Patent ID: 8203069

Claim:
An apparatus for coupling photovoltaic arrays comprising: a first input adapted to couple to a neutral line of a first photovoltaic array; a second input adapted to couple to a neutral line of a second photovoltaic array; a first ground terminal; a second ground terminal; a control input; a contactor coupled to the control input that operates responsive to a control signal received at the control input, the contactor including: first, second, and third switches that are integrated into a single switching device so the second and third switches are open when the first switch is closed and the second and third switches are closed when the first switch is open; the first switch couples the first input to the second input when the first switch is closed a second switch couples the first input to the first ground terminal when the second switch is closed to couple the neutral line of the first photovoltaic array to ground when the first switch is not coupling the neutral line of the first photovoltaic array to the neutral line of the second photovoltaic array; and a third switch couples the second input to the second ground terminal when the third switch is closed to couple the neutral line of the second photovoltaic array to ground when the first switch is not coupling the neutral line of the first photovoltaic array to the neutral line of the second photovoltaic array.