Thank you.Ah, I misunderstood, I thought the "service for the farm buildings" supplied the barn directly, but apparently it does not.
Anyway, seems to me that 3 feeders is not a problem per 225.30(A)(5) "Parallel power production systems". Your existing feeder is the first one allowed by 225.30, and your two new PV-only feeders are allowed by 225.30(A)(5).
Cheers, Wayne
I take it service 1 is the house and service 2 is the farm building service. You have one service 2 to the building now and you want to run a second service 2 to the building for the PV? You don't say if the PV systems will be interconnected on the supply or load side. Both are allowed but the supply side is covered by 230.2(A) and a load side by 225.30(A). The only reason I can see for running second service 2 is if you wanted to do a supply side interconnection into service 2. If you want to do a load side and the PV is too large for the existing feeder the AHJ could require you to upsize the feeder rather than run a parallel one.This building would have three feeders. One from service 1, and two from service 2.
How so? 225.30(A)(5) allows an additional feeder for "parallel power production systems." That sounds like a feeder for an inverter output circuit to me.If you want to do a load side and the PV is too large for the existing feeder the AHJ could require you to upsize the feeder rather than run a parallel one.
AHJ discretion . I said the AHJ could require it, not that the NEC does. It also might be a cleaner installation. If upsizing the existing feeder is no more trouble than running a new parallel feeder why not do that?How so? 225.30(A)(5) allows an additional feeder for "parallel power production systems." That sounds like a feeder for an inverter output circuit to me.
Cheers, Wayne
The NEC does not provide the AHJ that discretion; obviously local amendments could change that.AHJ discretion . I said the AHJ could require it, not that the NEC does.
I have frequently encountered AHJs who have their own rules which are not codified by any formal amendments to the NEC, and I am sure there are others of us who have as well. I was once in a meeting with an inspector where I challenged him on a point of code about which he was clearly incorrect, and he fell back on, "Well, I am the AHJ and I can amend the NEC in any way I see fit." End of discussion. Infuriating? You betcha.The NEC does not provide the AHJ that discretion; obviously local amendments could change that.
Did this person really not have a boss that can correct him? If so, the only option is to sue or to submit. You can go along with wrong AHJs because suing isn't worth the trouble, but they are still wrong."Well, I am the AHJ and I can amend the NEC in any way I see fit." End of discussion. Infuriating? You betcha.
Yes, his boss tacitly backed him up, and as we all know, if you sue and win and want to keep working in that jurisdiction, you will likely encounter more difficulties. You have to do a cost benefit analysis to see if a fight would be worth it, and in my experience most of the time it is not.Did this person really not have a boss that can correct him? If so, the only option is to sue or to submit. You can go along with wrong AHJs because suing isn't worth the trouble, but they are still wrong.
Sure you can make a stink and run up the chain of command to see if you can get someone to overrule the person at the bottom, if you never plan on working a job in that jurisdiction ever again. I've done it and won, when I knew I would never be back.Did this person really not have a boss that can correct him? If so, the only option is to sue or to submit. You can go along with wrong AHJs because suing isn't worth the trouble, but they are still wrong.
Hopefully such cases are rare outliers, and they should not inform normal business, just be a risk to be aware of.
Cheers, Wayne
Is there a reason the array connected to service 2 can't backfeed the existing feeder to service 2? It seems like it would save cost and better meet the spirit of the code requirement to limit feeders to a building.The barn already has one feeder from service 2, two additional PV feeders will be added, one back to service 2, and the other to a separate service 300' away for the house.
