Connecting DC Cables
3–13
Fixed Location (residential, for example) Connect the chassis
ground lug to your system’s DC grounding point using 2 AWG wire. The
system’s grounding point is usually the AC service entrance grounding
point or a separate ground rod. For a solar PV (photovoltaic) installation,
this is usually the same rod used to ground the PV array.
Connecting DC Cables
To operate safely and effectively, the PROwatt 3000 needs proper cables,
wiring, and fuses. Because the PROwatt 3000 has low-voltage, high-
current input, low-resistance wiring between the battery and the inverter
is essential to deliver the maximum amount of usable energy to the loads.
Cabling Guidelines
Follow these guidelines and refer to Table 3-1 to plan the DC cabling:
• Use 1/0 AWG copper (90º C insulation rating) as the smallest DC
cable size. This will minimize the voltage drop between the battery
and the inverter. If the cables cause an excessive voltage drop, the
inverter may shut down when drawing higher currents because the
voltage at the inverter input drops below 10 volts.
• Keep all cables as short as possible, and ensure that each cable
between the inverter and the battery is no longer than 3 feet (1 m).
• If you must use longer cables, refer to Table 3-1 for an appropriate
size.
• Do not use aluminum. It has about 1/3 more resistance than copper
cable of the same size, and it is difficult to make good, low-resistance
connections to aluminum wire.
Table 3-1 Recommended Wire Sizes and Lengths
Wire Size
Wire Length
Battery to Inverter one way
1/0 AWG 3 feet (0.91 m)
2/0 AWG 4 feet (1.22 m)
3/0 AWG 5 feet (1.52 m)
4/0 AWG 7 feet (2.13 m)
Note: Never use a cable longer than 7 feet.
To Next Page
Loading...
Need help?
General