Unfortunately, the benefits are somewhat limited since you still have to
size the neutral at the same size as your EGC, and you have to upsize
your EGC thanks to your voltage drop. So now instead of a #6 neutral,
you're running them as 8s? Hey, every bit helps...
On 2013/6/20 16:18, Drake wrote:
Hi Wallace,
For services, at least, in the 2011 NEC, the neutral is still sized per
Table 250.66 (250.24 (C) (1).
I took Allan's suggestion and called Power One tech support back. The
neutral carries no current; it is strictly for sensing.
Drake
At 02:23 PM 6/20/2013, you wrote:
Drake,
Full sized neutrals are now required due to harmonics at least.
The cost over your quote for neutral is fixed. What is the cost for
unknown consequences if you disregard manufacturers specs?
Wallace Stahle
Future Electric Energy Co
P O Box 236
Willits, CA 95490
fut...@pacific.net <mailto:fut...@pacific.net>
CA Lic.# C10-762093
707-459-0474
On Jun 19, 2013, at 3:26 PM, Drake wrote:
That was my first call. They said use a full size neutral. I'm not
satisfied with that answer. The combined experience and knowledge on
this list far exceeds that of any tech support person.
At 04:27 PM 6/19/2013, you wrote:
Drake,
Why not discuss this with Power One tech support?
Allan
*Allan Sindelar*
_al...@positiveenergysolar.com <mailto:al...@positiveenergysolar.com>_
NABCEP Certified PV Installation Professional
NABCEP Certified Technical Sales Professional
New Mexico EE98J Journeyman Electrician
Founder and Chief Technology Officer
*Positive Energy, Inc.*, a Certified B Corporation^TM
3209 Richards Lane
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87507
*505 424-1112 office 780-2738 cell*
_www.positiveenergysolar.com <http://www.positiveenergysolar.com/>
_
On 6/19/2013 1:55 PM, Drake wrote:
A very common cable for 100 A service conductors has 2 - #2 AL
wires and 1 - #4 AL for the neutral; 200 A will have 2 - 4/0 AL
wires and 1 - 2/0 for the neutral. If I run # 2 to limit the VD
on the run to the panel and reduce the neutral to #4, #12 copper
phase and neutral will still connect to the inverters. This would
be code for a feeder to a separate structure.
Does the Power One inverter actually have a major imbalance
resulting in substantial neutral currents? If so, it is really a
120 V inverter for VD calculations.
03:37 PM 6/19/2013, you wrote:
Content-Type: multipart/related;
boundary="----=_NextPart_000_00A6_01CE6CE9.D20EFB20"
Content-Language: en-us
Doug,
705.95(B) allows you down size your neutral if it is used solely
for instrumentation and it must be sized equal to or larger than
the EGC but this is not the case. If Power One says a full size
neutral is needed than that means that it is not just a voltage
sensing conductor used for instrumentation and that it does carry
current.
I don’t believe there are any exceptions in code for downsizing
your neutral in regards to upsizing the conductors to account for
voltage drop but I could be wrong.
--
John Stimac | Corvallis, OR
Renewable Energy Associates LLC
541-754-2001 Office/Fax
j...@renewableassociates.com <mailto:j...@renewableassociates.com>
www.renewableassociates.com <http://www.renewableassociates.com/>
<2221ada.jpg>
*From:* re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org
<mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org> [
mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] *On Behalf Of *Drake
*Sent:* Wednesday, June 19, 2013 6:42
*To:* re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org
<mailto:re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org>
*Subject:* [RE-wrenches] Full sized neutral - 240 V inverter
Hello Wrenches,
Power One tech support said that full sized neutrals had to be run
to a pair of 240 V, PVI 3.6 inverters. We have a 180 foot
underground run to the service panel.
Why do we need to run a full sized neutral all the way back to the
panel? The wiring to the panel is oversized for voltage drop. The
code allows for reduction of neutral size where neutral imbalance
is less than the current of a phase, which is usually the case.
Why does a neutral need to be installed that is the size of the
phase wiring where the imbalance should be negligible? Or is there
a lot of neutral current for some reason? Am I missing something?
Thanks
Drake
Drake Chamberlin
/Athens Electric LLC
OH License 44810
CO License 3773
NABCEP Certified Solar PV Installer
740-448-7328
/http://athens-electric.com/
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