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