[RE-wrenches] Suntech 170

[Todd Cory via RE-wrenches]

Does anyone know where I might be able to find one of these? Please reply off list.Thanks,Todd
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Re: [RE-wrenches] Optics Off Line???

[Todd Cory via RE-wrenches]

Nope, but I can't get in either.



On June 3, 2024 6:42:25 AM John Blittersdorf via RE-wrenches  wrote:

Seems Optics is off line again.  Anyone have news?

John Blittersdorf
NABCEP Certified Solar PV Installation Professional™ 
CV Wind Service (and solar)
200 West Road
N Chittenden, VT 05763
802-770-8625
www.offgridvermont.com


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Re: [RE-wrenches] Optics

[Todd Cory via RE-wrenches]

 

"OPTICS RE Back Online

Report
Quote

Post by Marshall Neipert » 20 May 2024 20:32
Enersys has fixed the issue and Optics RE is back online."
Except it is not for me.ToddOn Tuesday, May 21, 2024 7:22am, "Dave Angelini Offgrid Solar via RE-wrenches"  said:


Anyone who fixes Outback's inability to run closed loop would be great.I think I have seen Outback claim it was coming soon for 5 years now. Hopefully they can get Optics up soon for my 3 clients.
Dave Angelini Offgrid Solar
"we go where powerlines don't"
  https://offgridsolar1.com/ 
e-mail  offgridso...@sti.net
text 209 813 0060

 
On 2024-05-20 5:41 pm, Jay via RE-wrenches wrote:



 
I don't know who's bigger or has more money. 
 
EG4 is a manufacturer 
 
Signature is a distributor 
 
Both are in the same town 
 
Some one on this site said EG4 said they bought OB. 
 
EG 4 makes more sense as they would have lots of Chinese manufacturing contacts. If OB is coming out with new products, I'd expect they are coming out of China. 
I could easily see them partnering with any of the large Chinese companies. 
 
I guess we will know soon. 
 
Jay
 
 
 
 

On May 20, 2024, at 6:16 PM, Steve Higgins via RE-wrenches  wrote:



At Intersolar (January) San Diego, I heard Bigbatterybox.com purchased Outback. Since then, I've heard it may be Signature Solar. I am unsure who purchased them, but with them being so close to Signature Solar, that makes sense. I'm not sure who purchased them, but they have been asleep at the wheel since then. They can't sell any product in Canada because they have let their CSA certificates lapse. 
 




Steve Higgins ⋅ Technical Services Manager
 t +1.902.597.4020  m +1.206.790.5840
f +1.902.597.8447  e st...@surrette.com





CONFIDENTIALITY: The information transmitted herein is intended only for the addressee and may contain confidential, proprietary and/or privileged material. Any unauthorized review, distribution or other use of or the taking of any action in reliance upon this information is prohibited. If you receive this email in error, please contact the sender and delete or destroy this message and all copies.











On Mon, May 20, 2024 at 4:45 PM Jerry Shafer via RE-wrenches  wrote:

So here is the scoop, I got it that outback is moving to Dallas and will still be a premium product, and yes the optics shut down had something to do with the sale. Everyone hold on as they say they have new products at SPI this fall. Keep your fingers crossed and let's all wait patiently.
Fun times 



On Sun, May 19, 2024, 10:53 AM Lou Russo via RE-wrenches  wrote:

I started poking through EnerSys's (The most recent owner of Outback) SEC filings in hopes to find who the new buyer is. I found nothing related to the sale but found this in their most recent quarterly report :
 
On November 8, 2023, the Company's Board of Directors approved a plan to stop production and operations of residential renewable energy products, which include our OutBack and Mojave brands. Management determined that residential renewable energy products no longer fit with the company's core strategy and resources will be better allocated toward commercial energy solutions for enterprise customers. The Company currently estimates that the total charges for these actions will amount to $23.5 million relating primarily to $22.6 million in non-cash charges primarily including inventory and an indefinite-lived intangible asset write-offs and $0.9 million in cash charges including employee severance and retention payments. The plan is expected to be completed in fiscal 2024. During the nine months of fiscal 2024, the Company recorded non-cash charges totaling $6.6 million primarily related to indefinite-lived intangible asset write-off and cash charges of $0.4 million related to severance costs. The Company also recorded a non-cash write off relating to inventories of $16.1 million, which was reported in cost of goods sold.





 
To say I am curious about what is going on is an understatement. 
 
