Relocating circuits to new sub panel

[Joelengrahm]

I was looking at a Photovoltaic installation. The circuits from Main electrical panel were relocated to a sub panel to free up bus space. They installed a gutter between the two panels. The romex conductors were spliced in the gutter, where they terminated the grounds on a busbar. then tone oversized ground wire was brought with the, now single strand thhn wires to the main panel. So now the EGC and GEC are one and the same. is this ok.

 

[Buck Parrish]

As you know they should be separte and the GEC should be continuous with exceptions, one being a bus bar connection. Since the gutter is right beside of the panel . It could be argued that it is part of the service equipment.
Do you have a pic?
I'd say it's your call. But being an inspector, you have to worry about other inspectors seeing it or an HI when the house is sold.

Here is some of AI on the subject'

No, the grounding electrode conductor (GEC) and the equipment grounding conductor (EGC) should not be combined into a single wire going to the main panel, but they can be connected together within the panel. The GEC connects the electrical system to the earth ground (ground rods, water pipe, etc.), while the EGC provides a path for fault currents back to the service panel.

Here's why they are kept separate, and how they are connected:

• Grounding Electrode Conductor (GEC):
  This wire runs from the grounding electrode (ground rods, water pipes, etc.) to the main electrical panel. It's the primary path for grounding the electrical system to the earth.
  
  
• Equipment Grounding Conductor (EGC):
  This wire runs with the circuit conductors (hot and neutral) to provide a low-impedance path for fault currents back to the service panel.
  
  
• Connection in the Panel:
  While they should be separate wires, the GEC and EGC are connected together within the main service panel. This is usually done via a grounding busbar or terminal bar.
  
  
• Purpose of Separation:
  Separating the GEC and EGC ensures that the grounding electrode system (earth ground) is not used as a primary fault current path, which could be unreliable. The EGC provides a more dependable path for fault currents.

In essence, the GEC provides the connection to the earth, and the EGC provides the path for fault currents. They are connected within the main panel to create a unified grounding system.

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[ggunn]

I was looking at a Photovoltaic installation. The circuits from Main electrical panel were relocated to a sub panel to free up bus space. They installed a gutter between the two panels. The romex conductors were spliced in the gutter, where they terminated the grounds on a busbar. then tone oversized ground wire was brought with the, now single strand thhn wires to the main panel. So now the EGC and GEC are one and the same. is this ok.

How is the subpanel fed? If it's from a breaker in the main panel the subpanel doesn't have a GEC, only an EGC.