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Old 09-18-2017, 07:41 AM   #1
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Inverter to SubPanel Question

Although none of my Solar builds used a subpanel, I'm curious as to how the wiring is accomplished. Specifically, where does the subpanel wiring go? Does it go back to the main board but to only to the circuits that you desire to remain powered when running on inverter 120VAC? I also read that two auto transfer switches are needed when using an inverter subpanel.

I'm not understanding how the subpanel is used with inverter output. On my solar and other RV solar builds, I wire the romex inverter output into the main panel via an auto transfer switch. I did disconnect the air conditioning, hot water heater, fridge heating element, and converter from the main power panel and connect them directly to the 30 amp power just before the auto transfer switch. I then wire an outlet box with a resettable fuse for each romex line that I removed from the main panel to protect those lines that I only want powered by generator/shore power and not 120vac inverter power. I guess I could install a subpanel instead of individual outlet boxes with resettable fuses but subpanels take up valuable space and look ugly.

Is how subpanels are wired? Basically tap lines into the 30 amp (in my situation) power before the auto transfer switch going to the main box to ensure that those items are only run by gen/shore power (not inverter power) and the rest of the items in the main panel can be run by both inverter or gen/shore power via the autotransfer switch?

Perhaps I got it backwards but not understanding pics I see on interweb that have sub panels with circuit breakers for circuits only powered by inverter 120VAC. Do they just tap into the main panels circuit braker's output terminals?

Curious as to how others do it. So far my method has worked for me and others but always looking to learn.
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Old 09-18-2017, 08:04 AM   #2
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You are doing it "the hard way" as you have separate fused lines for all of the non-inverter loads. For a subpanel you would put a large breaker in the main panel and remove all of the loads that you want to power from the inverter. Run a feed from the new breaker to the line side of the new transfer switch and run the transfer switch output to the subpanel. Move the inverter powered loads to separate breakers in the subpanel and then run the inverter output to the "generator" side of the new transfer switch.

As a result you have a panel for non-inverter powered loads and a sub panel for inverter powered loads. Clean...neat...easy to understand and you eliminate all of the separate fused lines for the non-inverter powered loads.
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