Re: [RE-wrenches] Anyone heard of Tesup?

[Dan Fink via RE-wrenches]

I've replaced a few Tesup wind turbine "controllers" with real
Xantrex/Morningstar diversion load controllers + dump loads for remote, off
grid folks. Vastly undersized power electronics, heat sinks, and terminal
blocks, a fire waiting to happen. The turbine guts are crudely made, some
work, others fail quickly. Avoid!

Dan Fink
Owner, Buckville Energy Consulting LLC
IREC Certified Instructor for PV and Small Wind Installation
NABCEP Certified PV System Inspector
NABCEP PV Associate
d anbo...@gmail.com
970-672-4342




On Thu, Jul 4, 2024 at 12:33 PM Kienan Maxfield via RE-wrenches <
re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:

> Hey all,
>
> I know well the old adage - "If it sounds to good to be true, then it
> probably is." I also know that I have seen numerous windmill scams.
>
> That said, I am doing some consulting for someone who wants to buy and
> install this Tesup windmill... Supposedly a 9 kW wind turbine for $999
>
> https://tesup.com/us/products/tesup-horizontal-wind-turbines-for-homes
>
> My customer claims all the normal things... This company has been around
> for a very long time (so they claim), they have millions of happy customers
> (so they claim), they are from Europe, not Asia (as though that would make
> them trustworthy)...
>
> I know enough to be highly suspicious, and I won't be touching this unit
> myself either way, but I'm just curious if anyone knows anything directly
> about this specific one. I'll be advising this person not to get his hopes
> up if he does decide to try it out, and that I am suspicious, but if anyone
> has anything more specific, I'd love to hear about it so I can give better
> advice.
>
> Thanks,
> Kienan
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> *Green-Go Solar Wholesale Distribution LLC Maxfield Solar LLC
> (installation and consulting company) maxfieldso...@hotmail.com
>  (801) 631-5584(Cell)
> www.distribution.solar *
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Re: [RE-wrenches] replacement needed for 12 vdc, 20w El-Sid circulator

[Dan Fink via RE-wrenches]

Kirk; I found this place for a very remote client last year with an
ancient, failed El-Sid on a solar thermal system. I didn't do the
replacement as the site is too far away, but the client said it worked fine
upon installation and I haven't heard a word since.
https://www.ussolarpumps.com/el-sid/

Dan Fink
Owner, Buckville Energy Consulting LLC
IREC Certified Instructor for PV and Small Wind Installation
NABCEP Certified PV System Inspector
NABCEP PV Associate
d anbo...@gmail.com
970-672-4342




On Sun, May 26, 2024 at 10:38 AM Kirk Herander via RE-wrenches <
re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:

> Hello,
>
> Any recommendations for replacement? A customer's El Sid on an old Sdhw
> system just failed after 20 years of service. It is powered directly from a
> PV module. Thanks in advance.
>
> --
>
> *Kirk Herander / **kirkh@vermont.solar *
>
> *Owner|Principal, VT Solar, LLC*
>
> *Celebrating our 33st Anniversary 1991-2024!!*
>
> dba Vermont Solar Engineering
>
> 802.559.1225
>
>
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Re: [RE-wrenches] UL batteries for open loop

[Dan Fink via RE-wrenches]

What specific UL listing(s) are they requiring? Around these parts it's
been UL 9540 for all AHJs, and some requiring that even for lead-acid,
despite the IFC exceptions and so few listed products (the IRC now seems to
require UL 9540 even if the system is not grid-interconnected). UL 9540A is
not an actual listing but an active fire test, results of which can be used
to gain their UL 9540 and/or allow smaller offsets between each ESS unit
and from windows, doors etc if their individual UL 9540A testing results
allow that.

Dan Fink
Owner, Buckville Energy Consulting LLC
IREC Certified Instructor for PV and Small Wind Installation
NABCEP Certified PV System Inspector
NABCEP PV Associate
d anbo...@gmail.com
970-672-4342




On Mon, May 20, 2024 at 5:22 PM jay via RE-wrenches <
re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:

> HI All
>
> I got a call from a fellow installer who needs a UL listed lithium
> battery.
> Say 30-50 kwh.  open loop as its working with existing OB radians.
> Could be outside or inside
>
> It so confusing to find the right battery I’d thought I would ask what
> folks are using/recommending.
>
> thanks
>
> jay
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Re: [RE-wrenches] Optics

[Dan Fink via RE-wrenches]

Mine all went down yesterday at noon MDT. I wonder if this has to do with
the sale of Outback?

Dan Fink
Owner, Buckville Energy Consulting LLC
IREC Certified Instructor for PV and Small Wind Installation
NABCEP Certified PV System Inspector
NABCEP PV Associate
d anbo...@gmail.com
970-672-4342




On Sat, May 18, 2024 at 10:17 AM William Miller via RE-wrenches <
re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:

> Friends:
>
> 100% of our Optics sites are down since 11 AM yesterday. Is it just us?
>
> William Miller
> Miller Solar.com
> 805-438-5600
> www.millersolar.com
>
>
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Re: [RE-wrenches] Another one bites the dust?

