Off Grid Solar System - 250 amps of Inverter capacity - What load center do I use?
I have four Sol-Ark 15k inverters (Although I'd like to size things so that I have room to add more in the future if needed). Each inverter can supply up to 62.5 amps of continuous power. So 62.5 multiplied by 4 inverters = 250 amps of total continuous output. Also keep in mind we'd like to size things such that we might add an additional inverter in the future, which would push total output to 312.5 continuous amps. (Effectively 400 amp service).
This power needs to be divided among a few different buildings: A house, a shop, and a couple smaller buildings. We would like to supply "200 amp service" to the house and shop with smaller service to the smaller buildings.
I was originally thinking I would just buy a 400amp load center: And have each inverter connect to said Load Center via an 80 amp breaker (yes this would derate their output to 60 amps but that's fine). So this would mean four separate 80 amp breakers, each connected to one inverter. Then in that same load center install one 200 amp breaker for the house, and another 200 amp breaker to the shop, etc.
However as I started to search for the required parts, I realized it's nearly impossible to find a load center that handles more than 200 amps, and just as impossible to find breakers rated over 100-150 amps.
I know 400 amp service isn't common: but I thought it was done routinely enough that it would be possible to find load centers and breakers of that size.
So here are my questions:.
Is there a 400 amp load center out there that can support 200 amp breakers? IE: If I had 400 amp service from the grid and I wanted to divide that to multiple buildings: How would I do that?
If "No" to #1: Can I run two separate sets of wires, each connected to a 100 amp breaker, and then combine them at the load center on the house or shop to feed a single 200 amp "main breaker" on that buildings sub-panel?
Is there a simpler solution here that I'm not seeing?
Question from user irwinr at stackexchange
Answer:
Your options are.limited.
Normally, at the 400A mark, one is dealing with commercial work, and thus is using a full commercial panelboard instead of a residential-style loadcenter; hence, 400A loadcenters are rare, despite 400A both being a common service size and a common size for lower-end panelboards. However, there are a few 400A loadcenters out there.
For your application (solar combiner), presuming you can mount the panel either outdoors or in an unfinished (service) space, your best bets are either an Eaton BR1224L400R or a Siemens W0606ML1400CU. The latter provides a copper bus option, and is less costly, but limits your flexibility as it's only labeled for 6 breaker positions despite having 24 single pole spaces. (You'll need to lean on the tap rules to pull power off the 400A panel's main lugs to a 200A main breaker loadcenter if you use the latter option, even.).
This is fortunate at least though, as your option #2 would violate NEC 225.30. Were you to have a 400A grid service, the normal practice would be to use either a Class 320 meter base with 2 200A main breaker panels, or a 400A meter main that contains both the meter base and the service disconnects, with 200A panels downstream of that main.
As to 200A branch breakers, both Eaton and Siemens make them: Eaton's is the BJ2200, while the Siemens counterpart is the QN(R)2200, with the R version having a reverse orientation.
Answer from user ThreePhaseEel at stackexchange
I have four Sol-Ark 15k inverters (Although I'd like to size things so that I have room to add more in the future if needed). Each inverter can supply up to 62.5 amps of continuous power. So 62.5 multiplied by 4 inverters = 250 amps of total continuous output. Also keep in mind we'd like to size things such that we might add an additional inverter in the future, which would push total output to 312.5 continuous amps. (Effectively 400 amp service).
This power needs to be divided among a few different buildings: A house, a shop, and a couple smaller buildings. We would like to supply "200 amp service" to the house and shop with smaller service to the smaller buildings.
I was originally thinking I would just buy a 400amp load center: And have each inverter connect to said Load Center via an 80 amp breaker (yes this would derate their output to 60 amps but that's fine). So this would mean four separate 80 amp breakers, each connected to one inverter. Then in that same load center install one 200 amp breaker for the house, and another 200 amp breaker to the shop, etc.
However as I started to search for the required parts, I realized it's nearly impossible to find a load center that handles more than 200 amps, and just as impossible to find breakers rated over 100-150 amps.
I know 400 amp service isn't common: but I thought it was done routinely enough that it would be possible to find load centers and breakers of that size.
So here are my questions:.
Is there a 400 amp load center out there that can support 200 amp breakers? IE: If I had 400 amp service from the grid and I wanted to divide that to multiple buildings: How would I do that?
If "No" to #1: Can I run two separate sets of wires, each connected to a 100 amp breaker, and then combine them at the load center on the house or shop to feed a single 200 amp "main breaker" on that buildings sub-panel?
Is there a simpler solution here that I'm not seeing?
Question from user irwinr at stackexchange
Answer:
Your options are.limited.
Normally, at the 400A mark, one is dealing with commercial work, and thus is using a full commercial panelboard instead of a residential-style loadcenter; hence, 400A loadcenters are rare, despite 400A both being a common service size and a common size for lower-end panelboards. However, there are a few 400A loadcenters out there.
For your application (solar combiner), presuming you can mount the panel either outdoors or in an unfinished (service) space, your best bets are either an Eaton BR1224L400R or a Siemens W0606ML1400CU. The latter provides a copper bus option, and is less costly, but limits your flexibility as it's only labeled for 6 breaker positions despite having 24 single pole spaces. (You'll need to lean on the tap rules to pull power off the 400A panel's main lugs to a 200A main breaker loadcenter if you use the latter option, even.).
This is fortunate at least though, as your option #2 would violate NEC 225.30. Were you to have a 400A grid service, the normal practice would be to use either a Class 320 meter base with 2 200A main breaker panels, or a 400A meter main that contains both the meter base and the service disconnects, with 200A panels downstream of that main.
As to 200A branch breakers, both Eaton and Siemens make them: Eaton's is the BJ2200, while the Siemens counterpart is the QN(R)2200, with the R version having a reverse orientation.
Answer from user ThreePhaseEel at stackexchange