[integlikewhoa]

Hello,

Looking over some plans I had done up for my DIY solar installation.

I had some issues or questions that I would like to get some feedback on regarding the GEC wire on this diagram.

http://www.dropbox.com/s/3qrlnocmln0u1oa/Screenshot_20200426-094936_Drive.jpg?dl=0

They show a solid #6 running from panel to ground rod and up to the roof not in the conduit running with the rest of the power.

I orginally thought a single ground from the panel up to the roof inside the same conduit would be fine.

My main issue is the grounding rods (two of them) are not very accessible and I'm not sure with the way this diagram is made that I need direct access to them.

Main panel ground is run from front of house water pipe entrance, under crawl space to back of house threw foundation and under concrete slab to one then other ground rod then back under crawl space and up wall into the flash mounted 200amp panel.

So my other question is front wanted pipe connection or under crawlspace ground wire is accessible. The way this wiring diagram is do I have to go straight to ground rod or can an irreversible splice be mad into the existing ground wire at some accessible point?

 

[surferdude2]

Connect it to the ufer directly if you can access it, that's the best... if not, connect to the GEC (conductor wire itself) at any access point you can find. Use an approved ground clamp for the purpose. DO NOT connect to the water pipe directly... that could become a hazard under certain conditions.

The intent is to direct any possible lightning strike to the roof units to the earth as directly as possible and with a sufficiently sized conductor. That may be a feeble attemp (possibly futile is a better term) but it's better than nothing (might even work), who can say. A direct lighting bolt will have the most say so and is hard to thwart.

And yes, you still need the EGC for the other purpose, equipment safety grounding.

 

[AllanJ]

The grounding electrode conductor from the roof mounted equipment should be run on the exterior of the building as much as possible and along the most direct route to the ground rod. Not through the crawl space to get from the back of the building to the front or vice versa. There may be provision for hiding it under clapboard or vinyl siding; I do not have a code book (IBC, etc) in front of me now.

If a separate ground rod is driven for lightning protection or for groudning a satellite dish etc. that rod must be interconnected with any other ground rod using #6 copper wire also run exterior to the building as much as possible. Except any segment that absolutely positively must run across a lawn or under the middle of a walkway i.e. going between two structures may be omitted in its entirety.

 

[integlikewhoa]

So I emailed the plans guy and told him my problem and seems like he made plans adjustments. And figures I could irreversible splice the ground in my panel and round the #6 up the same conduit as the rest of wires to the roof.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/357umrdytv9wzmq/Screenshot_20200427-062211_Drive.jpg?dl=0

Still seems funny I need to run a #8 from the ground bar in the main panel right next to a #6 that is crimped to a #6 that is connected to the ground bar also.

So my plan is right next to (within a few inches) of where my current stranded #4 (I think its 4) ground wire connects to the main panel I'll get a crimper and irreversible splice (crimp) my solid #6 to it and run it in the same conduit up to roof. I might need to do another irreversible splice up on the roof as I have split off to the detached garage that will also have panels.