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Question/Concern with no AFCI Breakers and NEC
I just had solar panels with battery storage installed.
The solar company installed a subpanel on the exterior wall directly through the exterior wall from my Main Breaker panel which is inside my garage.
We chose 6 circuits totaling 100 amps (2 - 20 amp; 4 - 15 amp) to be connected to the subpanel and ultimately connected to the solar battery.
The four 15-amp circuits were originally connected to combination AFCI/GFCI breakers in my Main Breaker panel.
In the subpanel there are 6 breakers for these circuits (2 - 20 amp; 4 -15 amp).
The four 15-amp breakers installed in the subpanel did not have any AFCI protection and the system failed inspection (rightfully so in my judgement).
The solar company told me that "supply chain" issues were making it very hard for them to find AFCI breakers for this Siemens subpanel.
It was 5 weeks waiting for this issue to be remedied. I called and emailed several times. I spoke to the solar company owner.
He re-iterated the "supply chain" issues and he also stated he was concerned that if AFCI breakers were installed they would create issues
for the "Enphase IQ Combiner 4" communicating with the cloud.
This week the solar company came back and installed GFCI breakers on these four 15-amp circuits in the subpanel.
The systems passed inspection.
I am concerned that there is no AFCI protection on these circuits.
Am I right to be concerned? If so, how do I get the inspector to also be concerned and get AFCI breakers on these circuits?
Lastly the "Enphase IQ Combiner 4" communication issues caused by AFCI breakers; is this a real concern?
If so, would it not be remedied by using filters/chokes?
I am uncomfortable that there is no AFCI protection on those circuits but possibly there is an exception in the NEC for solar systems.
I appreciate any guidance given.
Thanks
The solar company installed a subpanel on the exterior wall directly through the exterior wall from my Main Breaker panel which is inside my garage.
We chose 6 circuits totaling 100 amps (2 - 20 amp; 4 - 15 amp) to be connected to the subpanel and ultimately connected to the solar battery.
The four 15-amp circuits were originally connected to combination AFCI/GFCI breakers in my Main Breaker panel.
In the subpanel there are 6 breakers for these circuits (2 - 20 amp; 4 -15 amp).
The four 15-amp breakers installed in the subpanel did not have any AFCI protection and the system failed inspection (rightfully so in my judgement).
The solar company told me that "supply chain" issues were making it very hard for them to find AFCI breakers for this Siemens subpanel.
It was 5 weeks waiting for this issue to be remedied. I called and emailed several times. I spoke to the solar company owner.
He re-iterated the "supply chain" issues and he also stated he was concerned that if AFCI breakers were installed they would create issues
for the "Enphase IQ Combiner 4" communicating with the cloud.
This week the solar company came back and installed GFCI breakers on these four 15-amp circuits in the subpanel.
The systems passed inspection.
I am concerned that there is no AFCI protection on these circuits.
Am I right to be concerned? If so, how do I get the inspector to also be concerned and get AFCI breakers on these circuits?
Lastly the "Enphase IQ Combiner 4" communication issues caused by AFCI breakers; is this a real concern?
If so, would it not be remedied by using filters/chokes?
I am uncomfortable that there is no AFCI protection on those circuits but possibly there is an exception in the NEC for solar systems.
I appreciate any guidance given.
Thanks
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