Daisy chained sub panels?

[quincyg]

I'm a general contractor working on a remodel. My electrician in trying to resolve a panel tap informed me that you can't Daisy chain sub panels. He said the inspector might consider the solar panel too be the main panel which would mean the house panel is a sub and it has a sub panel. He said they may require home runs to the solar panel for each sub panel. I have never heard of this and an old post here seemed to refute this. Is there a code that says you can't run a sub from a sub to a sub. He was adamant that it was not allowed.

 

[letgomywago]

You can if the feeders and overcurrent protection are sufficient. If you couldn't do this then every large commercial building is in trouble for the various feed through panel boards. If the panel load is to large then he might be right it needs help.

 

[jaggedben]

There is no such rule and none of what you say he said makes any sense whatsoever.

With solar you need to follow the rules in Article 705 but none of your post bears any discernable resemblance to that.

 

[letgomywago]

There is no such rule and none of what you say he said makes any sense whatsoever.

Based on the other stuff I'm concerned about this peticular electrician. I know California is the wild west with licensing for us but there are competent individuals who understand this stuff there. That said from what I've seen there it's incredibly lacking in all trades.

 

[quincyg]

You can if the feeders and overcurrent protection are sufficient. If you couldn't do this then every large commercial building is in trouble for the various feed through panel boards. If the panel load is to large then he might be right it needs help.

The guy seemed pretty knowledgeable and is a veteran electrician.

It's a 100A main breaker for the house. The house main panel is 100A with a 60A feeder to one sub panel. The idea was to add another 60A subpanel to the house main panel. This led to his assertion that the house main panel might be classified as a sub panel due to the 100A solar panel next to the meter. Again all news to me. What code discusses sub panel feeders?

I do have another electrician coming out this weekend to bid it. I will ask him about this as well.

Thanks for your input. Appreciated!

 

[LarryFine]

This led to his assertion that the house main panel might be classified as a sub panel due to the 100A solar panel next to the meter.

You could feed a 30a sub-panel from a 60a sub-panel fed from a 100a sub-panel fed from a 200a sub-panel fed from a 200a main disconnect if you wanted to.

 

[quincyg]

That's what I thought. I'm fact my understanding is that you can daisy chain a 100 to another 100 to another 100 as long if the total load is suitable.

 

[jaggedben]

... This led to his assertion that the house main panel might be classified as a sub panel due to the 100A solar panel next to the meter. ...

That's nonsense.

I mean, to start with, neither 'main panel' nor 'subpanel' are actually technical code terms that actually invoke any requirements or prohibitions. So why would it matter? Second, the code only cares if it's service equipment (which may or may not be a panelboard), but the solar also can't change which is which.

The solar might complicate your business, but that'd have nothing to do with whether anything is a main or sub. Again, see article 705.

(You wouldn't believe how many experienced electricians I've heard spout total nonsense about code or electrical theory.)

 

[Fred B]

The Solar "panel board" is considered a service panel and not related to the ability to have a subpanel off the existing "house" panel. Only condition prohibited is that no other circuits other than the Solar can be added to any of the solar combiner panels. Must keep the two systems separate when considering allowed additions.

 

[quincyg]

It's not a combiner. They ran the load side of the 100A breaker on the meter box to lugs of a small panel next to the meter. The solar inverter back feeds to a 40A breaker on this panel. Another 100A breaker car carries on you the house panel feed. This panel is not bonded and was installed last year. It's just a panel.
He wants to homerun to this panel.

If everyone's assessments are true. Then my other concern may be the final straw. He asserted that the house hundred amp panel would have to be moved over a foot because it was in the corner of the room and he said I need to maintain 3 ft clearance. I told him clearance is for in front of the panel. It has to just be accessible. He said no it can't be right in the corner.
It would be very difficult to move this particular panel over a foot. None of the wires would reach.

 

[LarryFine]

He asserted that the house hundred amp panel would have to be moved over a foot because it was in the corner of the room and he said I need to maintain 3 ft clearance. I told him clearance is for in front of the panel. It has to just be accessible. He said no it can't be right in the corner.

He's absolutely wrong. It's not a 36" radius or a perimeter; it's a 36" x 30" rectangle.

You need 3' depth and 30" width, but the width need not be centered on the panel.

As long as you have 30" from the corner to the other side of the panel, you're good.

 

[quincyg]

That's what I thought. The panel is right in the corner but the wall is open for 15ft on the other side.

Ok next!

 

[jaggedben]

The Solar "panel board" is considered a service panel and not related to the ability to have a subpanel off the existing "house" panel. Only condition prohibited is that no other circuits other than the Solar can be added to any of the solar combiner panels. Must keep the two systems separate when considering allowed additions.

No, not really.

 

[quincyg]

I read through article 705. I don't see anything relevant to this situation, although I would be lying if I said I fully understood it.

 

[TwoBlocked]

Quincyyg,

Ever notice someone missing a digit almost always is missing some other body part or a nasty scar? What, like 90% of accidents happen to 10% of the workers? If this guys is so sure sure of himself on this, when he is actually dead wrong, who knows what other things he might do wrong that you have no idea of. Yes, confer with the other electrician. I think you should forget this first yahoo.

 

[quincyg]

He's absolutely wrong. It's not a 36" radius or a perimeter; it's a 36" x 30" rectangle.

You need 3' depth and 30" width, but the width need not be centered on the panel.

As long as you have 30" from the corner to the other side of the panel, you're good.