Multitasking Solar

and...almost certainly will have a handle like a lever, not just a turn knob so the switch will have a "positive" open or close or the contacts can weld if stopped momentarily.

GA

update I have been able to find an industrial control 600v dc auto- off- hand switch that is only rated for 20 amps, I am looking for one rated 30amps, Similar to the ones in the existing inverters.

You don't say what voltage your panels are working at, but if it's grid feed I would expect somewhere around 300 - 400v. Your current though, is pretty small at only 30 amps.

Have you considered an electro-mechanical solution?

At that current, you could reasonably expect good arc quenching with a pair of contacts in series and possibly a capacitor - resistor across them.

Therefore, a possibility would be two four pole n/o 50 amp AC contactors (easier to get than DC ones at that voltage). A single four pole c/o contactor will not give you the off state that you specify.

One contactor would use 2 poles in series for each of +ve and -ve from the panels to the inverter, and the other contactor would use the same from the panels to the charge controller (I assume your charge controller is an MPPT type and can handle the input voltage).

Control of the contactors could then be automatic (battery state of charge based) or manual (small 3 position switch) if preferred.

Coil voltages would be of your choosing dependent on control method, AC coils will work fine on DC, just keep the applied DC about 30% lower than the rated AC coil voltage either by coil selection or a suitable series resistance.

Interlocking to prevent both contactors being energised concurrently will be mandatory and easily managed either via the auto/manual operators or a set of auxillary contacts.

If you go down this path, use contactors, not relays, as the contacts break on both sides (larger arc gap) rather than the reed type operation of a relay. They also have greater spring load so will disengage on DC far better than will a relay.

The above could be achieved electronically using either Mosfets or IGBTs but you would likely pay a fair bit to get it done whereas the contactors would be an easy fix.

Friend,

One of my friends is called "Mr. Solar" at the Baton Rouge chapter of ABC (Associated Builders and Contractors). A call there may get you reliable help.

--JMM