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renewable energy and the national electrical code

Wiring & Protection

by Ryan Mayfield
Chapter 2 of the National Electrical CodeWiring and Protectionis lengthy and important, covering a number of topics. PV installers must appropriately apply those sections that pertain to PV systems. color insulation other than green, which is reserved solely for grounding conductors. Given those requirements, for most PV systems the negative is the grounded conductor and should follow one of those identification methods. If the positive conductor is the grounded conductor, it will follow those rules. And for ungrounded systems, neither conductor is marked that way. Now that you have identified the grounded currentcarrying conductor(s), you can identify and mark the ungrounded current-carrying conductor(s). These can be any color other than those listed in 200.6not white, gray, or with three continuous white stripes; nor green or green with yellow stripes. In the case of negative-grounded PV systems, I recommend that the ungrounded color be red. This will meet Code and helps identify the positive polarity of the conductor. Regardless of the chosen color-coding, I also recommend using marking tape at the termination to identify the polarity of all of the conductors. It is important to cover the marking allowance specific to PV systems200.6(A)(6) allows the installer to mark small PV source circuit with distinctive white markings at all terminations. This is an exception to the general rule for small conductors, so you may need to bring this to an inspectors attention. The exposed USE-2 or PV cable can be black and marked at the terminations made inside junction or combiner boxes. Just remember that once you transition to an interior wire such as THWN-2, that conductor type is outside the scope of this allowance and must meet one of the other requirements listed. For conductors 4 AWG and larger, 200.6(B) outlines the rules you are required to follow. The first three methods are identical as the requirement for small conductors. The fourth method allows for distinctive white or gray markings that encircle the conductor at the termination point.

Conductor Identification
Chapter 2 starts with Article 200, Use and Identification of Grounded Conductors. Many in the PV industry refer to the DC conductors from the PV modules as positive and negative, but that nomenclature is of less importance in modern systems. In the majority of PV systems installed today, the inverters use an isolation transformer. For PV systems using these inverters, the NEC requires bonding one of the currentcarrying conductors on the PV side of the inverter to ground. Typically, this is accomplished across the groundfault protection device located in the inverterbonding the negative conductor to ground creates a negatively grounded system. Some PV systems require bonding the positive conductor to ground. (Note that nearly all PV modules can be positively grounded.) To top off that variability, there are now ungrounded inverters, in which neither PV conductor is bonded to ground. These systems are covered in Section 690.35, Ungrounded Photovoltaic Power Systems. Given the different wiring configurations, its most accurate to refer to the conductors in terms of grounded current-carrying; ungrounded current-carrying; and grounding conductors rather than negative, positive, and ground conductors. This terminology also helps clarify how each of these conductors should be identified, which brings us back to Article 200, which sets the requirements for identifying the grounded current-carrying conductors for all electrical systems, including PV systems. Section 200.6 details those identification methods. Subsection 200.6(A) deals with identifying conductors that are 6 AWG and smaller. In residential grid-tied PV systems, it is likely that all the conductors used will fall into this size category. Section 200.6(A) lists eight appropriate identification methods, one of which is specific to PV systems (discussed later). The first three methods and the PV-specific requirement are the most commonly used. The grounded current-carrying conductors can either be white, gray, or marked with three continuous white stripes on top of any

Overcurrent Protection
Article 240, Overcurrent Protection, sets the rules on how to properly select, locate, and enclose overcurrent protection devices (OCPDs) to protect conductors from overload, shortcircuit, and ground-fault conditions. Section 240.4 contains some critical information on the required methods to properly protect conductors. Conductors must be protected against overcurrent in accordance with the conductors

