at 3 meters up it 300 volts. Due to the anodising, the aluminium is an insulator and this charge can build up to a dangerous level over a large area.
@silviuguseila2552
2 жыл бұрын
"Due to the anodising, the aluminium is an surface is an insulator" can you refrase that?
@mrpatpatman2870
2 жыл бұрын
What about earthing to a 1.5m to 2m copper rod that is dug deep into the ground or to a lightning protector in the combiner box? I worry about earthing to main bus bar in the house as sometimes you find hybrid inverter that merge/bond the neutral and the grounding together
@OffGridGarageAustralia
2 жыл бұрын
The main earth bar is connected to the earth rod outside of the garage. With the Victron inverters I can connect/disconnect the internal bonding depending on the installation requirements. I have them connected as I'm off-grid and create my own grid with M.E.N. link inside the garage.
@ronnyterjesen7541
2 жыл бұрын
Goood Morning from norway 😁 What kind of spec on the new double wire u are installing on the panels,? I am looking for a choise for solar cable,, for atleast 20/30 meters. Thanks again for cool videos 👍👍👍
@OffGridGarageAustralia
2 жыл бұрын
This is double insulated twin 4mm2 solar cable I'm using. These come in 4mm and 6mm (for longer runs or parallel connections)
@thisisalljusttomuch
2 жыл бұрын
Amazing video thank you so much. may I ask a question? I am off grid and I have seen some people say that the panels should be earthed to their own earth rod and then the system earthed to another earth rod. my panels are very close to my system. Do you think that is necessary or even correct? with so much conflicting information it is hard to know. thank you in advance.
@OffGridGarageAustralia
2 жыл бұрын
I have discussed this with my electrician, and it is not necessary. Everything should be bound to the same earth point anyway.
@daughydoc
Жыл бұрын
Andy if you could answer this, or if you want to do a video on it. Is it required to ground your battery banks? My thoughts are grounding the negative terminal and running that back to the ground rod.. any ideas on this?
@dananemo8430
Жыл бұрын
Very nice video Andy. Thinking about the PV panel frame. We should measure if all the Alu sides are inter connected. If not, 4 corner grounding is justified. But I ordered only 1 piercing metal per panel as I didn't thought about it before.. Also, there is a better putty for waterproofing connectors . One, that you can undo. For electricians. It's like a chewing gum, sticky stuff. Silicone is not good enough. Probably no silicone is better. Lugs should be better also than exposed wire. They may vibrate lose and corrode, in my humble opinion. Cheers from Pavel
@adon8672
2 жыл бұрын
Is the plastic covering of the earth cable UV resistant?
@OffGridGarageAustralia
2 жыл бұрын
The cable is not exposed to UV light. It will sit mostly in conduit except the few cm where the clamps are. This location is under the panels, away from direct UV light.
@LincolnSP150
Жыл бұрын
In my opinion the way you had done the grounding with the ring lug bolted to the aluminum rack would be more then sufficient. Spending excessive amounts on those very nice and very expensive grounding brackets, in my opinion, are totally unnecessary.
@asus12351
Жыл бұрын
Hi Andy what kind of cable are you using to connect your solar panels.
@OffGridGarageAustralia
Жыл бұрын
I use 4mm solar cables with double insulation.
@keaomakaranch
Жыл бұрын
Completely off-grid and there is no exisiting grid tied earth grounding. Not planning on grounding my panels, or inverters for that matter. I am adding and EMP Shield.
@UKsystems
17 күн бұрын
The issue here is something can accidentally be referenced to ground and it can be very very very dangerous and kill you if neutral conductor or earth that is great but if the live gets reference to ground for a fault in an underground cable let’s say a lot of other otherwise it means any metallic part you touched like his grounded is going to shock you and kill you gfci protection won’t work to protect you and a really just needs the reference of the not much
@JN-ou9ws
2 жыл бұрын
Hi, why not test each of the joints with the earth rail. You have the tools to show which is better. I agree with you
@OffGridGarageAustralia
2 жыл бұрын
It's in the next video (see, this is part I...). I didn't want to cramp it all in one 60min video... 😉
@robert4027
2 жыл бұрын
None of my solar panels are grounded ☹️
@OffGridGarageAustralia
2 жыл бұрын
Whoops!
@robert4027
2 жыл бұрын
@@OffGridGarageAustralia I'm going to get right on it . thanks for the video and valuable information
@peaps
2 жыл бұрын
Hi Mr Garage. Where are you from, - doesn't sound like an Australian accent.. ?
@hansjrgenkristensen4034
2 жыл бұрын
Not sure what the point is about the grounding between the profiles that carry the panels? The roof bracket is insulated with a surface underneath the fastener, but the screw will direct any surge from the AC side up to the profiles and down again to the grounding bus bar - but is there any point? - Grounding on the outside of the roof should surely be with the disposal of external current that can knock down roof mounts for the main purpose? Lightning will damage the building and the equipment on the roof, but is it desirable then to direct lightning into the garage?
@OffGridGarageAustralia
2 жыл бұрын
I don't want to disappoint you here but wait for the next video. A roof or building structure is not an earth point.
@hansjrgenkristensen4034
2 жыл бұрын
@@OffGridGarageAustralia Thanks for the answer, my concern was hot wire and melted insulation give a greater chance of fire in plastic-pipes and finally in the garage.
@toots3020ph
2 ай бұрын
How did you extend your L foot?
@neilborromeo
Жыл бұрын
Hi Andy, any update on the popular topic about silicone? hehe :D
@MrSkykay
2 жыл бұрын
Hi Andy, as soon as my charger reaches absobtion voltage the current drops within 5 min to 0. The absorbtion time is set to 2 hrs. Same settings as you and also the same hardware (only 32 lifePo4) Is this normal?
@OffGridGarageAustralia
2 жыл бұрын
It depends how fast/slow the battery is been charging. If you current drops quickly after hitting absorption it means your batteries are already full.
@Sylvan_dB
2 жыл бұрын
Copper oxide is conductive. Paint and silicone are not. I'd go with bare copper.
@niktak1114
2 жыл бұрын
That zinc galvanization compound "paint" is very conductive
@OffGridGarageAustralia
2 жыл бұрын
Yeah, the cold gal paint has 91% zinc so is actually conductive.
@Sylvan_dB
2 жыл бұрын
@@OffGridGarageAustralia In that case I would *DEFINITELY not use it on copper. Zinc and copper have too much electro-galvanic potential and corrode each other.
@steffen1182
2 жыл бұрын
the continudity you have to check on bare wires 🤣
@OffGridGarageAustralia
2 жыл бұрын
Hahaha, I need a different channel for this, ey? 😂
@salarhadi2988
2 жыл бұрын
Hello, you should take off the plastic from cable, usually the earth cable should be without plastic because it designed to discharge high charge voltage from lighting.
@MrRaddoslaw
2 жыл бұрын
Screw will go trough the wire insulation so stripping cable is unnesessary.
@glencooke494
2 жыл бұрын
@@MrRaddoslaw so you're one of those dodgy electricians are you?
@jankomuzykant1844
2 жыл бұрын
Grounding isn't for lightning protection, cross-section area is too small
@OffGridGarageAustralia
2 жыл бұрын
It depends on your country and rules which ground cable you have to use. Down here a 4mm earth cable would have been enough but I got the 6mm cable for the same price. In the US the cable is just bare without any insulation. Not in other countries though.
@onthelake9554
2 жыл бұрын
@@OffGridGarageAustralia Yes bare AND solid , not stranded .
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