Great presentation. I appreciate that you called out those Massachusetts-specific items since I'm not in Mass. Ohio won't adopt the 2020 code until January 2022, so it is still relevant to me.
re; The green screw in the PV disconnect. My interpretation is that the SUSE rating of the disco is for survivability and longevity. That requirement does not make the disco a "service point". The 'service point' is where the main breaker, or fuse, is located and where the grounded conductor is bonded to the GEC system. That is the only location that I want the grounded conductor bonded to the GEC system. I want the neutral to float everywhere else and bond to ground only at the main breaker service point. Great presentation. Thanks so much for this! To prove torque I accept a torque log, a wet stick and torque mark on tape, or even a protected torque wrench set at the demonstrated required torque level. Never a picture. Note; I regularly see conductors laying on the roofing. Conductors abrade on 3-tab comp in time. THEN the entire system gets a very good looking over. (and yes, stay out of the utility meter with your tap. once the POCO seals the meter it's not an accessible termination)
Since you are allowed to have up to 6 service disconnects in general, how are you supposed to handle the bonding of neutral and ground, when you have multiple service disconnects? Are you supposed to bond neutral and ground in every single one of them? This is what I would expect is the answer. This isn't a problem like "I'm in doubt about whether I need a bonding bushing or not, so I'll just use one anyway". Bonding neutral and ground at more points than necessary, is counterproductive to safety. Physics-wise, it should only happen at one point, to avoid unintentional current on the green wire and electrically inactive metal. But if you need to bond at each service disconnect, then by definition, you have to bond it at more than one point, given multiple service disconnects.
Any chance you will be doing a NEC 2020 code webinar in the near future? (especially given that MA is one of the few states that have adopted NEC 2020)
really helpful as a diy. would like the moderator to touch on ac combiners, bypass transfer switches and critical load panels to complete my basic knowledge.
Major non conformance should include a tiny photovoltaic system that can not power everything in home. A home with a photovoltaic system should be disconnected from gas and electric entirely. Efficiency homes centered around retirement and minimal house work.
You do realize that a grid interactive inverter shuts off by design, when the grid is disconnected, unless it is specifically designed otherwise to work with a battery or grid-forming battery inverter, do you not? For code-compliance, system safety and functionality of the system, the loads in the home are irrelevant to what the size of the system has to be. When you overproduce, you export power through your meter, and it ends up going to your immediate neighbors on the grid. When you underproduce, you draw in power from the grid to make up the balance of what you aren't getting from your on-site source. Assuming you have a net-metering policy, and a meter that can subtract energy when you export power, the grid works like an infinite reserve load to make up the balance of energy you need, or to absorb the surplus. If you can get it, an ideal net metering policy would mean all kilowatt-hours are valued equally, regardless of which way they go through your meter. However, it is rare that the utility will actually pay you back, if you continue to export a surplus of energy, year-after-year. They give you a credit, with the underlying assumption that you'll consume it at another time during the year, or the following year, but it can be "use it or loose it" in the long run. Therefore, it may not really be in your interest to size a system in excess of what you'll use. Better to aim for slightly less than your predicted usage, than slightly more. Plus, electrical user behavior is something even the best energy modelers cannot possibly predict.
The giant joke about solar company’s is them thinking they are installing something that’s rocket science 😂😂😂 literally could teach a 12 year old how to install solar ….
Pretty dry presentation…until the guy with clean gutters!…🤣… thanks for the info dense video…most was within my limited brainpower…a bit flew over…🤷🏻♂️
5 years later….Still a great informative video showing and walking through the mistakes others have made. Thank you for posting 👌🏻
Great presentation. I appreciate that you called out those Massachusetts-specific items since I'm not in Mass. Ohio won't adopt the 2020 code until January 2022, so it is still relevant to me.
re; The green screw in the PV disconnect. My interpretation is that the SUSE rating of the disco is for survivability and longevity. That requirement does not make the disco a "service point". The 'service point' is where the main breaker, or fuse, is located and where the grounded conductor is bonded to the GEC system. That is the only location that I want the grounded conductor bonded to the GEC system. I want the neutral to float everywhere else and bond to ground only at the main breaker service point.
