Carport disconnect

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I have a PV array carport that is 100’ long with the modules at 12’. We have installed a combiner disconnect just under the modules at the carport only accessible by a ladder. Our inverters are located in an electrical enclosure roughly 100’ from the array. There is another DC disconnect just under the inverters. Both disconnects are lockable. The AHJ is telling me that the disconnect at the carport must be at a height that would allow it to be reached from the ground. This at a multi-family condo complex. The engineer designed it like this to keep the equipment out of reach of kids and the public. Any thoughts on this?
 

Dennis Alwon

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
I think the inspector is correct especially if the disconnects have an overcurrent protective device. The max height is 6'7" to the top of the breaker

240.24 Location in or on Premises.
(A) Accessibility. Switches containing fuses and circuit breakers
shall be readily accessible and installed so that the center of
the grip of the operating handle of the switch or circuit
breaker, when in its highest position, is not more than 2.0 m
(6 ft 7 in.) above the floor or working platform, unless one of
the following applies:
(1) For busways, as provided in 368.17(C).
(2) For supplementary overcurrent protection, as described
in 240.10.
(3) For overcurrent devices, as described in 225.40 and
230.92.
(4) For overcurrent devices adjacent to utilization equipment
that they supply, access shall be permitted to be by portable
means.
Exception: The use of a tool shall be permitted to access overcurrent
devices located within listed industrial control panels or similar enclosures.
 

310 BLAZE IT

Senior Member
Location
NJ
What is the active code? 2017 code completely rewrote much of the disconnect portion of the code

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk
 

pv_n00b

Senior Member
Location
CA, USA
I have a PV array carport that is 100’ long with the modules at 12’. We have installed a combiner disconnect just under the modules at the carport only accessible by a ladder. Our inverters are located in an electrical enclosure roughly 100’ from the array. There is another DC disconnect just under the inverters. Both disconnects are lockable. The AHJ is telling me that the disconnect at the carport must be at a height that would allow it to be reached from the ground. This at a multi-family condo complex. The engineer designed it like this to keep the equipment out of reach of kids and the public. Any thoughts on this?

I see this question come up fairly regulary and it hinges on if the AHJ considers a car port a building or structure under 690.13. If your AHJ considers it a structure then it needs a readily accessable disconnect.

I bet if you walk around the area you will see other disconnects that are readily accessable so the argument that these disconnects need to be protected from people will not hold up.

I think the inspector is correct especially if the disconnects have an overcurrent protective device. The max height is 6'7" to the top of the breaker

NEC 240.24(4) would allow a fused disconnect to be mounted next to an inverter and only accessable by portable means. If the assumption is that the inverter is utilization equipmnet that is, 240 is not very good at dealing with generators.
 
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