690.16, fuse servicing and AFCI contactor combiners

[Carultch]

Regarding 690.16, for a central inverter system that is ordered with fuses in the integrated DC subcombiner, this code section requires that you have a disconnecting means on both sides of the fuse. Or another way of isolating the fuse completely from all power sources. The disconnecting means needs to be "within sight"/50 ft from the fuse.

Consider numerous AFCI contactor combiners, scattered throughout an array field, much greater than 50 ft from the inverter's fused subcombiner.

Does it meet the NEC for the AFCI/contactor power supply's disconnecting means, to suffice as the disconnecting means for the fuses on the input side?
Or is it required for the physical blade of the disconnecting means to be located within 50 ft / sight of the fuse, as opposed to just the initiation means (contactor power supply switch) of that disconnecting means (contactor)?

I'm trying to determine if a "pre-disconnect" assembly is an unnecessary component. First of all, it is one extra component to work in to the project. Second of all, in the event that it is non-load-break rated, I feel like it would be counterproductive to include one. The maintenance worker might ignore the warning label and disconnect it under load.

I proposed a design with a breaker subcombiner, and my customer is reverting to the fuses.

 

[shortcircuit2]

This may be one way to comply...

 

[Carultch]

This may be one way to comply...

Thank you for the photo, but please see what you can do to ask the question I actually asked.

 

[pv_n00b]

The code section was written with a manual disconnect in mind. It says the disconnecting means must be within 6', or line of sight with a map, and the definition of disconnecting means is; "A device, or group of devices, or other means by which the conductors of a circuit can be disconnected from their source of supply." As a bonus 690.16 says the disconnecting means has to comply with 690.17 which was rewritten for 2014 to specifically allow the use of power operated disconnects with manual overrides.

I think there is some room for interpretation so this would be up to the AHJ. It's worth asking about. Probably the default AHJ requirement will be manual switches close to the inverter.