Great presentation. Thanks so much for this!
To prove torque I accept a torque log, a wet stick and torque mark on tape, or even a protected torque wrench set at the demonstrated required torque level. Never a picture.
Note; I regularly see conductors laying on the roofing. Conductors abrade on 3-tab comp in time. THEN the entire system gets a very good looking over.
(and yes, stay out of the utility meter with your tap. once the POCO seals the meter it's not an accessible termination)
Since you are allowed to have up to 6 service disconnects in general, how are you supposed to handle the bonding of neutral and ground, when you have multiple service disconnects?
Are you supposed to bond neutral and ground in every single one of them? This is what I would expect is the answer.
This isn't a problem like "I'm in doubt about whether I need a bonding bushing or not, so I'll just use one anyway". Bonding neutral and ground at more points than necessary, is counterproductive to safety. Physics-wise, it should only happen at one point, to avoid unintentional current on the green wire and electrically inactive metal. But if you need to bond at each service disconnect, then by definition, you have to bond it at more than one point, given multiple service disconnects.
Just know….. whenever you see a “green” screw or “green “ anything it typically means “Ground “
Any chance you will be doing a NEC 2020 code webinar in the near future? (especially given that MA is one of the few states that have adopted NEC 2020)
Hello, do you have this for 2020 NEC?
So #12, 14 and 10 can be re identified. #6, 8 continuous outer finish required…?
really helpful as a diy. would like the moderator to touch on ac combiners, bypass transfer switches and critical load panels to complete my basic knowledge.
29:15; 29:45; 30:38; 1:39:20; 1:41:50 (magnet helpful); 1:48:14 RSD outside
Major non conformance should include a tiny photovoltaic system that can not power everything in home. A home with a photovoltaic system should be disconnected from gas and electric entirely. Efficiency homes centered around retirement and minimal house work.
You do realize that a grid interactive inverter shuts off by design, when the grid is disconnected, unless it is specifically designed otherwise to work with a battery or grid-forming battery inverter, do you not?
For code-compliance, system safety and functionality of the system, the loads in the home are irrelevant to what the size of the system has to be. When you overproduce, you export power through your meter, and it ends up going to your immediate neighbors on the grid. When you underproduce, you draw in power from the grid to make up the balance of what you aren't getting from your on-site source. Assuming you have a net-metering policy, and a meter that can subtract energy when you export power, the grid works like an infinite reserve load to make up the balance of energy you need, or to absorb the surplus. If you can get it, an ideal net metering policy would mean all kilowatt-hours are valued equally, regardless of which way they go through your meter. However, it is rare that the utility will actually pay you back, if you continue to export a surplus of energy, year-after-year. They give you a credit, with the underlying assumption that you'll consume it at another time during the year, or the following year, but it can be "use it or loose it" in the long run. Therefore, it may not really be in your interest to size a system in excess of what you'll use. Better to aim for slightly less than your predicted usage, than slightly more.
Plus, electrical user behavior is something even the best energy modelers cannot possibly predict.
Enphase IQ8s can power the home when the grid goes down.. they cost more though.
Very informative and useful.
too long to be seen. it would be better to separate commercial and residential, and concentrate on difference of 2017 vs 2014. You run too wide
At 16:43 --- "PV disconnect must service-rated" Seems to be missing a pronoun or something there. Maybe they need to use grammerly? :)
Wow, I've never seen so many scary insulation piercing tap pictures at once. Solar installers really use these often? Sh!t...
The giant joke about solar company’s is them thinking they are installing something that’s rocket science 😂😂😂 literally could teach a 12 year old how to install solar ….
It's a kit with three parts - mounts so they don't leak, panels, inverters, disconnect, and meter. That is all.
Keep a stash of fuses. If i was a lineman i would ground the hell out of this photovoltaic backfeed to achieve my equipotential grounded safety zone.
Who gave thumbs down?
people that failed their inspection lol
Pretty dry presentation…until the guy with clean gutters!…🤣…
thanks for the info dense video…most was within my limited brainpower…a bit flew over…🤷🏻♂️