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Home > Archive > Electrical Engineering > July 2005 > Connecting Portable Generator To A Service Entrance Panel
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Connecting Portable Generator To A Service Entrance Panel
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| I recently moved a small building to a ranch where there is no
electricity service. The building had been connected to the power
company and has a Service Entrance Panel on it. I want to connect it to
a 5500 Watts 120/240 Volt Generator. The Generator has a bonded
neutral. The neutral and ground are bonded at the Service Entrance
Panel. Because the Generator has a bonded neutral and the Service
Entrance Panel ground and neutral are bonded, my question is this.
How should I connect the generator at the Service Entrance Panel?
Since the Generator will be the only power supply I was trying to avoid
buying a Transfer Switch. I was going to "unbond" the neutral and
ground at the Service Entrance Panel and connect the 2 power leads,
neutral and ground from the Generator to the corresponding connections
on the Service Entrance Panel. Will this work or am I screwing up?
Thanks for your help.
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| SQLit 2005-07-06, 11:25 pm |
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"MPO" <mpo@usa.com> wrote in message
news:1120685120.166026.295920@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
quote:
> I recently moved a small building to a ranch where there is no
> electricity service. The building had been connected to the power
> company and has a Service Entrance Panel on it. I want to connect it to
> a 5500 Watts 120/240 Volt Generator. The Generator has a bonded
> neutral. The neutral and ground are bonded at the Service Entrance
> Panel. Because the Generator has a bonded neutral and the Service
> Entrance Panel ground and neutral are bonded, my question is this.
>
> How should I connect the generator at the Service Entrance Panel?
>
> Since the Generator will be the only power supply I was trying to avoid
> buying a Transfer Switch. I was going to "unbond" the neutral and
> ground at the Service Entrance Panel and connect the 2 power leads,
> neutral and ground from the Generator to the corresponding connections
> on the Service Entrance Panel. Will this work or am I screwing up?
>
> Thanks for your help.
Does the generator have a overcurrent device? like a 2 pole breaker?
If it does then separate all of the grounds and neutrals in the service, and
drive a ground rod for the generator and run 2 hots and a neutral and ground
to feed the panel.
I would hesitate to tell you to unground the neutral at the genny as I do
not know how it is wound and doing that may be a problem for the generator.
As long as you do not have two sources of power you do not need a transfer
switch.
Some large weather proof twist lock plugs could be used for portability and
safety for the generator. ( if you take the genny with you it, will be less
likely to be stolen )
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| Yes, the generator has circuit breakers. I forgot to mention in my
original post that I intended to ground the generator to a grounding
rod.
Thanks for your help.
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