[RE-wrenches] optimizers for low voltage

2011-09-08 Thread jay peltz
HI All,

Are there any MPP optimizers that will work with low voltage(150vdc) battery 
based charge controllers?

thanks,

jay

peltz power


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[RE-wrenches] quite the conundrum

2011-09-08 Thread Marco Mangelsdorf
In 2008, about 200 Net Energy Metered systems went in on this Big Island of
Hawaii, where I live.  About 400 in 2009 and over 800 in 2010.  The same
increase in adoption rates took place across the Aloha State.

 

I think that the next two years or so will bring a stop to this kind of
growth most likely because of the fed grant in lieu of tax credits very
likely going away come 1-1-2012 and a likely change to the HI. state tax
credits as well after this next legislative session as well as the continued
progression of our small island grids becoming more closed to PV due to grid
saturation issues.

 

Be that as it may, until there's a contraction in the PV biz in our Aloha
State (not a question of if but when), we're going to continue to be in an
insanely competitive sales environment.

 

My commercial sales these past 9 months have been kinda light and I'm
bothered by that.  Our standard approach is to always offer the highest
efficiency mods from Brand X.  But we've been losing sales to others who are
undercutting us by as much as 30 or more percent.  No surprise, really,
since these mods are so much more than pretty much the rest of the market,
aside from Brand Y with its HIP and HIT lines.

 

I've resisted going all in or even mostly in as far as getting container
loads of good quality Chinese mods as we've been hyping ourselves as
providers of the highest efficiency production mods on the planet along with
our solid econoline of U.S.-made mods with a minus zero PT and flash test
data for every mod.  But if you hit 'em with Brand X and they're not really
educated on Brand X nor asking for the best, any other quotes that they're
considering from others will make the Brand X quote look way high.  And at
that time you can usually kiss the sale good-bye.

 

So I'm considering a substantial change in our approach to selling PV.  Go
mostly Chinese, go low price to keep up with the competition, offer quotes
using Chinese mods as a standard matter of course and perhaps offer Brand X
on a more limited basis.  It just seems to me that the commoditization of
the PV biz these days has most consumers concluding that price is the most
important factor whether the mods come from China, the U.S. or Timbuktu.

 

Let the fireworks begin.

 

marco

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Re: [RE-wrenches] quite the conundrum

2011-09-08 Thread Michael Welch
I'd like to see any discussion of this moved over to the RE-markets list. While 
it is marginally on topic here since it has to do with your businesses, you 
will find that there are some non-wrench-member folks on that list that may 
have some helpful insights.

Marco Mangelsdorf wrote at 11:48 AM 9/8/2011:
 
In 2008, about 200 Net Energy Metered systems went in on this Big Island of 
Hawaii, where I live.  About 400 in 2009 and over 800 in 2010.  The same 
increase in adoption rates took place across the Aloha State.
 
I think that the next two years or so will bring a stop to this kind of growth 
most likely because of the fed grant in lieu of tax credits very likely going 
away come 1-1-2012 and a likely change to the HI. state tax credits as well 
after this next legislative session as well as the continued progression of 
our small island grids becoming more closed to PV due to grid saturation 
issues.
 
Be that as it may, until there’s a contraction in the PV biz in our Aloha 
State (not a question of if but when), we’re going to continue to be in an 
insanely competitive sales environment.
 
My commercial sales these past 9 months have been kinda light and I’m bothered 
by that.  Our standard approach is to always offer the highest efficiency mods 
from Brand X.  But we’ve been losing sales to others who are undercutting us 
by as much as 30 or more percent.  No surprise, really, since these mods are 
so much more than pretty much the rest of the market, aside from Brand Y with 
its HIP and HIT lines.
 
I’ve resisted going all in or even mostly in as far as getting container loads 
of good quality Chinese mods as we’ve been hyping ourselves as providers of 
the highest efficiency production mods on the planet along with our solid 
econoline of U.S.-made mods with a minus zero PT and flash test data for every 
mod.  But if you hit ‘em with Brand X and they’re not really educated on Brand 
X nor asking for the best, any other quotes that they’re considering from 
others will make the Brand X quote look way high.  And at that time you can 
usually kiss the sale good-bye.
 
So I’m considering a substantial change in our approach to selling PV.  Go 
mostly Chinese, go low price to keep up with the competition, offer quotes 
using Chinese mods as a standard matter of course and perhaps offer Brand X on 
a more limited basis.  It just seems to me that the commoditization of the PV 
biz these days has most consumers concluding that price is the most important 
factor whether the mods come from China, the U.S. or Timbuktu.
 
Let the fireworks begin.
 
marco

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Re: [RE-wrenches] quite the conundrum

2011-09-08 Thread holtek
Quote both ways. Then show them the article written by Bill Brooks in the 
current issue of Solar Pro.


Holt E. Kelly
Holtek Fireplace  Solar Products
500 Jewell Dr.
Waco TX. 76712
254-751-9111
www.holteksolar.com

  - Original Message - 
  From: Marco Mangelsdorf 
  To: 'RE-wrenches' 
  Sent: Thursday, September 08, 2011 1:48 PM
  Subject: [RE-wrenches] quite the conundrum


  In 2008, about 200 Net Energy Metered systems went in on this Big Island of 
Hawaii, where I live.  About 400 in 2009 and over 800 in 2010.  The same 
increase in adoption rates took place across the Aloha State.

   

  I think that the next two years or so will bring a stop to this kind of 
growth most likely because of the fed grant in lieu of tax credits very likely 
going away come 1-1-2012 and a likely change to the HI. state tax credits as 
well after this next legislative session as well as the continued progression 
of our small island grids becoming more closed to PV due to grid saturation 
issues.

   

  Be that as it may, until there's a contraction in the PV biz in our Aloha 
State (not a question of if but when), we're going to continue to be in an 
insanely competitive sales environment.

   

  My commercial sales these past 9 months have been kinda light and I'm 
bothered by that.  Our standard approach is to always offer the highest 
efficiency mods from Brand X.  But we've been losing sales to others who are 
undercutting us by as much as 30 or more percent.  No surprise, really, since 
these mods are so much more than pretty much the rest of the market, aside from 
Brand Y with its HIP and HIT lines.

   

  I've resisted going all in or even mostly in as far as getting container 
loads of good quality Chinese mods as we've been hyping ourselves as providers 
of the highest efficiency production mods on the planet along with our solid 
econoline of U.S.-made mods with a minus zero PT and flash test data for every 
mod.  But if you hit 'em with Brand X and they're not really educated on Brand 
X nor asking for the best, any other quotes that they're considering from 
others will make the Brand X quote look way high.  And at that time you can 
usually kiss the sale good-bye.

   

  So I'm considering a substantial change in our approach to selling PV.  Go 
mostly Chinese, go low price to keep up with the competition, offer quotes 
using Chinese mods as a standard matter of course and perhaps offer Brand X on 
a more limited basis.  It just seems to me that the commoditization of the PV 
biz these days has most consumers concluding that price is the most important 
factor whether the mods come from China, the U.S. or Timbuktu.

   

  Let the fireworks begin.

   

  marco



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Re: [RE-wrenches] optimizers for low voltage

2011-09-08 Thread Darryl Thayer
I think you can use TIGO, 


From: jay peltz j...@asis.com
To: RE-wrenches re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org
Sent: Thursday, September 8, 2011 10:49 AM
Subject: [RE-wrenches] optimizers for low voltage

HI All,

Are there any MPP optimizers that will work with low voltage(150vdc) battery 
based charge controllers?

thanks,

jay

peltz power


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