220v Electrical with 50amp

[Rod75]

I decided to build my whole electrical system 240v since I'll be moving to Europe w my bus. I know nothing about electrical system, so...Should I just go ahead and set up a 50amp system using 240v wire? How should I go about?
Also, I'll have 600w solar + 200amp lithium to start, and 80% of all electrical will be 12v

Appreciate y help

[cwatkin]

Originally Posted by Rod75

I decided to build my whole electrical system 240v since I'll be moving to Europe w my bus. I know nothing about electrical system, so...Should I just go ahead and set up a 50amp system using 240v wire? How should I go about?
Also, I'll have 600w solar + 200amp lithium to start, and 80% of all electrical will be 12v

Appreciate y help

I was asking a similar question but for a US standard setup. Remember that the US 240V standard uses 2x 120V legs 180 degrees out of phase. This is called split phase but it is still a single phase setup. That is why a 240V volt breaker in your panel has 2x legs.

I am not sure how the European standard works exactly but it is 50Hz and appears to be a single true 240V leg and not what we have. Double pole breakers appear to be used but I think I would set this up using European spec components or just wait until you get there to do this job.

https://www.bluesea.com/support/arti...pean_AC_Panels

Maybe you could convert a US panel by swapping breakers but I don't know. You would also have to mess with the bus bars. One of the hots might be the neutral based on the link I included. I think I would probably wait. You could have the wiring run and then finalize the panel and outlets once you get there. The European standard uses a 240V hot, a neutral, and a ground. The US standard uses 2x 120V hots, a neutral, and a ground.

I don't think Europe is this way but Japan actually uses two different power grids. I was surprised but this came to light after the Fukushima Earthquake that knocked several nuclear reactors offline. One part of the country uses the US standard (GE) and the other the European (Siemens). The part hit by the earthquake uses the US standard. There are converting stations to convert power between the grids when excess power is available in one and needed in the other but there wasn't enough capacity in these converters to transfer enough power to the damaged grid at first.

For this reason, most electronics these days are made to run on either power standard. You may notice your laptop power cords have a cord that unplugs from the transformer. All you need is a cord that connects to the European standard and the transformer knows how to handle the rest.

As for the panel, it will definitely be more complicated than that. You might get on European sites and see what RV standards are used over there. I am sure you could get a panel from Europe and get the thing wired up here and ready for when it arrives overseas.

Conor

[PNW_Steve]

Originally Posted by Rod75

I decided to build my whole electrical system 240v since I'll be moving to Europe w my bus. I know nothing about electrical system, so...Should I just go ahead and set up a 50amp system using 240v wire? How should I go about?
Also, I'll have 600w solar + 200amp lithium to start, and 80% of all electrical will be 12v

Appreciate y help

I am a former electrician and couldn't come close to answering your question properly without a good bit of research. Be very careful as to the advice you may get from "some guy on the internet"

A concern right off is whether a system like you describe would meet EU standards. I don't know much about the regs over there but I have heard that electrical "code" is more stringent than in the US.

[cwatkin]

Also, it appears that wire gauges are different over there. They are rated in cross sectional area in mm^2. I don't know what else is different. You can carry more wattage at a higher voltage on the same thickness wire though. You will have a hot, ground, and a neutral. I think I would wait until I get over there or do everything you can "by the book" over here and then finish it off over there. Most of our wiring is rated at 600V but there might be differences that make our wiring not OK for their standards. Again, I don't know.

There are a lot of unknowns unless there are folks in Europe on this forum. I would assume breakers are rated differently, etc.

Here in Missouri I see houses where people wire extension cords into the electrical panel. That probably wouldn't go in many European countries with more stringent inspections.

I am wiring mine with SOOW wire which is marine/RV grade.

Overall you are probably going to get better advice and the actual parts you need and meet spec over there.

Conor

[Rod75]

Looks like I can use the same wiring as used In the US. I might set up the junction box, run the wires and finish it there, like y said. I run and use the 12v system till I get 240v done.