Electrical power panel

rugyboogie

Well-Known Member
May 30, 2010
163
127
1,600
Vancouver, BC
My off grid retirement home/cottage has come to the point that we are now getting to the electrical stage.
Generating my power are 40PV x320, 8x75 and a three phase microhydro giving me 1500 to 1800w.
Looking to see if someone here has used or has an opinion on has used an all copper electrical panel. Source make model ?
Also, anyone use an Equi-tech in conjunction with the their electrical panel ?
 

rugyboogie

Well-Known Member
May 30, 2010
163
127
1,600
Vancouver, BC
Haven't found a source that makes a copper bus bar for a main electrical panel.
Manufacturers al use aluminum for the bus bar or apply a dusting of copper on the aluminum.
 

Folsom

VIP/Donor
Oct 25, 2015
6,024
1,490
520
Eastern WA
SquareD’s nicer line is copper. Their homeline is aluminum.
 

Kingrex

Well-Known Member
Feb 3, 2019
2,807
2,315
350
Are you taken care of?
 

rugyboogie

Well-Known Member
May 30, 2010
163
127
1,600
Vancouver, BC
Hi Kingrex
No, not yet. Decided to build three more homes before I finish mine.
Work allows me to do the things I want to do but cuts down on the time
I have to do those things.
Need to move my 20ft sea container on which I will install the aluminum beams for the PV panels install. Purchase the copper tek cable and have an excavator guy to start the trenching from sea-can to the house in mid June.
Do you have a preferred panel recommendation or any suggestions ?
Thanks,
Mike
 

marty

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2010
3,025
4,173
2,520
United States
Mike
Here's an unabashed plug for Rex. His knowledge on panels and load centers exemplary. Even better, the custom work he did on the the Square D panel w a silver plated copper buss he did for me recently is outstanding. I ran into Mike Fremer at AXPONA and he concurs that Rex's work is superb. I think you would find him to be a valuable designing consultant for your audio needs.
Marty
 

Kingrex

Well-Known Member
Feb 3, 2019
2,807
2,315
350
Have reached out to Kingrex but haven't heard back.
Fingers crossed that he read this.
Rugy,
I am sorry if I missed your forum submission. My mail does not make it obvious when a request comes through my website. I need to fix that. I see your request now when I look back. I have been working through a few projects. I have family from out of town visiting and I am traveling again this week. I will respond to your PM but I will need a week or so to start digging into a new project.
Thanks for considering me.

FWIW, If your starting from scratch and you have the chance, I like a good SQD NQ panelboard like I made for Marty. They are robust and when I am all done, all copper. I have a couple interior on order. Sq D is 750 in the hole and thinking of making a production run in October. It may be November before I can get one. Then I need a week to work it over and make it the way I like them.

There is also a fully custom panel option. Excellent panel. Better copper. Nothing for me to do. 1/4" thick pure copper bus. I can get a custom panel in about 3 weeks.

If I have to get a 3R outdoor panel in SqD, that may be a longer lead time. I would have to ask.
From this point we can distribute loads however needed. Maybe something like this Visio drawing. Actually 6 disconnect is not allowed anymore. This project is now a single 400A main, but the concept is the same. I will work up a one line and spec to support the projects as well as marked drawings that are easy for the onsite electrician to follow. A bit like these attachments.

Can you even see the files? I though they would land as an image.
Rex
 

Attachments

  • Visio-Generator backup.pdf
    21.7 KB · Views: 20
  • 02 Grounding connections and rod location.pdf
    1 MB · Views: 19
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