Aloha,
 
Lou Russo 
Owner
l...@spreesolarsystems.com
808 345 6762
Spree Solar Systems LLC 
CT-34322
 






 




On Sun, May 19, 2024 at 2:21 AM Jay via RE-wrenches  wrote:


 
I agree with you William
 
While there could be all sorts of valid reasons for the downtime. 
 
What's not acceptable is the lack of communication and notification that it was going to happen or had happened.  
 
If they do have new owners they are not starting well. 
 
Jay
 
 

On May 18, 2024, at 9:42 PM, William Miller via RE-wrenches  wrote:




Friends:
 
I am sure you are all acutely aware, but this is not a trivial matter.  We depend on Optics for alerts and trouble shooting.  We rely on Optics for the history it records to analyze trends and evaluate production and consumption. I doubt the data lost will back-fill.  I sell Outback based in great part on th

Re: [RE-wrenches] Optics

[Todd Cory via RE-wrenches]

Mine is down too as well as through the back door:

[ https://23.99.68.42/Home/#/system/dashboard ]( 
https://23.99.68.42/Home/#/system/dashboard )

Todd
 
 


On Saturday, May 18, 2024 9:23am, "John Blittersdorf via RE-wrenches" 
 said:



Mine are down also since 2pm EDT yesterday
John Blittersdorf. 



On Sat, May 18, 2024 at 12:17 PM William Miller via RE-wrenches <[ 
re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org ]( mailto: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 ]( http://www.millersolar.com 
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Re: [RE-wrenches] PV/Charge Controller Troubleshoot Help

[Todd Cory via RE-wrenches]

My old MX60 said " hot" when the fan had failed.Todd

"MX 2 Hot (Very rare) Either the MX60 is too hot or its internal temperature 
sensor is shorted. If this message appears, carefully check if the MX60’s heat 
sink is extremely hot. The heat generated by the MX60, and therefore its 
losses, is proportional to input voltage times output current. Avoid installing 
the MX60 in direct sunlight to help control its operating temperature."
 


On Tuesday, April 23, 2024 11:19am, "William Miller via RE-wrenches" 
 said:



> If the fan fails would there be an error message? As always, I looked this
> up before posting. The manual is not clear on the matter.
> 
> William
> 
> Miller Solar
> 17395 Oak Road, Atascadero, CA 93422
> 805-438-5600
> www.millersolar.com
> CA Lic. 773985
> 
> 
> -Original Message-
> From: RE-wrenches [mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] On
> Behalf Of MDElectricSolar via RE-wrenches
> Sent: Tuesday, April 23, 2024 6:58 AM
> To: RE-wrenches
> Cc: MDElectricSolar
> Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] PV/Charge Controller Troubleshoot Help
> 
> It may be the fan. I had an FM 80 where the fan went bad that caused very
> limited solar production throughout the day.
> 
> Michael D Nelson
> MD Electric & Solar, Inc.
> 707-684-0064 mobile
> 707-884-1862 office
> www.mdelectricsolar.com
> www.facebook.com/mdelectricandsolar
> 
> 
> > On Apr 23, 2024, at 6:54 AM, jay via RE-wrenches
> >  wrote:
> >
> > HI Jim,
> >
> > The CC is sure suspect.
> > You didn’t mention what the battery voltage is.
> > Those CC have a hard PV watt input limit.
> >
> > You can try and set it back to factory default and then reprogram,
> > sometimes that works.
> >
> > I don’t use the FM-60, but always the FM-80 because of the fan
> > replacement. the 80 takes 3 minutes, the 60 takes 2 hours.
> >
> > jay
> >
> >> On Apr 23, 2024, at 6:00 AM, Jim Gowdy via RE-wrenches
> >>  wrote:
> >>
> >> I'm troubleshooting the solar aspect of a small offgrid 120v outback
> >> system and need some opinions. The customer was complaining that the
> >> generator was running too much so I went out to their property and
> >> investigated. The solar array consists of 16 total panels (4 strings of
> >> 4). At the combiner box, I took the voltage and amperage reading of each
> >> string and found the following..BREAKER 1 (85VDC/8.87A) BREAKER 2
> >> (84.5VDC/8.9A) BREAKER 3 (.03VDC/0A) BREAKER 4(85VDC/8.89A). Breaker 3
> >> string was not producing and so I did a fix and then read
> >> (87.1VDC/8.43A). After reviewing the online monitor since that fix from
> >> a few days prior I'm realizing that the first day after had 4.5KWH
> >> production, second day had 0.7KWH production, and yesterday had 0.3KWH
> >> production.sun has been out without clouds. The 60A Outback charge
> >> controller shows there is PV voltage, but noticed it was in "silent mode"
> >> a good amount of time. Charge controller is old, but all the other
> >> equipment was updated about a year and a half ago. I was wondering if
> >> there is a way to diagnose if the charge controller is bad without just
> >> replacing it and what does it mean when it's in "silent mode". Another
> >> side note is that their generator threw an AGS fault code on the MATE3
> >> controller and found that the generator has problems so I ended up
> >> turning from "auto" to "off"
> >> --
> >> Jim with Gowdy Electric
> >> Cambria, Ca 93428
> >> business 805 927 2630
> >> cell 805 975 5279
> >> ___
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Re: [RE-wrenches] Electrolyte level measurement

