Grouped disconnects?

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JoeNorm

Senior Member
Location
WA
Let's say there is a solar array scheduled for a large residence. Arrays to go on Main house, Guest house, and detached garage. All on the same 400amp service.

How does Rapid Shutdown get applied here? Can each structure have its own switch? Do all three switches need to be grouped? Or does all the output need to be controlled by one switch?

thanks
 

Zee

Senior Member
Location
CA
Don't know.

But, why not choose a system that has "automatic RS".
In other words, loss of AC power initiates RS.
Then whatever your main disconnect is = RS switch....for ALL arrays.
Stick a label next to it saying "RAPID SHUTDOWN SWITCH". Done.

Every resi inverter system I use works per above....what are you planning?
 

jaggedben

Senior Member
Location
Northern California
Occupation
Solar and Energy Storage Installer
Code says "where multiple systems are installed ... on a single service ..." the initiation device shall consist of not more than six switches or circuit breakers "mounted in a single enclosure, or in a group of enclosures."

To Zee's point, if you use SolarEdge or Enphase or most other microinverters, then the service disconnect will do the job for you.
 

Carultch

Senior Member
Location
Massachusetts
But, why not choose a system that has "automatic RS".
In other words, loss of AC power initiates RS.
Then whatever your main disconnect is = RS switch....for ALL arrays.
Stick a label next to it saying "RAPID SHUTDOWN SWITCH". Done.

The OP didn't bring it up storage, but it is one reason why you might need a shutoff means other than shutting off the service in general. In that case, the solar remains energized by design after the service de-energizes, and therefore would need a separate shutoff.

Also consider just how first responders will shut off the AC power of the service as a whole. It can be the service disconnect, but existing/grandfathered situations may not make that easy. The brand new requirement for outside service disconnects on dwellings makes this convenient, but an existing main service disconnect might be deep in the main house's basement. This would mean adding an outdoor initiation device of some form or another, for a system in general, to meet the intent of rapid shutdown. Utilities in my area commonly require an outside-mounted disconnect, which doubles as rapid shutdown initiation, so that is another way to fulfill the need. In concept, a first responder could pull the meter to cut the power to the property, but I wouldn't count on an AHJ approving this as a rapid shutdown initiation method.

On a system with multiple buildings, the desired points of interconnection might be scattered throughout the property, i.e. locally at each building's respective subpanel. It could be appealing to give each building its own rapid shutdown initiation device without connecting anything between buildings, had the NEC not required them to be grouped. Requiring them to be grouped could mean the need to bring the systems all the way back to the main house, rather than interconnecting locally within the building that hosts the array. One way to economize this, is to only bring a control circuit back to the grouped E-stop switches on the main house, that activate shunt-trip breakers in the detached buildings.
 
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Carultch

Senior Member
Location
Massachusetts
How does Rapid Shutdown get applied here? Can each structure have its own switch? Do all three switches need to be grouped? Or does all the output need to be controlled by one switch?

The 2020 version of the NEC specifies 1 system = 1 shutdown device. Multiple systems means up to 6 grouped devices. If you somehow had more than 6 systems, the onus would be on you to figure out how to put multiple systems on the same rapid shutdown initiation device. The important question is, how exactly do we draw the lines around what counts as "1 system"?

The way I see it, is if the three buildings' systems are electrically combined, and interconnected to the general electrical infrastructure at one point, that would count as "1 system". If they each had 3 separate interconnections, there is a case to be made to consider them 3 different systems. If you had an existing system and a new system on the same property, that also would count as 2 systems.
 
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