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Forum Index : Solar : Off Grid and lightning
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Revlac Guru  Joined: 31/12/2016 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1022 |
OK had a bit of a storm come through Today (DISASTER STRIKES FROM ABOVE ) just happen to have some lightning in it. The lightning struck the power pole and blew the fuse holder off the power line, also blew 1 phase out of the transformer down the road. (some time ago for safety reasons We had Energex pull the fuses from the power line across the road). Poll is a bit splintered  Busted fuse holder  So much power it Blew the sh*t out of the power meter  More pieces  63A circuit breaker with flash over Tripped all RCB and some of the MCB's  Then ultimately Blew the CRAP out of the OGI PIP Inverter, NOTICE. All fuse's on the power pole the meter box were removed , The main switch in the meter box was off as was the main switch at the house and the grid and genny change over switch.  The MOV's took some of the strike Now running the house off the backup inverter Have been off grid for some time and was happy. No cheers Aaron Cheers Aaron Off The Grid |
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Madness Guru Joined: 08/10/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2498 |
Bugger, we had a strike just up the road a few years ago and it hit the underground phone line but not the power line above it. I had to change my underwear after that was about 100M away. If you have insurance you might be able to get them to pay for it. There are only 10 types of people in the world: those who understand binary, and those who don't. |
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Gizmo Admin Group  Joined: 05/06/2004 Location: AustraliaPosts: 5078 |
Just goes to show, a big enough lightning strike wont be stopped by missing fuses or open switches. I remember when I fixed computers for a living, after a big storm we would always get a few customers come in complaining the surge protector they bought didn't work and they ended up with a fried TV or computer. Had to explain that the bolt of lightning had traveled several hundred meters through the air, no little surge protector is going to help if the strike is close enough. Play it safe, unplug the stuff you value. Its also another reason I wont live in a house without a earthed steel roof. If its dry, a tiled roof offers no barrier to a lightning strike, you may as well be standing out in the open. Hopefully the lighting hits the lights power circuit in the ceiling and uses that as a path to earth instead of your head. Years working for Telecom has given me a healthy respect for lightning. Glenn The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago, the second best time is right now. JAQ |
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| Revlac Guru Joined: 31/12/2016 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1022 |
Well, no insurance for this. Most of the time insurance isn't worth the paper its printed on IMO, probably cost more than the inverter was worth? It was one hell of a bang, the buttons on the front of the inverter flew out I thought all the fets would be cratered, but no however I'm sure some are shorted, some other parts are shorted and its beyond repair. As it turns out all the power from the strike came through the neutral wire after jumping from the active at the meter, it went to ground in many places and I could see the Earth Rods took some of the power but the ground was just to dry. This particular incident wont happen again, The power line has now been cut and removed and the meters have been removed by energex. (the same crew that removed the fuses) I will remove the power pole soon, Bugger the grid. Here is the irony of it, back in AUG 22 2016 we wanted AGL to disconnect and remove the wire and the meters as we don't use the grid anyway the answer was to pay about $800 or more and a wasted truck visit fee, what ever that meant, All up about the price of the inverter. HI Glenn Had a good chat with Energex about some other things they have seen with solar systems, holes burnt through the roof (Potentially Burning down the house) was one of them (improper grounding) and stuffed GTI's, I wont have any solar panels on the roof of the house partly for this reason, also I don't need any more Bird sh*t going in to the water tank. All the solar panels here are on manual tracking towers, Its likely they will be hit too at some stage and most likely go to ground, I always disconnect the solar when the storm approaches. There is a lessen in this for us with off grid inverters, perhaps some MOV's fitted to the L N in a small enclosure (with a decent earth wire to ground) between inverter output breaker and the main box with RCB and MCB's. Just thinking about it, cant see anything stopping a big hit. Aaron Cheers Aaron Off The Grid |
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| Madness Guru Joined: 08/10/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2498 |
All going to plan I will be waving goodbye to the grid very soon also congratulations on doing it yourself. I would frame that disconnection advice in your meter box and put it on the wall. All panel frames should be grounded, this is not electrically connected to anything else, apart from that there should be only one ground point in your electrical wiring. Otherwise, if you have a strike close by there can be a potential difference between 2 points and that will cause current to flow in the ground wiring. Lightning rods would also help near the panels and on buildings with pointy tips. Silky Oak trees seem to be good conductors too, I have seen a few of them blown to pieces by a strike. There are only 10 types of people in the world: those who understand binary, and those who don't. |
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| Revlac Guru Joined: 31/12/2016 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1022 |