[Todd Cory via RE-wrenches]

Another option for grid tied with battery based systems, is to use flooded lead 
calcium batteries which last 20 years and only need about 20 ml/ cell, added 
every 3 years.

Todd



On Wednesday, February 28, 2024 12:35pm, "Roy Butler via RE-wrenches" 
 said:
 
And to add to Steve's good advice, make sure the sprayer has a plastic wand. 
Some are made with brass
 wands and that can add a degree of excitement that I can live without.

 I also only fill when the batteries are mostly charged. That lessens the 
chance of the cell being overfilled
 as the state of charge increases. Oh...and a headlamp helps to see the fluid 
level, just cock you head
 and you'll find just the right angle to see the fluid.

Roy ButlerFour Winds Renewable Energy, LLC8902 Route 46, Arkport, NY 14807


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[RE-wrenches] Mate 3s with legacy FX inverters

[Todd Cory via RE-wrenches]

Wrenches,

I am receiving conflicting information about using a Mate 3s with legacy FX 
inverters. Has anyone done this and was the 3s able to function correctly?

Thanks,

Todd


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Re: [RE-wrenches] IQ Gateway outside straw bale house

[Todd Cory via RE-wrenches]

And wifi at 2.4 gHz would work better than 5 gHz.

Todd
 
 


On Thursday, April 27, 2023 7:27am, "Drake Chamberlin via RE-wrenches" 
 said:



There is chicken wire under the stucco. The Gateway will be near a window, 
which is not too far from the router. William's experience is encouraging. If 
it doesn't work, we will run a CAT 5.
 
 
Drake Chamberlin
Athens Electric LLC
Ohio Electrical Contractor’s License 44810
CO Master Electrician’s License 4526
NABCEP Certified PV Installation Professional
 
---

 
 
On 2023-04-26 11:56, Dan Fink via RE-wrenches wrote:

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 ]( mailto:dan.f...@greendustrialtraining.com )[ anbo...@gmail.com ]( 
mailto: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 ]( mailto: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] Cell phone based relay control

[Todd Cory via RE-wrenches]

I can help with this as Michael built something similar to what I designed and 
installed in 2001: 

I plumbed small irrigation sprayers every ~15' around the perimeter of my 
buildings under the eaves. This wets down the perimeter of the structures, 
particularly the combustion zone where the building meets the ground. Roof 
mounted sprayers leave a vulnerable dry gap between the drip edge and the 
building. Under eave sprayers wet this area and the siding.

I have 40 of these sprayers which maxes out my well pump at 35 PSI/~15 gallons 
a minute creating a rainstorm of water around the 8 buildings they are plumbed 
on. My GVFX-3648 is easily capable of operating the well pump during a grid 
outage.

I also have window shutters and metal roofs.

I use this to activate the solenoid valve from my phone if I am gone:

[ https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06X6NBDFW ]( 
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06X6NBDFW )

It is controlled by this phone application:
[ https://ewelink.cc/ ]( https://ewelink.cc/ )[ 
 ]( https://ewelink.cc/ )
It is perplexing why Cal Fire and others do not test and recommend these kinds 
of systems. The best answer I have been able to come up with is they fear 
people prepared like this would have a tendency to "stay and defend" their 
homes rather than evacuating.

