Michael Ross via EV wrote:
Mike is correct - a single old inefficient panel can draw a sustained arc an inch or longer. Some decent sized farms have burned down because you can't just turn off the sun. There are important safety concern to learn about.
120v DC was used for power distribution in the early 1900's (the Edison system). It certainly worked! The light switches, fuses, etc. were all built to safely switch DC, despite the extra arcing. You can still find some of the old porcelain switches, fuses, and light sockets lurking around in Grandpa's garage, often still in service. A little digging into history should reveal the pluses and minuses of this approach.
But I think it makes more sense to aim a DC system for a lower voltage; say 24v to 48v DC. Arcing is a lot less of a problem, and lots of equipment is already designed to run on these voltage.
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