Grouping of disconnects and PV

[Indian_Rdr]

Working on an apartment building that has a dedicated electric room where the main means of disconnect is located within this room. The PV system is tying into the bus ahead of the disconnecting means and the disconnect for the PV is located outside the electric room on the building exterior near the door to gain entry to throw the main. Lot of words but trying to be as descriptive as possible.

My question, does the PV disconnect need to located within the electric room for grouping of disconnects or does 705.11 cover this as it is located within 16' of the main disconnecting means?

 

[jaggedben]

I think the answer is that the PV disconnect does not need to be grouped with other service disconnects, but the code is also somewhat ambiguous.

230.71(B) allows two to six disconnects for each service "or for each set of service-entrance conductors permitted by 230.40 Exceptions 1, 3, 4 or 5." 230.40 Exception 5 refers to 230.82(6) which allows additional service entrance conductors for PV systems. 705.11 also refers to 230.82(6). So far so good, I believe you can have six regular service disconnect plus six disconnects for a PV system. (Mind you I've never tested out this theory on an AHJ.)

But now 230.72 comes along and says "The two to six disconnects, if permitted by 230.71, shall be grouped." Hmmm. Which two-to-six disconnects? Or in other words, it implies the service disconnects must be grouped (since that is a two to six disconnects), and the PV disconnects must be grouped (since that is also a two to six disconnects), but it doesn't say the two groups must be grouped. It doesn't say, for example, "all disconnects permitted by 230.71 must be grouped."