Finalizing the Electrical

The electrical work is now complete. The only things pending are the installation of the monitor console and the final inspection and commissioning by APS (the electric utility). Our request for inspection is placed, and hopefully it happens ASAP! We want to start making power.

The monitor is a wireless display that will be placed inside so that we can see statistics on the system such as kilowatts generated and other parameters. The system is also going to be monitored by the manufacturer through an Internet connection. There will be a web page that shows our production info, and if things are running properly, they will notify the vendor.

All the equipment on the outside wall as needed by APS. From left to right you see our main electrical panel, the kilowatt hour meter showing what we generate and the AC disconnect from the inverter to the utility panel.


Close-up of the PV kilowatt hour meter. We're at zero now...but that will change.


Front view


One of the array disconnects mounted inside the garage, this shuts off the DC power from arrays 1 and 2. There's another for arrays 3 and 4. There's between 380 - 420 volts DC at 29 amps coming in from the arrays...deadly if you contact it!


The back wall showing the 2 disconnects and the inverter. The box at the bottom of the inverter is another DC disconnect. This one cuts off all power from both arrays to the inverter. All the wiring is run in the grey metal box below. I guess I should paint that plywood...