[Dan Fink via RE-wrenches]

I've recently been dealing with multiple off grid DIY folks who bought EG4
products that are not UL listed, and asking me to consult about pushing
through electrical permits for them. Some have spent $10k+ and are looking
at really expensive boat anchors on a pallet.

Some EG4 all-in-one inverter/charger/PVCC ARE listed, but some are not. As
for their rack mount batteries, they advertise a "UL 9540A" listing, but
the problem is UL 9540A is NOT a listing, it's simply a test that ESS
manufacturers can use to apply for an actual UL 9540 listing. Signature
Solar's "tech support' department responded to my info requests promptly,
but never actually provided the information required by our county
electrical inspector. When I kept pushing for a response, their replies
stopped and I got crickets.

I hope the news of Outback being purchased by EG4 is not entirely accurate,
but "I've got a bad feeling about this"  My other favorite, Magnum,
seems to be floundering. I don't like the Schneider ecosystem for multiple
reasons. Who's left? Looks like Midnite to me at this point.

Dan Fink
Owner, Buckville Energy Consulting LLC
IREC Certified Instructor for PV and Small Wind Installation
NABCEP Certified PV System Inspector
NABCEP PV Associate
d anbo...@gmail.com
970-672-4342




On Wed, May 8, 2024 at 9:33 AM Kirpal Khalsa via RE-wrenches <
re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:

> Nicholas... I got a call from EG4 trying to get us to use their inverters
> and batteries.  I told them that when they stop trying to sell products
> directly to my customers and undercutting us I would consider using their
> equipment.  They asked which inverter brands we were currently using.  I
> replied, Outback and SolArk.  He told me..."we just bought Outback"
> So just like in the past  the solar roller coaster keeps going!  The
> only constant is change!
> Leaves me with mixed feelings regarding Outback now!
> Kirpal
> Oregon Solarworks
>
> On Wed, May 8, 2024, 8:17 AM Nicholas Ponzio via RE-wrenches <
> re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:
>
>> I've been trying to get support for an old Outback Power system (GVFX
>> dual stack.) I finally got a call back today from someone at a call center
>> who told me that Outback Power has been sold and I need to send an email to
>> the new owners to request support. Supposedly, the new company has the same
>> name and email as the old company, but the phones haven't been transferred
>> over yet. My scam radar alarms are ringing off the hook, but what am I to
>> do? Anyone else have any luck getting tech support from the new company
>> (that has the same name as the old company)?
>>
>> Oy!
>>
>>
>> --
>> Nicholas Ponzio
>> Building Energy
>> 1570 South Brownell Road
>> Williston, VT 05495
>> http://www.BuildingEnergyVT.com 
>> "Building Solutions for a Sustainable Future"
>>
>
>
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Re: [RE-wrenches] PWM Controllers in parallel

[Dan Fink via RE-wrenches]

Andrew - I've had no trouble running multiple Trace C-series PWM
controllers in parallel in the distant past. You just have to carefully
adjust (with a multimeter) the bulk/absorb/float/EQ pots of both units so
they don't interfere with each other and pull each other into the wrong
mode for current sun and battery SOC conditions. One should have all
setpoints slightly lower than the other so the first C60 gracefully bows
out of each mode into the next, and the second C60 follows a few minutes
later and does the same.

We have even added a third C60 set by the jumpers to Diversion mode for a
wind turbine, and again just a matter of the voltage/mode setpoint pots.

These are not fancy digital setpoints on a display screen, so some trial
and error on your part will be involved getting all the C60s to play nice,
but it's very do-able and back in the pre-MPPT and pre-Cat5 data cable days
this was the only way to go for larger PV systems at 12 or 24 volts nominal
battery bank. And with some recent experiences with fancy digital MPPT
charge setpoints...the internal voltage accuracy on some recent fancy MPPT
equipment I've dealt with has been abysmal.

Your tiny screwdriver and Fluke 87 won't let you down with the legacy
C-series gear. To avoid multiple truck rolls, I advise adjusting the
settings on a sunny day, starting with a 100% SOC battery bank, so you can
turn big loads and PV input on and off to bring everything down to bulk,
then play with absorb and float setpoints as SOC rises.

Dan Fink
Owner, Buckville Energy Consulting LLC
IREC Certified Instructor for PV and Small Wind Installation
NABCEP Certified PV System Inspector
NABCEP PV Associate
d anbo...@gmail.com
970-672-4342




On Tue, May 7, 2024 at 10:25 AM Andrew Perkins via RE-wrenches <
re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:

> Hello Wrenches,
> I have a client who has a large 2000 watt 12v array
> that he said used to be hooked into an internal solar charger on his old
> trace. Never seen a trace with one of those in it but he claims it could do
> 200a. This internal charger has now died and needs a replacement. He is
> refusing to rewire his panels into a new configuration and their aren't
> many options for him out there. I did get him a Coleman Aire 400a Charge
> controller but it is more of a load controller and wants to be able to
> properly absorb is batteries off the sun. He currently has a c60 running
> only part of the array and now he is asking about running another c60 in
> parallel. Not quite sure if this would work or not but my gut feeling says
> no and there will be problems.
>
> If anyone knows of any controllers that would fit that or if running those
> in parallel works your advice would be greatly appreciated.
>
> Andrew Perkins
>
> Greenwired
>
> P: 707-923-2001 ext. 100
>
> 1150 #1 Evergreen Rd
>
> Redway, CA 95560
> www.greenwired.com
>
>
>
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Re: [RE-wrenches] 120 Vac and 12Vdc mixed distribution system

[Dan Fink via RE-wrenches]

John - much better to start a new thread on this so the small wind turbine
tag is seen. I'm interested too, and I have not seen much new info on the
small wind manufacturer topic here for a few months.

