They are also prohibited by AEP Ohio.
At 11:44 AM 5/11/2016, you wrote:
Hi Kirpal,
Sounds like you are well informed but I thought
I'd throw this in just in case. In Xcel Energy
territory in Colorado they specifically prohibit
piercing taps for solar installations. I'm not
sure why, but you may want to run it by the
utility in case there happens to be some solar specific regulation.
Good Luck
On Wed, May 11, 2016 at 9:36 AM, Kirpal Khalsa
<<mailto:solarwo...@gmail.com>solarwo...@gmail.com> wrote:
Hi Shasta....Thank you for the
reminder. Safety first as they say!! Jason hit
the nail on the head....Coordinating with the
local utility and inspector is what caused us to
go the route of the insulation piercing taps in
the first place....We also considered the
ConnectDer meter collar.....I am sure we will
use it in the future....The local utility has
not already approved their use and in the middle
of a project we didn't want to break new ground.Â
Luckily for us our experienced electrician will
be making the hot taps, I will use the
opportunity to remind them about safety....
Cheers!
Sunny Regards,
Kirpal Khalsa
Oregon LRT#25
NABCEP Certified PV Installation Professional
Oregon Solarworks LLC
<http://www.oregonsolarworks.com>www.oregonsolarworks.com
<tel:541-299-0402>541-299-0402
On Wed, May 11, 2016 at 7:12 AM, Shasta Daiku
<<mailto:mjmornings...@gmail.com>mjmornings...@gmail.com> wrote:
Yes, âI getâ that there is inconvenience in
coordinating  with the utility and inspectors,
permitting, and power disruption. In my world
thatâs just a given part of the process. Of
course there are circumstances where
disconnecting a utility supply is nearly
unavoidable, for instance, certain industrial
processes that run 24/7. I am aware that the
practice of installing line side taps on
energized unfused conductors is common in the
solar industry and always thought it pretty
cavalier. I have to wonder just how many
âinstallersâ have had real training for live
work and utilize proper personnel safety
protection. Part of the classwork for this type
of training is watching/viewing the results of
things gone wrong, even when the best practices
are applied. An indelible impression
will certainly be imprinted, and an attitude of
"avoiding the avoidableâ second nature.
MichaelÂ
On May 11, 2016, at 5:24 AM, Jason Szumlanski
<<mailto:ja...@floridasolardesigngroup.com>ja...@floridasolardesigngroup.com>
wrote:
In some jurisdictions and for some utilities,
pulling the meter is a MAJOR ordeal. Some
jurisdictions require a "service change" permit
on top of the solar permit just to have the
meter pulled. It also requires getting an
inspector out there at the perfect time to have
it inspected so the the utility will re-install
the meter. The homeowner is often without power
for several hours, which is usually somewhere
between inconvenient and unacceptable.
Insulation piercing taps are extremely common
around here for these reasons. With proper
safety precautions and experience, I don't see
any issue specifying and using them.
Jason Szumlanski
On Wed, May 11, 2016 at 12:26 AM, Shasta DaikuÂ
<<mailto:mjmornings...@gmail.com>mjmornings...@gmail.com>Â wrote:
Kirpal, Iâm curious what the reason is for
making the tap on an energized line. Why not
have the meter pulled? While insulation
piercing taps are designed for âhot workâ,
there use for that should be limited to tapping
conductors that have OCP, and arenât under
load, with generous working space, like in a
piece of switch gear. Even in that situation,
making taps on energized conductors should only
be done when itâs an absolute necessity.
Iâve got a large body of âhot workâ under
my belt, both line and load side and will say
that face shields and hot gloves saved my butt
on several occasions and Iâve got a nice scar
on my neck from a molten piece of lug from a
main breaker that broke apart while I was
tightening up itâs mounting screw. Stuff
happens. Itâs always best to play it safe.
Michael Morningstar
On May 10, 2016, at 11:04 AM, Chris Mason
<<mailto:cometenergysyst...@gmail.com>cometenergysyst...@gmail.com> wrote:
This is what we use - we keep a selection in the van for difficult jobs.
Insulation Piercing Connector 2/0-10 AWG
Part #IPCS2001
Insulation Piercing Connector 2/0-10 AWG 2/0-4
Main, 10-14 AWG Tap, Dual Rated AL9CU, Torque Limiting Nut
On Tue, May 10, 2016 at 1:27 PM, Kirpal
Khalsa <<mailto:solarwo...@gmail.com>solarwo...@gmail.com>wrote:
Hi Folks,Â
We have a job requiring a supply side
connection. Wondering if anyone could share
some makes and models for connectors
connecting to the wires between a main meter
and the main breakers in the electrical
panel. Ideally it would be able to be done hot. Â
I am also looking into the ConnectDer meter
collar but will have to coordinate with the
utility for that and am looking to keep things simple. Â
Thank you!!!!
Sunny Regards,
Kirpal Khalsa
Oregon LRT#25
NABCEP Certified PV Installation Professional
Oregon Solarworks LLC
<http://www.oregonsolarworks.com/>www.oregonsolarworks.com
<tel:541-299-0402>541-299-0402
--Â
Chris Mason
NABCEP Certified Solar PV Installer
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