This guide is primarily concerned with the grounding system design for photovoltaic solar power plants that are utility owned and/or utility scale (5 MW or greater). The focus of the guide is on differences in practices from substation grounding as provided in IEEE Std 80. This guide is not intended for the substations to interconnect the plant; however, if the substation is included within the plant, portions of this guide may be applicable. Similarly, this guide does not directly cover small scale solar power plants (such as rooftop type systems), substation grounding, or lightning protection.

This guide is primarily concerned with the grounding system design for ground-mount photovoltaic (PV) solar power plants (SPPs) that are utility owned and/or utility scale (5 MW or greater). The focus of the guide is on differences in practices from substation grounding as provided in IEEE Std 80. This guide is not intended for the substations to interconnect the solar plant; however, if the substation is included within the plant, portions of this guide may be applicable. Similarly, this guide does not directly cover small-scale SPPs (such as rooftop type systems), substation grounding, or lightning protection.

The intent of this guide is to provide guidance and information pertinent to the grounding practices in SPPs for personnel protection, specifically to identify differences between substation grounding (covered under IEEE Std 80) and SPPs. This guide is primarily concerned with grounding practices related to personnel protection within SPPs for 50 Hz or 60 Hz systems.