Dan Fink
Owner, Buckville Energy Consulting LLC
IREC Certified Instructor for PV and Small Wind Installation
NABCEP Certified PV System Inspector
NABCEP PV Associate
d anbo...@gmail.com
970-672-4342




On Sat, Apr 27, 2024 at 6:47 AM John Blittersdorf via RE-wrenches <
re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:

> Shifting the small off grid thread a little, I'm trying to find
> replacement wind turbines for the Bergey XL.1 in the 1-2 kw range that is
> quiet and the blades don't blow off.
> Bergey is suggesting Bornay 1kw.  Does anyone have first hand
> knowledge about this turbine or the manufacturer.  I am interested in
> performance, sourcing etc. After having to sell my Pika T701 to a
> customer i have tried cheap ($1000) chinese that turned out to be a 300
> watt turbine and didn't last a year before the hub casting broke and the
> blade and turbine landed 200' from the tower in pieces.
>
> John Blittersdorf
> CV Wind Service
>
>
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Re: [RE-wrenches] 120 Vac and 12Vdc mixed distribution system

[Dan Fink via RE-wrenches]

John; I had quite a few Trace DR series in the field back in the day, but
only one left alive today, fortunately in my guest cabin and not at a
client's house. They had a pretty OK waveform for a modified square wave
inverter, but some modern appliances were just a no-go with a DR, including
some microwaves, LED lights, cordless tool chargers, fridges, and washers.
I also found them particularly sensitive to lightning damage, we had a
single strike that took out every DR within a 1/2 mile radius.
Good product at a nice price point for the era, but honestly if given a
choice I'd take a Trace U-series over a DR now. Fortunately we have better
waveform options now too!
Dan Fink
Owner, Buckville Energy Consulting LLC
IREC Certified Instructor for PV and Small Wind Installation
NABCEP Certified PV System Inspector
NABCEP PV Associate
d anbo...@gmail.com
970-672-4342

On Fri, Apr 26, 2024 at 8:50 PM John Blittersdorf via RE-wrenches <
re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:

> I have a new client wanting to upgrade an old system with DR inverter, 4
> golf cart batteries Trace C40 CC and two small PV panels. The system was
> definitely installed by a professional with breakers and switched and I am
> looking at the photo the customer emailed to me and other than upsizing the
> PV array and new batteries, there seems to be no reason to change the
> inverter which is very energy efficient. His loads are minimal with  a
> vacuum the only load to be
> added.  Another customer called about 18 years after I installed his DR
> system,  Seems that the inverter failed. He had replaced the batteries once
> or twice and no
> other issues.  Got there to check out the failure, I had voltage at the
> inverter DC connections. So I pushed the TINY little black start button and
> it fired right up.
> This system had been so reliable that he had forgotten that there was and
> on/off reset button. For now though, I'm sticking with Outback in spite of
> the FM100
> seeming to have hair trigger GFCI circuit  As with many of my clients
> off-grid second home with a view, access is sometimes difficult so I rely
> heavily on OpticRE
> to make sure their lights are on and to keep micro managing customers off
> my back when they call ask why the solar input is only 1200 watts when they
> have 7K of panels on a perfect sunny day. I look at optics and their
> batteries are full... DUH  I even have two Magnum systems (not my install)
> with FM60's with AUX Relay so I can use MATE3 & OpticsRE to check battery
> voltage, charging, setting charging perameters and start and stop the
> generator remotely.
>
> John
>
>
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Re: [RE-wrenches] Outback Optics RE and Starlink

[Dan Fink via RE-wrenches]

Mac, the only other device is currently a Resol Vbus monitor and it's been
fine with the bad DSL for years and has had no trouble with Starlink. He
plans to add security cameras now that we have Starlink there. For now I'll
point one at the Mate3S so at least we can see system status! The Starlink
system is the new Gen3, and their new wifi router is much improved over my
gen 2.

I did notice on one service call last fall is that after rebooting the Mate
3s, I also had to reboot the unmanaged (dumb) and somewhat old LAN switch.
I'm going down there Sunday to replace it with a  TP-Link ER605 V2 Wired
Gigabit
<https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08QTXNWZ1/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8=1>
router,
I'll be down there for a couple days (might as well watch the eclipse from
an awesome spot) so we'll have a couple days to see if it works better with
Starlink as the primary WAN and fail back to the DSL, or the other way
around.

The Mate's own auto-reboot doesn't seem to have been helping us over the
last 5 years but I'll leave it on.

