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Posted By: johnnyhvac grounding - 12/10/03 05:49 AM
Please help refresh my memory on a grounding issue.

I have a fused disconnect (600 amp)on a pole 200 feet away from a metal building.

Interior panel (400 amp) will be removed and (3) 200 amp panels installed. Planning to lug from inside a gutter at the building, 2/0 THHN conductors to each panel. There is no grounding conductor in the PVC conduit running back to the disconnect with the feeder.

Therefore, I would like to ask the proper way to ground each of these 200 amp panels heated from a common gutter with no ground back to the disconnect. The previous 400 amp panel was grounded at the building with a grounding electrode but now the 400 amp is not there and there are (3) 200 amp panels. The 600 amp disconnect is also grounded at the pole via a ground rod too.

Can I install a grounding electrode for each 200 amp panel without a concern of circulating currents? Would this be considered double bonding or even triple bonding? Sure would appreciate some feedback.

Thanks.
Posted By: Scott35 Re: grounding - 12/12/03 12:43 AM
If you have no metallic (conductive) paths between the location where the main service is and the Building with the 200 amp panels, then you could do as described in NEC article 250-32 ('99 NEC), or 250-24 ('96 NEC).
By this I mean "Re-Ground The Noodle" (bond the Grounded Conductor to another local GES).

If the feeder from the 600 amp service comes up into a distribution panel, then bond the Grounded Conductor to the GES + equipment at that panel.

If distribution is done via a common gutter, then POSSIBLY could bond the GES to enclosure + Grounded Conductor in the gutter.
This should be verified OK by the AHJ first.

I would think that bonding each 200 amp panel's Grounded Conductor + enclosure to the GES would be OK (verify first!), but it seems like more work than needed.

My choice would be to go with a single bonding point, sized per 250-66 ('99 NEC) connected to a compliant GES (Grounding Electrode System) which is "Local" to these panels.

Other method would be, of course, to add an EGC (Equipment Grounding Conductor) with the feeders.

If I find some additional data, it will be added.

Working on some system grounding schematics, and hope to post them soon.

Scott35
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