Ground Faults

DC ground faults occur when a live conductor makes unintended contact with the grounded system or earth, creating a parallel current path that bypasses overcurrent protection and can sustain arc conditions at the fault site. Locating and characterising ground faults requires a systematic approach combining insulation resistance measurement, current injection, and string isolation. This section covers fault types, detection equipment, and location techniques for both grounded and ungrounded PV systems.