Best regards,

Dan Fink
Owner, Buckville Energy Consulting LLC
IREC Certified Instructor for PV and Small Wind Installation
NABCEP Certified PV System Inspector
NABCEP PV Associate
d anbo...@gmail.com
970-672-4342




On Fri, Apr 5, 2024 at 2:50 PM Mac Lewis via RE-wrenches <
re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:

> Hi Dan,
>
> We've had very good luck with the Starlink/Mate3s combo with the latest
> firmware.  Do other devices drop too?
>
> I think the updated router will fix this.  You can also use that reboot
> schedule.  I am curious, what router are you using for dual WAN?
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On Fri, Apr 5, 2024 at 1:23 PM William Miller via RE-wrenches <
> re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:
>
>> Dan:
>>
>>
>>
>> There was a period of time when the Mate3 or 3s would lock up pretty
>> regularly.  We built a system that could disconnect the Mate from the hub
>> via a din rail mount RJ-45 relay.  This link
>> <https://millersolar.com/MillerSolar/Portfolio/Commercial/Cal_Trans/Remote/Remote_Control.html>
>> may provide some more info.  If you want more details let me know.
>>
>>
>>
>> William
>>
>>
>>
>> Miller Solar
>>
>> 17395 Oak Road, Atascadero, CA 93422
>>
>> 805-438-5600
>>
>> www.millersolar.com
>>
>> CA Lic. 773985
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> *From:* RE-wrenches [mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] *On
>> Behalf Of *Dan Fink via RE-wrenches
>> *Sent:* Friday, April 5, 2024 12:07 PM
>> *To:* RE-wrenches
>> *Cc:* Dan Fink
>> *Subject:* [RE-wrenches] Outback Optics RE and Starlink
>>
>>
>>
>> Esteemed Wrenches - One of my Optics sites started acting up last summer,
>> randomly dropping its connection, and requiring a manual Mate reboot
>> (unplug Mate connection to Hub, wait 30 seconds and replug - but a 4-hour
>> drive), after which the Mate3S would be back online in under a minute. It
>> was set to reboot every 24 hours as per advice from Outback years ago, and
>> it all worked fine for years.
>>
>>
>>
>> We upgraded the Mate3S firmware last fall, and turned the Mate
>> auto-reboot off, no help. Rebooted manually again, set auto reboot to 24
>> hours again, then to 4 hours. No help.
>>
>>
>>
>> The site is rural and offgrid, but has Centurylink DSL that has been
>> getting slower with more dropouts every month, and everyone in town is
>> complaining about it.
>>
>>
>>
>> So we installed Starlink for the client, the wired router is right next
>> to the Mate. . It's blazing fast, but we are having the same issue of
>> random disconnects, requiring manual reboot . The little tab on the Mate3S
>> RJ-45 cable is wearing out...
>>
>>
>>
>> Outback says "This is a known issue with Starlink customers and has
>> engineers for both our companies working on a joint solution on how to
>> remedy this connectivity issue."
>>
>>
>>
>> I'm going to install a load-balancing failback router this weekend, so
>> hopefully during the times the Starlink gets too wonky, hopefully it fails
>> back to the DSL and the Mate stays connected...
>>
>>
>>
>> Has anyone else here dealt with Optics RE and Starlink? Any tips or
>> tricks?
>>
>>  I have monitoring systems in the field running on Starlink from Magnum,
>> Midnite, and Schnieder, and none of them had any trouble with the Starlink
>> internet connection. Odd that only Outback is causing problems.
>>
>>
>>
>&g

[RE-wrenches] Outback Optics RE and Starlink

[Dan Fink via RE-wrenches]

Esteemed Wrenches - One of my Optics sites started acting up last summer,
randomly dropping its connection, and requiring a manual Mate reboot
(unplug Mate connection to Hub, wait 30 seconds and replug - but a 4-hour
drive), after which the Mate3S would be back online in under a minute. It
was set to reboot every 24 hours as per advice from Outback years ago, and
it all worked fine for years.

We upgraded the Mate3S firmware last fall, and turned the Mate auto-reboot
off, no help. Rebooted manually again, set auto reboot to 24 hours again,
then to 4 hours. No help.

The site is rural and offgrid, but has Centurylink DSL that has been
getting slower with more dropouts every month, and everyone in town is
complaining about it.

So we installed Starlink for the client, the wired router is right next to
the Mate. . It's blazing fast, but we are having the same issue of random
disconnects, requiring manual reboot . The little tab on the Mate3S RJ-45
cable is wearing out...

Outback says "This is a known issue with Starlink customers and has
engineers for both our companies working on a joint solution on how to
remedy this connectivity issue."

I'm going to install a load-balancing failback router this weekend, so
hopefully during the times the Starlink gets too wonky, hopefully it fails
back to the DSL and the Mate stays connected...

Has anyone else here dealt with Optics RE and Starlink? Any tips or tricks?
 I have monitoring systems in the field running on Starlink from Magnum,
Midnite, and Schnieder, and none of them had any trouble with the Starlink
internet connection. Odd that only Outback is causing problems.

I appreciate any and all advice!

