The MidNite Solar Birdhouses are being evaluated at UL right now...
Some inspectors are allowing it to be installed already though as the
combiners themselves are already listed.
boB
On 5/22/2014 8:48 AM, Tump wrote:
SMA will shut down w/ the removal of the meter. Installing the
inverter w/in the 10' area will meet this requirement.
On May 21, 2014, at 9:48 PM, Jeffrey Quackenbush wrote:
I recently took a code update course with the electrical inspector in
Andover MA, and he said that he is only allowing micro-inverter
systems in his jurisdiction at the moment.
SolarEdge and other auxiliary optimizers are not able to certify that
they will shut down within 10 seconds. I understand that the
manufacturers are working on this, but I'm not sure about their
timeframe. Most jurisdictions in MA, I believe, are accepting
SolarEdge or Tigo systems, but they don't comply at the moment with
the 10 second shut-down provision in 690.12 (2).
The inspector said that he is interpreting 690.12 (1) to say that the
means of performing the shutdown should be within 10'/5' of the
array, so that means locating the shutdown means on the roof in most
cases. The last time I brought this up on the Wrenches list, it was
suggested installers could use some kind of relay setup with an
accessible activation switch and a relay disconnect. However, 690.12
(5) says: "Equipment that performs the rapid shutdown shall be listed
and identified". 690.12 (5) unfortunately doesn't tell us what the
equipment should be listed and identified for. It could be listed and
identified for the circuit characteristics and shutdown time, or it
could be listed and identified for the requirements of 690.12 as a
whole function with its own UL specifications. It's possible to find
equipment for the former interpretation, but I'm not aware of
anything available for the latter (is anyone writing a UL regime for
this?). And I think that the latter interpretation is reasonable,
given the ambiguity in the way the text is written, and what is
usually meant by "listed and identified" taken together.
I like micro-inverters for small systems. And I like the SolarEdge
model for larger systems with weird layouts, shading issues, or a
premium on production. However, central inverters are, depending on
the configuration and size of the system, 0.05 $/W to 0.25 $/W less
expensive than micro-inverters or DC optimizer systems, and that
increase in cost is most likely to come out of the contractor's
pocket. I also see this affecting sales for companies producing
central inverters as the 2014 code rolls out across the country. If
someone has a solution for central inverters under 690.12 when
dealing with skeptical AHJs, I'd appreciate hearing more about it.
Regards,
Jeffrey Quackenbush
On Tuesday, May 20, 2014 2:07 PM, Phil Forest
<pfor...@southmountain.com <mailto:pfor...@southmountain.com>> wrote:
All in all, not longer, glad to say.
Strings can have more modules, so there's fewer home runs.
Optimizer wires are longer than module wires, they even reach
when installing modules in landscape, so fewer jumpers. Be
thoughtful when mounting optimizers to rails so it's easy to
connect after module is clamped down. Bolts that attach
optimizers slide into rails from the end (UniRac SM type rails).
You supply your own nuts and bolts. They supply a star washer for
bonding optimizer to rail for EG.
We mounted optimizers to modules on one job when using UniRac
Sunframe. SunFrame is a pain in my neck, optimizers or not.
Phil Forest
South Mountain Company
On May 20, 2014, at 1:33 PM, Will White
<william.wh...@rgsenergy.com
<mailto:william.wh...@rgsenergy.com>> wrote:
Phil,
Do you find that the DC optimizer adds to the amount of time on
an install?
Thanks,
Will
*From:* RE-wrenches
[mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] *On Behalf Of
*Phil Forest
*Sent:* Tuesday, May 20, 2014 1:26 PM
*To:* RE-wrenches
*Subject:* Re: [RE-wrenches] 2014 NEC
Will,
No problems with inspectors for us in MA, regarding rapid
shutdown, since we recently switched to using SolarEdge central
inverters with optimizer under each module, for roof mounted
installs.
So far so good. They seem well made and engineered. Tip: you have
to enable the arc fault protection when commissioning, ships
disabled.
Phil Forest
South Mountain Company
On May 20, 2014, at 10:59 AM, Will White
<william.wh...@rgsenergy.com
<mailto:william.wh...@rgsenergy.com>> wrote:
Wrenches,
Is anyone else having problems with inspectors and the 2014
NEC? In Mass we're having all kinds of issues with
inspectors requiring/allowing an array of different things
for 690.12 rapid shut down ranging from roof top disconnects,
disconnects on the side of a house 20' up, disconnects in
attics, or only disconnects that can be activated on the
ground. It varies between inspectors.
We're also having problems with one inspector requiring arc
fault breakers on Enphase even though there are no UL listed
arc fault breakers that can be back fed or he wants us to run
the trunk cable in a raceway.
It's getting very difficult to install in Mass.
Thanks,
Will
*Will White*
Operations Manager - New England
RGS Energy
64 Main St. |Montpelier, VT 05602
tel 802.223.7804 |mobile 802.234.3167 |fax 802.223.8980
*RGSEnergy.com <http://www.rgsenergy.com/> **|
william.wh...@rgsenergy.com
<mailto:william.wh...@rgsenergy.com> *
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