What is the best method to decrease both resistance and reactance in a grounding system?

The best method to decrease both resistance and reactance in a grounding system is to increase the number of ground rods, keeping their lengths short. This is effective because adding more ground rods spreads the grounding system over a larger area, which directly reduces the resistance to ground by providing multiple paths for fault current to flow. With each additional ground rod, the overall resistance decreases, which is especially beneficial in areas with high soil resistance. Keeping the ground rods short also enhances their effectiveness by minimizing the length of the metal in contact with the ground, reducing the resistance further.

Moreover, having multiple ground rods helps in mitigating reactance. Reactance in grounding systems is influenced by the geometry and spacing of the ground conductors; multiple rods can help to reduce the overall inductance in the grounding system. Therefore, this approach addresses both resistance and reactance effectively.