Dan Fink
Owner, Buckville Energy Consulting LLC
IREC Certified Instructor for PV and Small Wind Installation
NABCEP Certified PV System Inspector
NABCEP PV Associate
d anbo...@gmail.com
970-672-4342
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Re: [RE-wrenches] EG4 Equipment

[Dan Fink via RE-wrenches]

; vacation our 48v lead acid battery bank was at 15 volts”. I don’t like
>> those phone calls. I also don't like holes in my pants and shirts or calls
>> that CO monitors are alarming because of dead vent fans. I’m not dying on
>> the hill of LFP, but I will say that I am firmly in support of the
>> measurable improvements they have made for my customers. Paired with remote
>> monitoring, the truck rolls a lot less.
>>
>> Kindly,
>>
>> Chris
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Fri, Feb 16, 2024 at 4:33 PM Dan Fink via RE-wrenches <
>> re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:
>>
>>> The issue I'm having with EG4 specifically and Signature Solar in
>>> general is a scattershot approach to UL and NRTL listings. Those listings
>>> may not be important to various DIY folks of varying levels of
>>> "git-er-done," but listings are critical for my business. Some products
>>> they sell are Listed per NEC, some are not, and some EG4 are listed, some
>>> are not. I recently contacted Signature Solar regarding their EG4 rack
>>> mount ESS modules and did not receive a satisfactory response,
>>> unfortunately a new off-grid client had already purchased an entire rack of
>>> them before consulting with me. Our county AHJ is very strict. I can't risk
>>> recommending or installing a system that would fail inspection. Here in
>>> Colorado they often even cross check the altitude ratings on all inverters.
>>> (sorry Schneider XW-Pro that I like so much, limit on your spec sheet is
>>> 2000m altitude)
>>>
>>> Signature Solar provided the usual NRTL stamp for UL 1741SA etc etc on
>>> the EG4 rack batteries, then also a UL 9540A testing certificate that they
>>> said should be sufficient, and it disturbed me that they did not seem to
>>> understand that UL 9540A is NOT a listing - it's a fire-resistance test
>>> that an ESS manufacturer can use as a document to help obtain their actual
>>> UL9540 listing, and also gain exemptions to spacing and other
>>> requirementsbut from my understanding it's NOT an actual UL or NRTL
>>> listing to UL 9540. When I inquired about that, Signature Solar stopped
>>> communicating with me.
>>>
>>> I'm pretty sure my understanding of UL 9540 listing vs. 9540A testing is
>>> correct, but I would appreciate any input before again gently confronting
>>> both AHJs and manufacturers.
>>>
>>> Dan Fink
>>> Owner, Buckville Energy Consulting LLC
>>> IREC Certified Instructor for PV and Small Wind Installation
>>> NABCEP Certified PV System Inspector
>>> NABCEP PV Associate
>>> d anbo...@gmail.com
>>> 970-672-4342
>>>
>>>>
>>>>
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>

Re: [RE-wrenches] EG4 Equipment

[Dan Fink via RE-wrenches]

The issue I'm having with EG4 specifically and Signature Solar in general
is a scattershot approach to UL and NRTL listings. Those listings may not
be important to various DIY folks of varying levels of "git-er-done," but
listings are critical for my business. Some products they sell are Listed
per NEC, some are not, and some EG4 are listed, some are not. I recently
contacted Signature Solar regarding their EG4 rack mount ESS modules and
did not receive a satisfactory response, unfortunately a new off-grid
client had already purchased an entire rack of them before consulting with
me. Our county AHJ is very strict. I can't risk recommending or installing
a system that would fail inspection. Here in Colorado they often even cross
check the altitude ratings on all inverters. (sorry Schneider XW-Pro that I
like so much, limit on your spec sheet is 2000m altitude)

Signature Solar provided the usual NRTL stamp for UL 1741SA etc etc on the
EG4 rack batteries, then also a UL 9540A testing certificate that they said
should be sufficient, and it disturbed me that they did not seem to
understand that UL 9540A is NOT a listing - it's a fire-resistance test
that an ESS manufacturer can use as a document to help obtain their actual
UL9540 listing, and also gain exemptions to spacing and other
requirementsbut from my understanding it's NOT an actual UL or NRTL
listing to UL 9540. When I inquired about that, Signature Solar stopped
communicating with me.

I'm pretty sure my understanding of UL 9540 listing vs. 9540A testing is
correct, but I would appreciate any input before again gently confronting
both AHJs and manufacturers.

Dan Fink
Owner, Buckville Energy Consulting LLC
IREC Certified Instructor for PV and Small Wind Installation
NABCEP Certified PV System Inspector
NABCEP PV Associate
d anbo...@gmail.com
970-672-4342

>
>
>
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[RE-wrenches] In search of better generator start relay for Outback system

[Dan Fink via RE-wrenches]

Esteemed Wrenches - Finally successfully troubleshot an intermittent AGS
problem that has been nagging one of my remote-grid clients for 1.5 winters
now. Of course it's a 4-hour drive from my office.

