Mixing AC, DC, and com cables

[JoeNorm]

PV systems, especially battery based often have AC current, DC current, and many communication cables in close proximity. In fact, most "all in one" style battery units mix all these together without much thought about separation.

I am setting up a Solaredge system with a backup battery interface. I have a gutter where pretty much everything will route through. What are the hard and fast rules for having all this in one gutter? I think we are supposed to separate AC and DC with a barrier, right? Do people actually do this? If so , how and with what material? What about com cables? The manufacture says to use Cat6 and shows it mixed in with power cabling. Is this Ok? Do I need to get the clunky 600v rated stuff? Or is most Cat6 already rated for this?

Thanks for the input

 

[Zee]

I did that. You have three boxes: BATT, INV and BUI. Possibly MSP or SP also.
Mount them on wall L to R in that order. The DC to AC dividing partition can go underneath INV, between the DC and AC nipples to INV.
Everything to R will be AC ...........everything to L will be DC.

I just bolted in a large L-bracket left over from Enphase as a partition. Or a piece of "tin shingle" AKA roll flashing sheet metal from roof.

Comm. cable must be shielded and twisted pair. I've run it inside gutter with no prob.

 

[jaggedben]

I'd have to review the code to see if DC optimizer output circuits are subject to the same restrictions as source or output circuits energized directly from solar panels. Earlier codes didn't know about optimizer outputs, but 2017 and onward defines a few things differently for DC-to-DC converter outputs.

Also, rules for comms cables may be slightly different within enclosures and raceways.

One thing for certain, if you pull anything together in conduit, it all has to be rated for the highest voltage to ground. So for that Cat6, yes you probably do need the stuff marked 600V. Most Cat6 has no voltage marking at all.