Photovoltaic panel grounding current

Do PV systems need equipment grounding?

Regardless of system voltage, equipment grounding is required on all PV systems. Appropriate bonding and equipment grounding limits the voltage imposed on a system by lightning, line surges and unintentional contact with higher-voltage lines.

Do solar panels need to be grounded?

Section 250 of the NEC specifically deals with grounding electrical systems, including solar panel installations. Key points from the NEC: The code requires all non-current-carrying metal parts of the solar PV system to be grounded. It specifies the minimum size of grounding conductors (more on this later).

What happens if a PV system has a ground fault?

In some cases, a ground fault will be easy to spot. High resistance generates heat, which may cause a fire and potentially extensive damage. Replace all impacted equipment and conductors. Ground faults can be a persistent issue for any PV system. They take a toll on system health and productivity.

Where should a grounded PV system conductor be grounded?

The location where grounded PV system conductors must be grounded is covered in 690.42. It states that a grounded PV array must be grounded at the ground-fault protection device—and at no other location.

Do I need a grounding electrode for a PV array?

While a separate grounding electrode system is still permitted to be installed for a PV array, per 690.47 (B), it is no longer required to be bonded to the premises grounding electrode system. In PV systems with string inverters, the equipment grounding conductor from the array terminates to the inverter’s grounding bus bar.

What are the bonding and grounding requirements for PV systems?

The specific bonding and grounding requirements for PV systems in Article 690 are in Part V. Section 690.41 covers system grounding, allowing both grounded and ungrounded PV array conductors.