Solar Picnic Table - Ground Rod

[BRaff]

We are designing a solar Picnic Table and would like to get clarification once and for all on whether or not they need a ground rod.

The picnic table top is bolted to a case containing a battery bank, solar charge controller, ac inverter, and DC wireless phone chargers.

The umbrella if the table is also bolted to the case, and has solar modules instead of cloth for the umbrella top.

PV wire as well as wire for lighting run down the post of the umbrella into the case.

The case has a chassis ground to the negative terminal of the battery, as well as the manufacturer ground points on the inverter and charge controller.

The positive terminal of the battery is wired first through a circuit breaker before anything else.

Does this setup require a ground rod?

Thanks a lot

 

[tom baker]

This is a bit on the DIY side which we don't allow, but is also a manufacturing question.
I would recommend you get your product UL listed. There are fire and shock issues to contend with.

 

[BRaff]

This is a product the company I work for is releasing. It is to be sold as a kit that solar installers install themselves. We, the manufacturer, are wondering if they need to be shipped and installed with a ground rod as standard.

 

[tom baker]

Is the product listed by an NRTL? I would think as a manufacturer you would not need to come to a code forum to ask about a ground rod. Did you look in the NEC Article 690?

 

[jaggedben]

I think the answer is no, you don't need a ground rod per the NEC. But it might depend on how permanently these are to be installed and whether it is a listed assembly. (More permanent makes ground rod more likely needed. Listed assembly makes it less so.) And I agree with the others that you should get the product listed.

 

[pv_n00b]

I'm not a lawyer so take all this with a grain of salt. If this is a system that is self-contained and not interconnected to the premise wiring system then it is not under the NEC. Any more than my handy handheld PV phone charger is. Now I don't know what's the best practice for designing a product like this but you want it to be safe. I'm sure there is a UL standard for something like this that you might want to look into. Depending on who you are selling these to UL listing may be a requirement of the buyer.
I can't imagine a "solar installer" having anything to do with this. They are busy installing grid-tied PV systems. This sounds more like something a homeowner would buy at a big box store for their patio.

 

[tom baker]

I'm not a lawyer so take all this with a grain of salt. If this is a system that is self-contained and not interconnected to the premise wiring system then it is not under the NEC. Any more than my handy handheld PV phone charger is. Now I don't know what's the best practice for designing a product like this but you want it to be safe. I'm sure there is a UL standard for something like this that you might want to look into. Depending on who you are selling these to UL listing may be a requirement of the buyer.
I can't imagine a "solar installer" having anything to do with this. They are busy installing grid-tied PV systems. This sounds more like something a homeowner would buy at a big box store for their patio.

Very well reasoned reply. The product does seem to have some nice features. In my area, umbrellas are more often for protection from the rain!