Termination of all circuit conductors in the same panel

[Inspector Daryl]

I have solar installers that are installing new sub-panels and moving breakers from the main panel to the sub-panel and when they transfer the conductors they are not transferring the grounding conductor with the non-grounded and grounded conductors to the new sub-panel.
I told them that they needed to transfer all the conductors including the grounding conductor for each circuit and identify all the conductors in that circuit with an approved method zip ties or tape.
The installers are asking for a code section and I can't seem to find one. Can you please help.

Thank you

Daryl

 

[Little Bill]

If by "grounding" conductor you mean EGC, then I don't think those have to be moved since there should be an EGC ran with the feeder to the subpanel. The EGC, under normal circumstances, doesn't carry current and the feeder EGC should take care of any fault.

 

[Dennis Alwon]

I am with Bill. As long as there is an equipment grounding conductor as large as the largest grounding conductors being moved then there is no issue. If there is metallic pipe between the panel then the pipe is the equipment grounding conductor.

 

[suemarkp]

Maybe I"m not following exactly what is moving, and I don't know much about solar installs, but would 300.20(A) apply? Assuming the subpanel is ferrous and that the feeder EGC is taking a different path than the solar circuits. I agree that if everything is in one raceway, one EGC is enough as long as it is sized per the largest overcurrent device supplying all of those circuits.

 

[Little Bill]

Maybe I"m not following exactly what is moving, and I don't know much about solar installs, but would 300.20(A) apply? Assuming the subpanel is ferrous and that the feeder EGC is taking a different path than the solar circuits. I agree that if everything is in one raceway, one EGC is enough as long as it is sized per the largest overcurrent device supplying all of those circuits.

What happens is just like putting in a panel for a generator. You take the circuits off the breakers in the panel they are coming from. Then you splice on to them and run a new conductor over to the new panel and land them on the breakers. (either move the breakers or install new) You do the same for the grounded conductor. The EGC is ran with the feeder, which would be a 4-wire feed to the new panel. The individual EGCs are left in the existing panel and the feeder EGC is the fault path.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

If the EGC is not in the same raceway as the relocated ungrounded and grounded conductors, you violate 300.3(B).