Electrical Enclosures

Electrical Enclosures!

If you are a do-it-yourself sort of person (and so many of us are) you may choose to buy the electrical enclosure, or "power center" and wire it up yourself. If you know what you're doing and want the hands-on experience, setting up your own system can increase your understanding and satisfaction. You don't have to be a genius to successfully wire a power center, but if you are a real novice and don't have proper tools I would recommend buying a pre-built power center and save yourself some headaches.

In an attempt to avoid confusion, I should explain that these enclosures are variously known as disconnects, or breaker boxes, or power centers. They serve as main disconnects (to turn off main power and incoming solar power), they hold circuit breakers (to protect branch loads), and they function as a central point of connection for several different power devices (power "center").

On this page I will also list "combiner boxes". These are outdoor electrical enclosures that are used to combine the power cables from individual solar modules, or strings of modules. From there, larger "transmission" wires are run to carry the combined array output to the charge control, which is usually attached to the power center. Combiner boxes can be very simple boxes with terminal blocks, but the better choice (and required to comply with NEC) is a combiner box that also holds a circuit breaker for each solar panel, or string of panels. This is also a wise place to put a lightning arrestor. Nearby lightning strikes can cause equipment disaster in a millisecond, and an arrestor is cheap insurance. Don't be fooled- lightning damage happens all the time and it doesn't take a direct strike to kill everything! For best protection, there should also be a lightning arrestor on the charge control end of the PV transmission line. Arrestors also protect inverters, well pumps, and especially wind turbines!

In any case, here is the place where you can buy the enclosures you will need to put it all together. This page doesn't list every little component available, mostly because the time I have to work on this website is limited. If you lightning protection lightning arrestor system grounding safety

lightning protection lightning arrestor system grounding safety

don't see what you need, contact me! Here is a chart to match inverters to their proper Midnite Solar enclosures.

LIGHTNING ARRESTORS come in different styles depending on the application. All models are $45 each. Just specify what part of the system you need to protect and I will set you up with the right model. Installation instructions.

Midnite Solar E-Panel Magnum version - For MagnaSine Inverters
Model	Part Number	Amps	Voltage	Price
MNE125STM	8931210			$424
MNE175STM	8917599	175	125	$480
MNE250STM	8912510	250	125	$480
MNE175STM/240	8942501	175	120/240	$640

Midnite Solar E-Panel Xantrex version - For XantrexXW Inverters
Model	Part Number	Amps	Voltage	Price
MNE250XW	8922500			$760

Midnite Solar E-Panel Outback version for "FX" Inverters
Model	Part Number	Amps	Voltage	Price
MNE125ST-R	8911250	125	125	$424
MNE175STS-R(wide)	8947541	175	125	$480
MNE250STS-R(wide)	8925038	250	125	$424

Midnite Solar E-Panel Lite - For SW, TR (Same size as Outback) Inverters
Model	Part Number	Amps	Voltage	Price
MNE175DR/TR-L	8901750	175 or 250	125	$415
MNE125LT-R	8931250	125	125	$368
MNE175LT-R	8931750	175	125	$400
MNE250LT-R	8932500	250	125	$400

Midnite Solar Mini-DC Disconnect Power Center with Inverter Breaker and din rail - Perfect for marine, cabins, or small remote applications
Model	Part Number	Amps	Voltage	Price
MNDC125	8941250	125	125	$164
MNDC175	8941750	175	125	$188
MNDC250	8942500	250	125	$188

Midnite Solar & Outback Solar COMBINER BOXES
Model	Part Number	Max # of breakers	Size (")	Weight (#)	Price
MNPV6	8910041	6	9x14x4	4	$88
MNPV3	8910239	3	11x5x4	2	$72
FWPV12	8530145	(outback) 12	15x13x4	6	$185
FWPV8	8530125	(outback) 8	15x9x4	5	$125
OBPV (outback) breakers	specify required amperage	sizes: 3, 6, 9, 10, 15, 20, 30, 50, 63-($35)			$15

Midnite Solar Baby Box enclosure for 1-4 MNEPV or MNEAC din rail breakers
Model	Part Number	Size (")	Weight (lbs)	Price
Baby Box Enclosure	9904100	3x3x7	2	$36

Breakers for E-Panels, MNDC, Combiners and Baby Box
Model	Part Number	Volt VDC	Amps	Price
MNEPV1	8942501	150	1	$15
MNEPV6	-	150	1	$15
MNEPV7 or 8	-	150	1	$15
MNEPV10 or 12	-	150	10 or 12	$15
MNEPV15	-	150	15	$15
MNEPV20	-	150	20	$15
MNEPV30	-	150	30	$15
MNEPV63	8991641	150	63	$15
MNDC-GFP	-	-	63	$53
MNEAC15, 20, 30, 50 or 60	8915139	240	15-60	$15
MNEAC30-3P or 50-3P	-	277	-	$54
MNEDC80	-	125	80	$20
MNEDC125	-	125	125	$54
MNEDC175	-	125	175	$109
MNEDC250	-	125	250	$109

Outback Flexware (these are Outback brand enclosures)
Model	Part Number	Description	Size (")	Weight (#)	Price
FW500-DC	8550012	DC box for 1/2 inverters	18.2x11.4x12.1	15	$250
FW500-AC	8502052	AC box for 1/2 inverters	18.2x11.4x12.1	15	$250
FW1000-DC	8502024	DC box for 3/4 inverters	38.5x11.4x12.1	21	$425
FW1000-AC	8502052	AC box for 3/4 inverters	38.5x11.4x12.1	21	$425
FW-MP	8510212	mount plate, one for FW500, two for FW1000	20.3x46.3x.8	14	$145 each

Model	Item	Size	Weight	Price
SquareD HU361RB	8436133	12" x 8"	10	$149
SquareD DU221RB	8937203	9.63" x 7.25" 3.25"	10	$129