During winter snowstorms (when they need the AGS the most of course) the
generator had only about 50:50 chance of starting. So I'd travel to the
site (sometimes just the client would do it and I'd guide him by phone),
pull up the Gen menu on the Mate 3S, hit ON and it wouldn't start. No
bueno. Walk up to the generator (propane with Honda engine) and verify it's
on Auto. Start it with the main switch to ON, starts right up, so not a gen
battery problem. Run it for an hour or so, stop it with the switch on the
gen, put it back to Auto, and everything works perfectly from Mate 3S AGS
for 1-2 days, including remote start from OpticsRE. Then the problem
(sometimes) comes up again when nobody is there.

I just happened to hit the site at exactly the right time last week right
as a big snowstorm was moving in, and was finally able to figure it out
with really good raingear and a multimeter: The Outback Flexware remote gen
start relay OBR-16-DIN was icing up internally, I had added it in the gen
compartment when we upgraded the client from an old Trace SW  to an Outback
(SW had a big AGS relay, Outback sent a 12VDC signal to trigger the
external relay we added).

DIAG - new Outback OBR-16-DIN relay would get frosty internally when high
humidity snowstorms would move in, that's why it sometimes didn't work from
the Mate 3S or OpticsRE. Run the gen for an hour, the internal gen
compartment warms up, the frost melts off of the relay, then all the AGS
from Mate 3S and OpticsRE works fine.

Have any of all y'all run into this problem, and is there a more reliable
relay to use that won't ice up? not outside exposed to weather, but inside
the outside gen enclosure. I have zero space available in the VFX  MNDC
enclosure in the house to put in the Flexware AGS relay, it would need a
separate enclosure.

The easiest solution I can see is just find a relay to fit into the gen
compartment that does the same as the Outback version, but doesn't ice up.

Thanks in advance for any and all suggestions.

Dan Fink
Owner, Buckville Energy Consulting LLC
IREC Certified Instructor for PV and Small Wind Installation
NABCEP Certified PV System Inspector
NABCEP PV Associate
d anbo...@gmail.com
970-672-4342
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Re: [RE-wrenches] Magnum problem

[Dan Fink via RE-wrenches]

I have had issues before with Magnum inverter/chargers not accepting AC
input from certain generators. In one case, it would not charge from a
Honda 3kw cube, but worked fine with camp’s Honda 2kw. Magnum said it was a
Honda problem, Honda said it was a Magnum problem. We ended up just
rearranging generators and inverters between camps. Weird, we never
detected anything odd in voltage or frequency from any of the generators.

Dan Fink
Owner, Buckville Energy Consulting LLC
IREC Certified Instructor for PV and Small Wind Installation
NABCEP Certified PV System Inspector
NABCEP PV Associate
danbo...@gmail.com
970-672-4342




On Tue, Oct 31, 2023 at 11:39 AM Ron Young via RE-wrenches <
re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:

> Hello Wrenches,
>
> I am completely stumped. I built a Magnum 4448 panel for a client and it
> was installed by an electrician. It was thoroughly tested before going out
> the door on all functions and pre-programmed for the off-grid site.
> Electrician just had to hang it on the wall and make 4 connections, AC IN,
> AC OUT, BATTERY, PV. Somehow the system wouldn’t go into charge mode. The
> site is a 3 hour trip each way. The electrician was baffled, he had
> experience installing solar but very limited so I went to the site to see
> what the problem was. After spending a day checking out the inverter with
> two different generators, checking all the connections, AC at the inputs at
> the inverter and at the outputs on the breakers, and even removed the cover
> from the inverter to make sure some connections had not shaken loose inside
> the box on the long bumpy road into the property. Everything checked out.
> So assuming the AC board in the inverter was faulty I ordered a new unit to
> replace and that has now been done. SAME PROBLEM! I’m wondering now if it’s
> possible that the Magnum remote monitor could be the problem. It functions
> properly on every setting but is it possible there is an internal fault?
> Could it prevent the automatic charge cycle from initiating? Seems unlikely
> to me because the inverter can go into charge mode even without the
> monitor. I also tried replacing the connection cable between the monitor
> and inverter but no luck.
>
> The generators are both small, one a Honda 2kW and the other a Champion
> 3.8kW. Neither is ideal but I have had no issues with these types of
> generators in the past and the client has ordered a larger 10kW unit but we
> don’t have it yet to test. Generators have been run with Eco Mode off.
> Output to the house on bypass is consistent and without problem.
>
> Any suggestions - this is just confounding.
>
> Ron
>
>
> earthRight Products - Solareagle.com
>
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Re: [RE-wrenches] Propane range options for off-grid?

[Dan Fink via RE-wrenches]

I just returned from a remote off grid site in Northern Canada,  and all
their propane appliances are by Unique. They are pretty high quality and
they've had no problem getting parts for the range, fridge, chest freezers
etc on the rare occasions they were needed (damage from helicopter sling
load transport, mouse chewed CO sensor wire etc.)

I have a Premier Pro Series range at home and love it. I had no problems
getting replacement battery sparker cables from them, but that was aboot 5
years ago. (packrat damage).

