Kirpal,
I got the other side of the story from some Grundfos folks at last fall's SPI and it made sense. The internet PV sellers were all carrying the SQFlex at discounted prices and selling the pumps to anyone with a valid credit card. As we all know, most internet sales reps haven't got a clue about what their products and provided no tech support to their customers. Water pumping is very application-specific, and selecting the right pump takes knowledge and experience. So the end-users would call Grundfos and get their tech support folks (there used to be tech support), who couldn't help them (because they didn't know enough to begin with) or who helped them determine that they had been sold the wrong pump for the application. It became a mess. So Grundfos US changed their distribution model in order to cut out the RE distributors and retailers who were selling to anyone, and instead made them available only through their established pump distributors.

To me, that makes a lot of sense, although there's no ideal solution for our industry. For us here, it works - we have a well-established conventional pump distributor in NM, with support when we need it. We sell and install the pumps - hand method only - or spec the model and have the well driller or conventional pump company sell and install the pump - machine method only - and carry the warranty.


Allan Sindelar
al...@positiveenergysolar.com
NABCEP Certified Photovoltaic Installer
NABCEP Certified Technical Sales Professional
New Mexico EE98J Journeyman Electrician
Positive Energy, Inc.
3201 Calle Marie
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87507
505 424-1112
www.positiveenergysolar.com




On 4/6/2011 4:53 PM, Kirpal Khalsa wrote:
Dana....that is exactly the problem....because of the business model grundfos has chosen it makes more sense to have a pump guy install and sell the pump and we will install the solar....however....none of the local pump guys have any experience with the SQFlex pumps and have no idea how they operate.....so asking them has proven fruitless.....I have been to more grundfos sqflex trainings then them....and water pumping is a very small portion of our business...
I think Grundfos made a stupid move by abandoning all their solar distribution.....
Water pumping guys have no idea how to do solar so they are not pushing the sqflex pumps and now the solar guys are being restricted from selling sqflex pumps so the end result is grundfos shoots themselves in their own foot......
its a crazy world out there...
Cheers,
Kirpal Khalsa

On Wed, Apr 6, 2011 at 2:03 PM, Dana <d...@solarwork.com> wrote:

No tech support – This is why they have stopped selling to almost everyone but pump installers and AEE.

I have lost all other suppliers on the GF Sq flex.

T/G that at least AEE sells this item still.

 

Can AEE help?  Or whomever sold it to you?

 

Dana Orzel

Great Solar Works, Inc

E - d...@solarwork.com

V - 970.626.5253

F - 970.626.4140

C - 970.209.4076

web - www.solarwork.com

 

"Responsible Technologies for Responsible People since 1988"

Do not ever believe anything, but seriously trust through action.

 

From: re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org [mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of Kirpal Khalsa
Sent: Wednesday, April 06, 2011 2:55 PM
To: RE-wrenches
Subject: [RE-wrenches] Grundfos SQ Flex

 

Hi all....so I have a pumping project using a grundfos SQ Flex pump....It will operate on the grid when grid is present and then switch back to solar ready if the grid power should fail.....here is the set up...
5-Sanyo HIT 220's Vmp non temp adjusted is 213VDC
Pump is SQFlex 16 SQF-10 will have CU 200 controller and IO101 AC input box....

System has a pressure tank and pressure switch which will be used instead of float switch as there is no storage tank at or above ground level....
This system is a retrofit project to an existing well pumping system......
Here is my questions:
1. Pump and CU 200 controller are rated for upto 300VDC but IO 101 Controller is only rated for 225VDC.....is that open circuit or max power on the modules....
2. The Grundfos wiring diagrams only show 2 wires and a ground leaving the IO101 going to the CU200.....What is happening when there is 240VAC supplying the system and what happens when it switches back to DC how is the power transmitted on those wires?  What happens to the second leg of the 240VAC generator/grid input?
3. Has anyone done one of these Grundos SQFlex back up water pumping systems connected to a pressure tank and did it operate as expected?
Grundfos does not offer tech support.......that is kind of a bummer....
Thanks for any advice or help....


--
Sunny Regards,
Kirpal Khalsa
NABCEP Certified Solar PV Installer
Renewable Energy Systems
www.oregonsolarworks.com
541-218-0201 m
541-592-3958 o


_______________________________________________
List sponsored by Home Power magazine

List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org

Options & settings:
http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org

List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org

List rules & etiquette:
www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm

Check out participant bios:
www.members.re-wrenches.org





--
Sunny Regards,
Kirpal Khalsa
NABCEP Certified Solar PV Installer
Renewable Energy Systems
www.oregonsolarworks.com
541-218-0201 m
541-592-3958 o
_______________________________________________ List sponsored by Home Power magazine

List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org

Options & settings:
http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org

List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org

List rules & etiquette:
www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm

Check out participant bios:
www.members.re-wrenches.org

_______________________________________________
List sponsored by Home Power magazine

List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org

Options & settings:
http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org

List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org

List rules & etiquette:
www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm

Check out participant bios:
www.members.re-wrenches.org

Reply via email to