4 kW Grid Tie System Design

Appalachian State University

Page 0
I] Introduction
For this project, I have chosen to design a photovoltaic array that would provide electricity to
my two bedroom one bath apartment located in Boone, North Carolina. Currently two college students
and a large dog reside in the apartment using very little electricity. We contacted New River Light and
power and discovered we only used 3,687 Kwh last year. I have selected a 4kW system to offset this
load. The system requires 12, 24V, 335 watt PV modules that will feed electricity onto the grid to offset
a fraction of our carbon footprint.

II] Module Description

For this 4kW array I chose to use 12 Canadian Solar,

monocrystalline, 24Volt, 335 Watt modules that were priced at
$219.00 per module. The array itself will cost $2,628.00 before
taxes and tax credits. This module has the following electrical
characteristics:

Specifications
STC CS6U-335M
Nominal Max Power (Pmax) 335 watts
Optimum Operating Voltage (Vmp) 37.8V
Optimum Operating Current (Imp) 8.87A
Open Circuit Voltage (Voc) 46.1V
Short Circuit Current (Isc) 9.41A
Module Efficiency 17.23%
Maximum System Voltage 1000V (IEC/UL)
Maximum Series Fuse Rating 15A
Cell Type Mono-crystalline
Cell Arrangement 72 (6 x 12)
Dimensions 77.2 x 39.1 x 1.57in
(1960 x 992 x 40mm)
Weight 49.4lbs (22.4kg)
Connectors MC4 or MC4 Comparable
Table 1: Canadian solar CS6U module spcifications

Modules per String Calculation

The Inverter I chose has a maximum input voltage of 480 Volts, this must not be exceeded by the
PV array. The modules have a Voc rating of 46.1 Volts, but as temperature drops efficiency increases.
Boone NC has a record low of -21OC giving it a temperature modifier of 1.25. The module Voc was
then multiplied by the temperature modifier for Boone N.C. to determine the maximum Voltage
potential of each module:

46.1 1.25
| || | = 57.625
.

I then divided the maximum voltage input of the inverter by the max Voc of the modules to
determine how many modules could be in one series string.

Page 1
 480 57.625
| || | = 8.33

The number must always be rounded own to avoid exceeding the voltage limit of the
inverter. Because I only need 4,000 watts I only need 6 modules when they are 335 watts each. This
system will have two series strings of six modules each, well below eight.

III] Inverter
I chose the Solar Edge SE3000H HD Wave Grid Tie Inverter
that is rated at 3,000 watts. To size the inverter, the number of
modules (12), were multiplied by the wattage of the modules
(335), to produce a total of 4,020 watts. The Inverter costs
$979.00.

335 12
|| || = 4,020

Specifications
Solar Edge SE3000H HD
Maximum AC Current Output 12.5 Amps
Nominal AC Voltage Output 240 Volts
Maximum AC Power Output 3,000 watts
Maximum DC Power Input 4,650 watts
Maximum Short Circuit Current Input 45 Amps
Maximum Voltage Input 480 Volts
Efficiency 99%
Cost $930.00
Table 2: Solar edge SE3000H HD inverter specifications

IV] Wire & OCPD Sizing

The amperage of the system must never exceed the ampacity of the wire gauge being used, to
prevent fire hazards. This happens by carefully selecting wire sizes that can handle the system
amperage at its maximum production potential and selecting over current protection devices that
dont exceed the ampacity of the wire. But the OCPD also should not limit the system by tripping or
blowing so measures must be taken to insure the devices also can handle the amperage of the
system at its maximum production potential. Because the system has such a high voltage of 345V I
am using the Midnite Solar touch safe fuses that are rated for 1,000 volts with this touch safe fuse
holder.

Item code Brand name Model number Volts Amps Fuse Type
MIDMNFH Midnite Solar, MNTS 1000V 30A 1000V
Inc.

Page 2
 a) Wires from Modules to Combiner Box
The wire connecting the modules in a series string will be #14-gauge copper wire rated at 90oC.
To determine the wire size, I calculated the amperage the modules will produce by multiplying the Isc
of 9.41 by the temperature modification factor of 1.56 to give a total of 14.68 amps in each series
string.

9.41 1.56
| || | = 14.68
.

Number 14 AWG can handle 35 Amps in a free air environment according to table 310.15(B)
(17) of the NEC, but the wires will be making a connection in the combiner box that can reach
temperatures of 141oF-158oF. To find the wires true ampacity at this temperature I multiplied the
rated amperage of 35 Amps by the temperature correction factor of .58 and figured it was 20.3
Amps, this is well over the required 14.68 Amps.

35 . 58
| | = 20.3

b) Wires from Combiner Box to Inverter

The wires running from the combiner box to the inverter will have to be larger because they have
a higher current flowing through them and they will be in conduit buried underground. The two
series strings will be wired together in parallel inside the combiner box doubling the amperage of the
system.

14.68 2
| || | = 29.36

Number 8 AWG can handle 55 Amps inside of conduit based on table 310.15(B) (16) of the
NEC. The parallel connection will be in the combiner box that reaches temperatures of 158oF so its
ampacity will also have to be multiplied by the temperature correction factor of .58 to find its true
limit of 31.9 Amps, which is more than the required 29.36 Amps.

