Quote:
Originally Posted by JCA1
Why doesn't the neutral serve as a bonding wire?
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Actually in your case it likely can.
The neutral of a sub-feed to a detached structure can also be used as the grounding conductor (unless you are under the 2008 NEC) if certain conditions are met. The main condition is that there are not other metallic paths between structures. Examples would be low-voltage cables or a copper water pipe.
This allowance was removed in the 2008 NEC.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JCA1
What extra protection does the bare ground bonding wire offer over the ground rod at the building? How?
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A ground rod does NOT "ground" anything. It does have a purpose, but that is not it. A ground rod does not "create" a ground, at least not in the sense of the "safety" ground we are all familiar with, the one that causes a breaker to trip if something is shorted to ground. That ground comes from the neutral to ground bond found at the main service.