I would steer clear of the cheap Hotpoint etc  ranges, poor build quality
and frequent problems, and infuriating trying to turn the burners down to
low simmer. Had a couple of them and finally upgraded to the Premier.
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Re: [RE-wrenches] Wind machines

[Dan Fink via RE-wrenches]

Jay, as Roy mentioned, the small wind situation in the 1-2 kW range right
now is pretty grim - Tons of awful imported products with vastly inflated
"ratings" flooding the market on Amazon, Ebay and AliBaba. I was
particularly impressed (NOT) by a 900mm diameter VAWT that seems very
popular thererated at 8000 watts! (face palm).

There's the Superwind 1250 out of Germany that looks legit:
https://www.superwind.com/superwind-1250/

The AirForce 1 out of the UK looks possibly legit, though with 1.8m rotor
they are counting on a cP of 0.33, which seems kinda high to me.
https://futurenergy.co.uk/feshop/airforce-1-wind-turbines/

I have no experience with actually flying these products however.

Good luck! Solar is cheap but boring!

Dan Fink
Owner, Buckville Energy Consulting LLC
IREC Certified Instructor for PV and Small Wind Installation
NABCEP Certified PV System Inspector
NABCEP PV Associate
d anbo...@gmail.com
970-672-4342




On Thu, Aug 17, 2023 at 9:11 AM Jay via RE-wrenches <
re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:

> Hi all
>
> Is anyone making a good quality 1-2kw wind machine?
>
> All of my searches come up with nothing.
>
> Thanks in advance
> Jay
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Re: [RE-wrenches] Pro Power saving device

[Dan Fink via RE-wrenches]

It's supposed to adjust power factor for the home loads with a teeny tiny
capacitor in the overpriced plug-in box. While power factor correction can
be done at large scale with big banks of switched capacitors and PF sensing
system (cost of $30k+, only for large facilities) , this is ludicrous for
home-scale loads with no sensing system. These are 100% a scam. I am very
proud of getting one of these dealers getting kicked out of a prominent
renewable energy event a few years back. Snake oil has no place in our
business model!
Dan Fink
Owner, Buckville Energy Consulting LLC
IREC Certified Instructor for PV and Small Wind Installation
NABCEP Certified PV System Inspector
NABCEP PV Associate
d anbo...@gmail.com
970-672-4342




On Thu, Jul 6, 2023 at 11:25 AM Dana Orzel via RE-wrenches <
re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:

> Hey all you mighty Wise Folks!
>
> I have an off grid client that sent me a adv. for this device.
>
> propowersaver.com
>
> Does anyone know what this does?
>
> Does It work?
>
> How does it work?
> --
> Dana Orzel Great Solar Works, Inc. C - 208.721.7003 d...@solarwork.com
> Idaho Contractor - # 028765 Idaho PV # 028374 "Responsible Technologies for
> Responsible People since 1988"
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Re: [RE-wrenches] Iron Edison Lithium SOC drift

[Dan Fink via RE-wrenches]

One of my clients had to do this a couple years back, and it did seem to
reset the %SOC of each BMS. I however was not able to be there for it due
to long travel distance.

Iron Edison is no longer in business, so I don't know how much tech support
you are going to get

Dan Fink
Owner, Buckville Energy Consulting LLC
IREC Certified Instructor for PV and Small Wind Installation
NABCEP Certified PV System Inspector
NABCEP PV Associate
d anbo...@gmail.com
970-672-4342




On Thu, Jun 29, 2023 at 6:05 AM Jeremy Rodriguez via RE-wrenches <
re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:

> We have about 20 units out in service.
> All of the batteries SOC readings have drifted apart greatly.  IE always
> said not pay attention the battery readouts, and as long as voltage is
> even, that the batteries are working fine.
> After the last install we did of their batteries, their tech support group
> had me make up a cable to hook up a computer to the battery to re - set the
> BMS I believe.
> I’m scheduled with a new tech support channel for Iron Edison to take this
> on. Has anyone done this before , and is it really going to do any good ?
>
>
>
> Jeremy Rodriguez
> Solar Installation / Design
> All Solar, Inc.
> 1453 M St.
> Penrose Colorado 81240
>
> Sent by Jeremy's iPhone. Sorry for typos and shorthand.
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Re: [RE-wrenches] IQ Gateway outside straw bale house

[Dan Fink via RE-wrenches]

Drake; How much chicken wire or other metal mesh is in the strawbale walls
and stucco? Can you measure wifi signal strength ahead of time with a
smartphone? Is it possible to hardwire Cat5 from the homeowner's
router/extender/etc to the WAN port of the IQ Gateway? That is always
preferable to wifi.