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ampacity values (as listed in Section 310.15), unless otherwise required or allowed within 240.4(A) through (G). In general, a conductor needs overcurrent protection at a value less than or equal to the conductors ability to carry current. A general rule is often followed up with specific cases and/or exceptions. In 240.4(B), an allowance is made for overcurrent devices rated at 800 A or less. When specific conditions are met, a conductor can be protected by an overcurrent device with an ampere rating greater than the conductor. The next higher standard-rated device can be used to protect the conductor if the conductors ampacity doesnt correspond to a standard OCPD ampere rating, the next standard OCPD doesnt exceed 800 A, and the conductors being protected are not part of a branch circuit supplying multiple receptacles. For PV systems, once you adjust a conductors ampacity for conditions of use and continuous duty, that conductor can be placed on an overcurrent device with a rating greater than the conductor. For example, lets say you are using a 10 AWG conductor to connect a string of modules to an inverter. After applying correction factors if that 10 AWG conductor has an ampacity value of 21 A, you can use a 25 A OCPD. Section 240.4(D) lists special requirements for small conductors, namely the limitations of OCPD ampere ratings based on the conductor size. So, unless specifically allowed in 240.4(E) or (G), the OCPD protecting small copper conductors cannot exceed: 15 A for 14 AWG Copper 20 A for 12 AWG Copper 30 A for 10 AWG Copper When sizing conductors, you may have a scenario where one of the above listed conductors must be protected by an OCPD with a smaller rating than the conductors ampacity. The 240.4(D) section simply defines the maximum OCPD rating, even if the conductors ampacity exceeds the OCPD rating. For example, after correction factors are applied, a 10 AWG conductor may have an ampacity value of 35 A. The Code requires that this conductor is protected by an OCPD with a maximum ampere rating of 30 A. Article 240.6(A) lists standard OCPD ratings, the values referenced when determining the proper OCPD for protecting conductors. The standard values start at 15 A and go up to 6,000 A. Per 690.9(C), for OCPDs protecting PV source circuits, the standard ratings are 1 A to 15 A in 1 A increments. After that, the standard values listed in 240.6 are applicable. Practical examples of this selection process, as well as conductor sizing will be covered in an upcoming Code Corner. Section 240.24 covers the location and accessibility requirements for OCPDs. Generally, all OCPDs must be readily accessible and the center of the grip on the OCPDs operating handle may not exceed 6 feet 7 inches above the working platform when in its highest position. Two allowances to this rule may apply to a PV installation. One

is that OCPDs may be accessed by portable means, such as ladders, if the OCPDs are mounted adjacent to the equipment they are protecting. The other is not an exception listed in 240 but rather an allowance in 690. In 690.9(C), the Code allows the OCPDs protecting PV source circuits to be accessible, but doesnt require that they be readily accessible (per NEC definition of readily accessibleagain we see that it is acceptable to access particular OCPDs via a ladder and so forth). Section 240.24 specifies that OCPDs be located where they are not exposed to potential physical damage. This may require protecting the OCPDs with barriers (for example, bollards may be used to prevent potential damage to OCPDs by vehicular traffic). Section 240.24(D) prohibits locating OCPDs in the vicinity of easily ignitable material, such as in clothes closets. And finally, OCPDs are not allowed in bathrooms [240.24(E)] or over steps [240.24(F)]. Part III of Article 240, which covers enclosures for OCPDs, affects many PV installations, and Section 240.32 is of particular importance. If the OCPDs are located outside, youll need to verify that the enclosure used to house the OCPD complies with 312.2, as referenced in 240.32. This is to prevent moisture from entering and accumulating within the enclosure. Article 312.2 has requirements for raceways and cables entering the enclosure, stating that if an enclosure is being entered above uninsulated live parts, the fittings used to enter the box must be listed for wet locations. Thankfully, PV installers have multiple options for enclosures listed for various applications. For enclosures that will be mounted on an outdoor vertical surface, you can use NEMA 3R-rated enclosures. Some manufacturers of NEMA 3R enclosures have listed their products for installation on a tilted surface; this should be verified on a per-model basis. Typically, for enclosures mounted in a non-vertical orientation, a NEMA 4 enclosure should be used (see NEC table 110.28 for more information on enclosure types).

Setting up Your Installation

These two Code articles, 200 and 240, set the foundation for PV installations. Be sure to read through to the end of Article 240, as it covers the various types of OCPDs. As with nearly all of the Code, I suggest you read and re-read these articles. Youd be surprised how often something new jumps out at you and changes your thinking.

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Ryan Mayfield (ryan@renewableassociates.com) is the principal at a design, consulting, and educational firm with a focus on PV systems in Corvallis, Oregon. He is an ISPQ Affiliated Master Trainer.

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