55 . 58
| || | = 31.9

c) OCPD in Combiner Box

Item code Brand name Model number Volts Amps Fuse Type
MIDMNFUSE201000 Midnite MN1000FUSE- 1000V 20A Ferraz
Solar, Inc. 20 Shawmut

The over current protection device inside the combiner box must not exceed the amperage
rating of the #14 gauge wire but must have a high enough ampacity that it does not limit the system.
Number 14 gauge wire can safely handle up to 20.3 Amps at temperatures of 141oF-158oF, so our
OCPD can be no greater than 20 Amps. The modules can produce up to 14.68 Amps at maximum

Page 3
efficiency, so our OCPD cannot be less than 15Amps or they will trip at peak performance and stop
the flow of electricity to the grid.

20.3 14.68
| |<| | = 15 20

d) OCPD in DC Disconnect Box

Item code Brand name Model number Volts Amps Fuse Type
MIDMNFUSE301000 Midnite MN1000FUSE- 1000V 30A Ferraz
Solar, Inc. 30 Shawmut

The over current protection device in the DC disconnect box, between the combiner box and the
inverter, must not exceed 31.9 Amps (#8 AWG max ampacity) while still being able to handle 29.36
Amps (system maximum voltage). Because the two series strings will be wired in parallel inside the
combiner box the amperage will double calling for a circuit breaker twice the size. The breaker in the
DC disconnect box must not exceed 31.9 Amps while allowing for 29.36 Amps to flow through it,
bringing me to a 30 Amp Breaker.
31.9 29.36
| |<| | = 30

e) OCPD in AC Disconnect Box

Item code Brand name Model number Volts Amps Fuse Type
MIDMNFUSE301000 Midnite MN1000FUSE- 1000V 30A Ferraz
Solar, Inc. 30 Shawmut

The over current protection device in the AC disconnect box comes after inverter, so you can
disconnect your system from the grid when it goes down to allow for repairs. This OCPD must be able
to handle the maximum amperage of the inverter, 12.5 A/.8 (correction factor for ampacity) = 16 A.

12.5 .8
| || | = 16

This breaker must also limit the amperage to 35 A to prevent over heating of the #14-gauge wire
that will be transferring the energy from the inverter to the grid. This leaves us with a breaker that
can handle 16 Amps without tripping, but prevents the amperage from exceeding 35 Amps.

16 35
| |<| | = 30

Page 4
 V] Mounting System
I have chosen the Iron ridge Flashfoot roof mounting system for my small 4kW array. This
mounting system is designed to be mounted to asphalt shingles which my apartment complex has.
The mounting points of this system have flashing that slides under the shingles to prevent leaks. This
is very important to property owners because they expect their roof to last for many tenants. The
mounting system is also equipped with grounding connections between different parts eliminating
the need for expensive copper wires. The mounting system will cost a total of $1,045.10 or $0.26 per
Watt.

BILL OF MATERIALS
Part Number Description Quantity Price/EA Total Price
XR-100-132B XR100, Rail 132" (11 Feet) Black 8 $61.20 $489.60
FM-FF2-001-B Kit, 4pcs, FlashFoot 2 (Black) 5 $72.00 $360.00
XR-100-SPLC-BD Kit, XR100 Bonded Splice 4 $8.00 $32.00
UFO-CL-001-B Kit, 4pcs, Universal Module Clamp 7 $15.00 $105.00
FM-SQ-BHW Kit, 4pcs, Square-Bolt Bonding Attachment Hardware 5 $8.00 $40.00
GD-LUG-003 Kit, 2pcs, Grounding Lug, Low Profile 1 $14.00 $14.00
UFO-STP-40MM-B Kit, 4pcs, Stopper Sleeve, 40MM, Black 2 $2.25 $4.50
Total Price $1,045.10
$/Watt $0.26

Page 5
VI] Cost Analysis
This 4kW PV system will cost approximately $4,867.53 without factoring in the cost of wire, install
labor, and hardware. We currently use 3,687 kWh per year in our apartment, NRLP charges about
$0.09 per kWh and a service charge of $6.29 a month. This brings our total annual power bill to
$407.31. When I divided the cost of the system by the cost of our annual power bill I determined this
system will take 11.95, or 12, years to pay for itself.

Item Qty. Price Cost

Modules 12 $ 219.00 $ 2,628.00
Inverter 1 $ 979.00 $ 979.00
Fuse Holder 4 $ 6.88 $ 27.52
20 Amp Fuse 2 $ 4.12 $ 8.24
30 Amp Fuse 2 $ 4.12 $ 8.24
Mounting System 1 $ 1,045.10 $ 1,045.10
Lightining Arrestor 1 $ 40.00 $ 40.00
Combiner Box 1 $ 73.51 $ 73.51
DC Disconnect Box 1 $ 28.96 $ 28.96
AC Disconnect Box 1 $ 28.96 $ 28.96
Total $ 4,867.53

Page 6
VII] Visio Schematic

Page 7