Photovoltaic inverter mounting height

[faresos]

Hello everyone, I have seen an installation where 4 wall mounted inverters were installed in such they stack, two of them mounted above 7' (at bottom of inverter), is this a code violation?

Also, the 4 invertors feeds into a dedicated panel via 4 AC disconnect switches into 4 circuit breakers. This panels feeds into an upstream breaker in subpanel. This subpanel is fed from the main electrical switchboard. Let?s say someone wants to work on the main switchboard service and turned the main breaker off. Is there any chance the main switchboard will be hot due to the subpanel being fed from the photovoltaic panel? does the breaker in the switchboard will prevent the back feed from downstream power source?

Thanks,

 

[GoldDigger]

The design of listed grid interactive inverters for PV requires that they shut down their output when there is no connection to the grid.
So, no the inverter(s) cannot feed power to the wiring when the main breaker is open.

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

 

[jaggedben]

Hello everyone, I have seen an installation where 4 wall mounted inverters were installed in such they stack, two of them mounted above 7' (at bottom of inverter), is this a code violation?

That's not a code violation per se, but there are a couple common additional factors that could make it one.

One is that most inverters these days have an integrated disconnect switch. That switch is required to be less than two meters (6'-7") high (see 404.8) unless there is another switch that meets the requirements of 690.14(C)(1).

A second issue is that most inverters have restrictions on how much clearance is needed above them for heat dissipation. Some have specific requirements for vertical and horizontal separation from other inverters. So if the stacked inverters violate those manufacturers instructions that's a violation of 110.3(B).

 

[Garrison]

Hello everyone, I have seen an installation where 4 wall mounted inverters were installed in such they stack, two of them mounted above 7' (at bottom of inverter), is this a code violation?

690.14(D) Utility-Interactive Inverters Mounted in Not Readily-Accessible Locations clearly allows stacking inverters and lists the appropriate requirements for code compliance. If the subpanel/AC disconnect(s) you mention are at ground level then I see no issue with the installation you describe (assuming they followed manu recommendations for clearances as Jaggedben noted).

Also, Exceptions No. 2 to 404.8 allows access to switches by portable means.

I think everyone would agree that the Code allows microinverters to be installed on a roof, under a PV module. If it allows this, then surely it allows an inverter to be installed on a wall, accessible by a step ladder.

My 2 cents

 

[faresos]

Thank you all for the reply, it seems like there is no issue with the installation from what I have read.