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Disconnecting Means
All Conductors. Means shall be provided to disconnect all current-carrying conductors of a photovoltaic power source from all other conductors in a building or other structure. A switch or circuit breaker shall not be installed in a grounded conductor unless that switch or circuit breaker is part of a ground-fault detection system required by 690.5 and that switch or circuit breaker is automatically opened and indicated as a normal function of the device in responding to ground faults.
Additional Provisions Photovoltaic disconnecting means shall comply with the following.
Disconnecting Means. The disconnecting means shall not be required to be suitable as service equipment and shall be rated in accordance with 690.17.
Equipment. Equipment such as photovoltaic source circuit isolating switches, overcurrent devices, and blocking diodes shall be permitted on the photovoltaic side of the photovoltaic disconnecting means.
Requirements for Disconnecting Means. Means shall be provided to disconnect all conductors in a building or other structure from the photovoltaic system conductors.
- Location. The photovoltaic disconnection means shall be installed at a readily accessible location either on the outside of a building or structure or ins\ide nearest the point of entrance of the system conductors.
Exception: Installations that comply with 690.31(E) shall be permitted to have the disconnecting means located remote from the point of entry of the system conductors.
The photovoltaic system disconnecting means shall not be installed in bathrooms.
- Marking. Each photovoltaic system disconnecting means shall be permanently marked to identify it as a photovoltaic system disconnect.
- Suitable for Use. Each photovoltaic system disconnecting means shall be suitable for the prevailing conditions. Equipment installed in hazardous (classified) locations shall comply with the requirements of Articles 500 through 517.
- Maximum Number of Disconnects. The photovoltaic system disconnecting means shall consist of not more than six switches or six circuit breakers mounted in a single enclosure, in a group of separate enclosures, or in or on a switchboard.
- Grouping. The photovoltaic system disconnecting means shall be grouped with other disconnecting means for the system to comply with 690.14(C)(4). a photovoltaic disconnecting means shall not be required at the photovoltaic module or array location.
Utility-Interactive Inverters Mounted in Not-Readily Accessible Locations. Utility-interactive inverters shall be permitted to be mounted on roofs or other exterior areas that are not readily accessible. These installations shall comply with the following:
- A direct-current photovoltaic disconnecting means shall be mounted within sight of or in the inverter.
- An alternating-current disconnecting means shall be mounted within sight of or in the inverter.
- The alternating-current output conductors from the inverter and an additional alternating-current disconnecting means for the inverter shall comply with 690.14(C)(1).
- A plaque shall be installed in accordance with 705.10.
Disconnection of Photovoltaic Equipment. Means shall be provided to disconnect equipments, such as inverters, batteries, charge controllers, and the like, from all ungrounded conductors of all sources. If the equipment is energized from more than one source, the disconnecting means shall be grouped and identified.
A single disconnecting means in accordance with Switch or Circuit Breaker code below shall be permitted for the combined ac output of one or more inverters or ac modules in an interactive system.
Fuses. Disconnecting means shall be provided to disconnect a fuse from all source of supply if the fuse is energized from both directions and is accessible to other than qualified persons. Such a fuse in a photovoltaic source circuit shall be capable of being disconnected independently of fuses in other photovoltaic source circuits.
Switch or Circuit Breaker. The disconnecting means for undergrounded conductors shall consist of a manually operable switch(es) or circuit breaker(s) complying with all of the following requirements:
- Located where readily accessible
- Externally operable without exposing the operator to contact with live parts
- Plainly indicating whether in the open or closed position
- Having an interrupting rating sufficient for the nominal circuit voltage and the current that is available at the line terminals of the equipment
Where all terminals of the disconnecting means may be energized in the open position, a warning sign shall be mounted on or adjacent to the disconnecting means. The sign shall be clearly legible and have the following words or equivalent:
WARNING
ELECTRIC SHOCK HAZARD
DO NOT TOUCH TERMINALS. TERMINALS
ON BOTH THE LINE AND
LOAD SIDES MAY BE ENERGIZED
IN THE OPEN POSITION.
Exception: A connector shall be permitted to be used as an ac or a dc disconnecting means, provided that it complies with the requirements of 690.33 and is listed and identified for the use.
Installation and Service of an Array. Open circuiting, short circuiting, or opaque covering shall be used to disable an array or portions of an array for installation and service.
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