SE to SER for ATS; may GEC remain in panel?

[LarryFine]

I'm not sure if this has been directly answered, so I'll directly ask:

If adding a genny and ATS (200a MB panel, back-to-back w/meter), changing panel feed to 4-wire, and separating neutrals and grounds, is the EGC in the SER allowed to serve to connect the existing GECs in the panel (moved to the EGC bus) to the neutral bus in the ATS, or must they be physically moved to the ATS?

If the latter, and need extending, must the non-reversible splice be accessible?

 

[tortuga]

Seems like the question is can the new equipment grounding conductor between a service and a sub-panel also be used as a grounding electrode conductor? Seems plausible see 250.121 Exception, I have never done it that way though.

 

[LarryFine]

That's excellent! Thank you.

So it's okay for the EGC bus and its terminals to be part of the GEC pathway?

This pic seems to show the green wire as continuous.

'Added:

 

[wwhitney]

I'd say one of the GECs has to be continuous (or spliced only with irreversible crimps) all the way to the new service disconnect (or upstream if your POCO allows that), per 250.24(A)(1) and 250.64(C). The other GECs could be considered bonding jumpers, which could be spliced via the no-longer-main panel's EGC bar to another bonding jumper back to the service disconnect (or to the continuous GEC, if you routed that through the EGC bar). And then the feeder EGC could serve as that bonding jumper if it also meets the requirements for bonding jumpers, which are listed in 250.53(C).

Cheers, Wayne

 

[LarryFine]

So, must the non-reversible splice be accessible?

 

[Dennis Alwon]

So, must the non-reversible splice be accessible?

Good question. I would hope not but I don't know. I think of the connection to the ground rod as not being accessible when buried..

 

[tortuga]

I doubt it does. whenever I have added a ATS its an older home/service so I just do new ground rods and hit the ATS. I have kept the old water bond in the old service now subpanel, but move it to the new ground bar.

 

[wwhitney]

So, must the non-reversible splice be accessible?

Based only on a keyword search (accessible) of the 2017 NEC Article 250 Parts I through III, it does not. See 250.68(A) for some of the rules on what does need to be accessible.

Cheers, Wayne