ground rods for exterior lighting poles

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cowboyjwc

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Location
Simi Valley, CA
You see a lot of engineers design them in though. I always figured that it was a eastern half of the U.S. thing where you tend to get more lightening than we do here.
 

david

Senior Member
Location
Pennsylvania
Yes design professionals specify them here as well, the murmuring starts when you ask the installer to bond the branch circuit equipment ground to the pole. He/She has already used the lug provisions at the hand hole for the grounding electrode conductor
 

480sparky

Senior Member
Location
Iowegia
Typically, they're spec'd simply because the spec is copied from one job to the next. After 1000 iterations, it becomes part of the Urban Legend Electrical Code. The engineers, architects and designers don't know WHY it's spec'd that way, they just assume it's required because they've spec'd it that way for decades.
 

gatormanrock

Member
Location
NW Florida
Okay, now here is the rub. The fixtures in question are powered by solar panels installed at each fixture. They are not fed by a normal power source. Now, the question remains: does the NEC require ground rods to be driven at and connected to these solar powered exterior lighting poles? I am not being an ass here, but wanted to eliminate the question about being fed from a normal source before letting the cat out of the bag.

thanks,

gatormanrock
 

cowboyjwc

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Simi Valley, CA
Well the solar source would require a ground rod, so in turn.....but the AC pulled from the invertor would only require the normal equipment ground.
 

iwire

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Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
So the question is not if a light pole needs a ground rod.

The question is does a solar panel, inverter and fixture mounted on a pole require a grounding electrode system?
 

don_resqcapt19

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Staff member
Location
Illinois
Occupation
retired electrician
So the question is not if a light pole needs a ground rod.

The question is does a solar panel, inverter and fixture mounted on a pole require a grounding electrode system?
It is an SDS and will require a grounding electrode system.
 

gatormanrock

Member
Location
NW Florida
It is an SDS and will require a grounding electrode system.

Okay, fine, but where in the nec does it say that the sun is an SDS? Is every fixture a service? This is a sticky situation because I am dealing with a dozen light fixtures with no ground rods installed. I have been asked if the installation is code compliant and I have to quote the code. I know the definition of an SDS, but it is questionable in this situation. These are all stand alone fixtures with no OCP because the sun is the source. Think about this really. It seems ridiculous to me to drive a rod at each fixture.
 

don_resqcapt19

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Illinois
Occupation
retired electrician
Where in the nec does it say the sun is an SDS? Is each fixture a service? I have been asked to quote the code on this situation. I know the definition of an SDS in the code. Each fixture is solar powered. I believe no god rod is required.
It is an electrical source and has no direct circuit conductor connections to another electrical source. How is it not an SDS?
Separately Derived System. An electrical source, other than a service, having no direct connection(s) to circuit conductors of any other electrical source other than those established by grounding and bonding connections.
 

david

Senior Member
Location
Pennsylvania
Where in the nec does it say the sun is an SDS? Is each fixture a service? I have been asked to quote the code on this situation. I know the definition of an SDS in the code. Each fixture is solar powered. I believe no god rod is required.

690.47 Grounding Electrode System.

I working from 2008 NEC so I am not sure what the 2011 and 2014 would require
 

eprice

Senior Member
Location
Utah
690.47 Grounding Electrode System.

I working from 2008 NEC so I am not sure what the 2011 and 2014 would require

I believe this is the best answer. I think it is a separately derived system and the rules for an SDS will get you there, but the above cited Section is specifically for a PV system.
 
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