Its definably a good idea to have a backup unit as there is minimal down time when things go bad. There was another inverter running at the time it had its own neutral and separate circuit it was unaffected. The power pole that had the meter box on it, The chainsaw made short work of that. We used to have many Lightning rods near the house in the form of trees most of them were removed after they were struck, my ears can't take much more laud bangs. The neighbor asked us to have a look at his 5Kw GTI, it was reading AC voltage fault, looks like it coped it too. Then he said the computer controlled feedlot system is out of action, The PSU seems to have shorted by the smell of it. So now I will have to find some time for my inverter build. Aaron Cheers Aaron Off The Grid |
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| Phil23 Guru Joined: 27/03/2016 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1664 |
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| Revlac Guru Joined: 31/12/2016 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1022 |
Just had a lightning strike close by, Surprised to see both charge controllers turned on because of amount of light emitted from lightning, just disconnected them. Cheers Aaron Off The Grid |
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| Madness Guru Joined: 08/10/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2498 |
If you could get solar power every night you would be on a winner. There are only 10 types of people in the world: those who understand binary, and those who don't. |
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| George65 Guru Joined: 18/09/2017 Location: AustraliaPosts: 308 |
Just moved into a house with a Colourbond roof. Are they normally grounded or would that be something one would normally do themselves? Would you use the water pipes or the house ground rod ( seems risky) or another dedicated earth rod? How big a cable would one need to be effective? I have 2 Lighting rods, one is the huge gum tree out the front of the house and the other is the TV antenna a good 15Ft above the roof held up with Guy wires. There is a 30Ft gun right close to the house but that will be getting the sword very soon as I have permission to remove it being too close to the house. I'll bet ground conductivity is as low as it can be here atm. No rain for months. Ground all around the area has cracks you literally trip in. |
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| Madness Guru Joined: 08/10/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2498 |
Last place you would want to put several hundred thousand volts is back up through your electrical earth. I must say I am surprised you would ask for permission to cut down a tree. There are only 10 types of people in the world: those who understand binary, and those who don't. |
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| Revlac Guru Joined: 31/12/2016 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1022 |
I don't know George, earthing a roof may act like a Shield but IMO could also make it a target, I had a friend with a gumtree beside the house 10 meters away, it got a hit and still destroyed his tv and other gear inside the house. This house has barrier foil in all the walls, perhaps it helps protect electronics in the house? it certainly stops all mobile phone signals. There were many trees here most of them near the house have been hit and removed, We have had up to 5 strikes within 300m of the house from 1 storm, bloody ironstone here. you could have lightning rods around but from what i have seen it will hit anywhere, earth rods wont take it all around here. Cheers Aaron Off The Grid |
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| Madness Guru Joined: 08/10/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2498 |
Lightning is more attracted to sharp points, there are a few videos on youtube demonstrating the difference that makes. There are only 10 types of people in the world: those who understand binary, and those who don't. |
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| George65 Guru Joined: 18/09/2017 Location: AustraliaPosts: 308 |
As I thought. Your instinct was spot on. I didn't ask for permission to cut down the tree. The previous owner did and gave us the DA. :0) Too many trees around here. Not actually trees which is the problem. Mainly shurbs and rubbish gone wild. I'm giving all those mongeral pepper corn things the sword, each and every one of them. The roots travel 10's of meters and above the ground. They are considered an invasive species in some states and I can see why. Not going to be invading here much longer that's for sure! The huge gum out the front supposedly is not healthy because it's too big to get enough water. Dropped a Huge branch Christmas eve which I had to clean up. That also has a DA for removal. I anticipate that to be a $20K exercise at least. Going to get a tree guy in the new year to give us advise on taking some off the top and sides or if it really needs to come out. Everyone says what a wonderful tree it is but if the council think it should come out.... Got to be something to it to convince them! I'll literally have about 10 years of firewood if not more with the thing. So what should be done with the metal Roof? |
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| Revlac Guru Joined: 31/12/2016 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1022 |
A quick google search about "earthing a metal roof" revealed some yes some no, in a bad area it was suggested to provide a high point or two with a strap down to ground. And pvc downpipes not steel. All the metal sheds here go to ground anyway. I don't like lightning to close, too much noise stuffs my ears up once already Tree removal sound's expensive? must be a difficult spot. I wouldn't know about the cost I always do my own. Cheers Aaron Off The Grid |
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