230.71 and Solar Ready Panels

[HoosierSparky]

I am having an issue understanding the change for 230.71 (A & B) when using a solar ready panel similar to Siemens'. They were designed to meet the requirements of the 2014 and 2017 NEC. Siemens has come up with a new design to be compliant, but what is the issue with the older panels?

 

[don_resqcapt19]

Multiple service disconnects are not permitted in the same enclosure based on the rules that were added to the 2020 NEC.
The 2020 compliant panel has two separate compartments, one for each service disconnect and that makes it compliant with the 2020 code for a solar line side connection.

 

[jaggedben]

There was no issue, especially not with solar. The code making panel went overboard and decided that having more than one service disconnect in a single enclosure was unsafe. The old solar ready panels don't comply with that now. Even though the newer ones have guards for the live parts and such.

i.e. the issue has absolutely zilch to do with solar readiness.

 

[HoosierSparky]

There was no issue, especially not with solar. The code making panel went overboard and decided that having more than one service disconnect in a single enclosure was unsafe. The old solar ready panels don't comply with that now. Even though the newer ones have guards for the live parts and such.

i.e. the issue has absolutely zilch to do with solar readiness.

That's what I thought. I was made aware of this situation by an AHJ in SoCal. I think it is a bit of a reach by the CMP. Only qualified people are supposed to be sticking thier hands in panels. Let Darwin do his magic thinning the herd!