Dan Fink
Owner, Buckville Energy Consulting LLC
IREC Certified Instructor for PV and Small Wind Installation
NABCEP Certified PV System Inspector
NABCEP PV Associate
d anbo...@gmail.com
970-672-4342




On Wed, Apr 26, 2023 at 9:40 AM Drake Chamberlin via RE-wrenches <
re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:

> We are planning to combine Enphase circuits in an IQ combiner box, with
> enclosed Gateway, on the outside of a straw bale house.
>
> Will the WiFi signal penetrate a straw bale and the two layers of stucco
> the wall is made of?
>
> Thank you,
>
> Drake
>
> Drake Chamberlin
> Athens Electric LLC
> Ohio Electrical Contractor’s License 44810
> CO Master Electrician’s License 4526
> NABCEP Certified PV Installation Professional
>
>
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Re: [RE-wrenches] Midnite DIY hardware feedback

[Dan Fink via RE-wrenches]

Hi Allan - I was able to closely examine a Midnite DIY fresh out of the box
that a local colleague installed for a summer neighbor off grid up here. It
hasn't had any issues, but has yet to be heavily used, the HO was not able
to make it up here last summer, so it's just been idling.
My observations:

   - The max wire #AWG size for the DC +/- main cables was way thinner than
   what I would use. #2AWG max.
   - The wiring compartment is TINY, a struggle to even get the lock ring
   for conduit or strain relief gland in there.
   - No realistic way to attach conduit.
   - No 120/240 split phase option.
   - I'm not a fan of high-freq inverters off the grid.
   - I'm not a fan of all-in-one inverter/charge controller combos.
   - Not UL listed.

You get Midnite tech support and warranty of a Chinese product for the
price, which by far beats AliBaba, Ebay,or Amazon.

Not something I would install for myself or for any paying client. But hey,
the 1st 3 letters of the product name are DIY, so.I've seen far, far
worse solutions for a remote homesteader on a shoestring budget. At least
you can call Midnite and talk to a human if everything goes FUBAR.

Dan Fink
Owner, Buckville Energy Consulting LLC
IREC Certified Instructor for PV and Small Wind Installation
NABCEP Certified PV System Inspector
NABCEP PV Associate
d anbo...@gmail.com
970-672-4342




On Thu, Apr 20, 2023 at 6:28 PM Sindelar Solar via RE-wrenches <
re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:

> Wrenches,
> Has anyone used, or known customers who have used, Midnite Solar's new,
> inexpensive imported 'DIY' line? Any stories, any feedback on performance
> and reliability so far?
> Thanks, Allan
> --
> *Allan Sindelar*
> al...@sindelarsolar.com
> New Mexico EE98J Journeyman Electrician
> (Retired), Positive Energy, Inc.
> (Retired), Sindelar Solar
> *505 780-2738 cell*
>
>
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Re: [RE-wrenches] IQ8 "line noise" issues?

[Dan Fink via RE-wrenches]

Ferrite beads, cores and rings are NOT all the same. The RFI frequency
ranges they can suppress differ depending on the "mix" of powders used in
their manufacture. I carry a variety of them in my truck, some of each type
(ring, snap on core) and of Mix 31, 65 and 75. And a big cheap pack from
Amazon of unknown mix (even the seller didn't know) which seems to be
somewhere around Mix 43.

It's also important to identify both the source and the victim of the
RFI, as you can select ferrites to suppress either end or both. As in, is
there a noisy appliance in the house (something with a VF drive maybe?)
that's interfering with the microinverters, or are the microinverters
interfering with something in the house?

This document from Palomar Engineers goes into detail about the different
available ferrite mixes. These are ham radio folk, and they are very
helpful with tech support requests in diagnosing and mitigating RFI issues.

https://palomar-engineers.com/ferrite-products/ferrite-cores/ferrite-mix-selection

Dan Fink
Owner, Buckville Energy Consulting LLC
IREC Certified Instructor for PV and Small Wind Installation
NABCEP Certified PV System Inspector
NABCEP PV Associate
d anbo...@gmail.com
970-672-4342




On Thu, Oct 27, 2022 at 10:00 AM Jason Lord via RE-wrenches <
re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:

> Hi Lars,
>
> It is likely that the IQ8 micro's are more subject to line noise then
> previous models.  We've had line noise and comm's issues in the past
> with IQ 7's as well.  A cheap solution that we have had some success
> with is to put ferrite core snap together chokes around L1 and L2 PV
> input wiring.  You can get these at Radio Shack for about $6-8 a piece.
> This would be a much cheaper solution then the Enphase filter.   You can
> also try the solid core type, and your installers can just pass the
> conductors through them as they wire the combiner box.  You can also get
> much less expensive in line filters that are similar to the Enphase
> filter on Amazon for $20-50 a piece.  Good luck and happy solaring.
>
> Jason Lord
> Mendocino Solar Service
>
>
> On 2022-10-27 8:21 am, Lars Ortegren via RE-wrenches wrote:
> > Seemingly out of the blue we've had a number of installs (all IQ8)
> > that are having Line Noise issues preventing the MIs from
> > communicating from the Envoy. In both of our recent installs they are
> > not in neighborhoods that have a number of systems, and the issue is
> > not finding too many, but finding very few to none .
> >
> > Enphase has suggested purchasing a Q-LCF-064-1P line filter ($500),
> > and I wanted to see if this is something that is "more common" on the
> > IQ8 that we should plan on as part of our pricing. Any wrenches found
> > cheaper alternatives that work?
> >
> > Lars
> >
> >  [1]
> >
> > Links:
> > --
> > [1] https://californiasolarco.com/quote/
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