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I just installed 48/5000 quattro to my off grid cabin.I have all the ground wires wired to the ground wire conncetion in the inverter and then wired to my AC circuit breaker box all to grounds in the AC box. The question i have is should I have a ground spike into the earth? or is this not needed? I also have another wire from the invertor to my honda invertor generator. That also does not have a ground spike. Please help and share your thoughts
It will be difficult to provide an accurate answer.
Electrical wiring rules are different from region to region and as this is a safety concern, it will be best to consult a local electrician who can get sight of your wiring and give you a solid, accurate answer.
There are two issues regarding the "safety" ground wiring.
1) A connection to earth (ground rod) drains off any static electricity the builds up on the entire electrical system. This connection is NOT an electrical fault remedy and in fact a ground rod may not even trip a 20 amp circuit breaker. Nevertheless an earth connection is recommended.
2) Electrical fault current path. At some point in any electrical system, the neutral current carrying wire is connected to the ground wiring including receptacles. This connection provides a safe fault path should a fault in some device connects the hot side of the AC wiring to the case of that equipment. This "bonding" connection is made ONE PLACE in the entire system. That is usually at the service entrance. However in an off-grid system you probably don't have a service entrance that provides the bond.
The Quatro will provide this neutral-safety ground connection when it is not connected to a source of AC on it's input. That is when it is in the INVERTING state. But if AC input is present, the internal "ground relay" opens, assuming the neutral-ground bond is made upstream of the Quatro.
Many generators do not have a neutral-ground bond internally, assuming this will be done somewhere else. You should check for continuity between the generator chassis and the neutral wire in it's receptacle or the permanent wires between the generator and the Quatro. If there is no connection, you need to make the ground-neutral bond externally.
Without a neutral-ground bond somewhere in the system, an electrical fault anywhere in the electrical system or the devices connected to it could create a shock/electrocution condition.
The ground-neutral bond needs to be able to handle the worst case fault current. Generally, this means that a fault in the AC distribution panel before any branch circuit breakers (or in the Quatro). Check local codes for required conductor size.
@Kevin Windrem I have the same problem: if I connect my floating neutral generator to the AC IN side of my Multiplus 24V2kva, then where does the N-G connection get made? I've read that some make an Edison plug and plug that in one of the receptacles of the generator thereby creating a N-G connection as a temporary means. In my situatiuon, my Mulitplus is normally wired to my main panel but I plan on putting a transfer switch (DPDT) between the panel and Mulitplus so that I can also feed the Mulitplus via a generator to either charge my batteries and/or provide power on the AC Out side.
@Kevin Windrem Just a note on the statement
"1) A connection to earth (ground rod) drains off any static electricity the builds up on the entire electrical system. This connection is NOT an electrical fault remedy and in fact a ground rod may not even trip a 20 amp circuit breaker. Nevertheless an earth connection is recommended."
At lest in the UK a 30ma RCD should be fitted to what we call a TT system ie one that has a separate earth (ie earth rod) as we are not allowed to use the DNO's earth in a grid down situation where the earth connection from the DNO can not be relied on or the supply cable having a fault between the property and the service connection. The 30ma RCD is required to break the circuit in the event of a fault current that's why the rod should be tested to make sure it achieves this and complies with the regs requirements on maximum permitted resistance.
OP @WKirby is correct local knowledge of what is permitted and sometimes the geological make up of the soil all plays a part on what is used earth rod wise, cable size, electrical protective equipment this might vary may not only variate by country but also by area/state. Best to consult a local electrician in order to get the earth rod properly tested.
I would say you would need one or more GFCIs on your branch circuits where local codes would normally require them.
A GFCI ahead of the Multi may also be required by local codes.