Todd





On Monday, March 13, 2023 6:37pm, "Ray Walters via RE-wrenches" 
 said:



Michael;
Can you share more about your sprinkler system and the power supply for it?  
Over the years, at least two of my customers have lost their homes (and PV 
arrays) in wild fires. 
Ray Walters
Remote Solar
On 3/13/2023 2:34 PM, Michael Morningstar via RE-wrenches wrote:
WebRelay. I use one to turn off my WEEDS (Wind Enabled Ember Dousing System) 
sprinkler system via a 12V solenoid
 
 
 


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Re: [RE-wrenches] California NEM3 specific question

[Todd Cory via RE-wrenches]

My 2005 yearly billing, net metering agreement with Pacific Power says nothing 
about it being only valid for 20 years.
 
Todd

 


On Friday, March 3, 2023 8:46am, "William Miller via RE-wrenches" 
 said:




To my Friends on the Wrenches forum:
 
This is a question that likely can only be answered by a California based 
grid-tied contractor.  The subject itself may be of more general interest as it 
is demonstrative of a trend that has dogged the industry and may be more 
prevalent in the future.  The subject has many layers to discuss, but I have a 
very specific question:
 
The new NEM3.0 legislation applies to current and future grid-tied customers 
connected to Investor Owned Utilities (IOU) in California.  It specifies in 
part that when NEM3 takes effect on 4/14/23, all customers that are currently 
categorized as NEM1 and NEM2 keep their existing status for 20 years from date 
of system commission.  After that 20 years these customers will be demoted to 
NEM3.  The reality of NEM3 is that it sucks for customers.
 
My home system was commissioned in October of 2003.  That means that in eight 
months I will be forced into significantly worse terms for trading kWh with 
PG&E. It’s not just me-- we installed a lot of grid-tied systems in the early 
2000s and I want to do what I can to protect my clients.  I worry for all 
people that supported solar when it was much more expensive.  This is really a 
sad result for early adopters.   
 
BTW, everyone is talking about the poor people that have yet to install solar 
but don’t want to get the future bad deal.  The hidden story is this sunset 
provision.  As I said above, this part seems pretty unfair.
 
I called PG&E today and was told that there is no way to extend NEM1 or 2 
status, short of removing all solar, having the roof inspected, and 
re-installing.
 
So do any of you California wrenches know what options there are to keep NEM1 
and NEM2 accounts off of NEM3?  Any advice is appreciated. 
 
If you agree that this is a problem, spread the word and give your customers a 
heads up.
 
William
 
Miller Solar
17395 Oak Road, Atascadero, CA 93422
805-438-5600
[ www.millersolar.com ]( http://www.millersolar.com/ )
CA Lic. 773985
 
 


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Re: [RE-wrenches] absolyte GP battery question/ sideways mounting.

[Todd Cory via RE-wrenches]

Hey Jay,

This is this is only anecdotal but I have two UPS's with sealed batteries. 
One sits where the battery is up right. The other one sits on its side and 
the battery is horizontal. The longevity of the battery in the one oriented 
upright is about double the other one.


Todd


On February 20, 2023 1:43:49 PM jay via RE-wrenches 
 wrote:



HI All,

I was just contacted by someone who has a 6 yr old absolyte GP 100G33 
battery that has lost a lot of capacity.


The manual only lists a horizontal install, but this was installed on its 
side which I”m guessing was due to space issues.


I am thinking that isn’t good for it, but hopefully someone actually knows 
if this is bad for it or not.


I have only seen pictures but am just trying to inform myself before I head 
out.  Its also possible that the settings are incorrect which could be the 
cause as well.


Thanks in advance

jay


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Re: [RE-wrenches] Old Trace SW inverter connected to the grid.

[Todd Cory via RE-wrenches]

If the grid is wired to AC2, then the inverter can charge off off that source 
but not sell to it.

Todd
 
 


On Monday, December 19, 2022 7:50am, "Tump via RE-wrenches" 
 said:


I have neve heard that but I would connect the utility to the AC1 input as the 
window is quite narrow then the grid. The GTI was a piss poor way for trace to 
regulate “sell” current would ramp up & back down all day long. NOT necessary. 
BUT then again that old duffer; SH  probably has more brain cells left then I 
do.  

On Dec 19, 2022, at 10:27 AM, Chad Waits via RE-wrenches <[ 
re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org ]( mailto:re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org 
)> wrote:







I thought the SW needed a [ Grid Tie Interface (GTI) ]( 
https://www.altestore.com/store/media/pdfs/xantrex/Grid%20Tie%20Interface%20(GTI)%20Data%20Sheet.pdf
 ) to keep current from leaking out to the grid even if you didn;t want to sell 
to them...
Chad WaitsPresident - Net Zero Solar
945 W. Silverlake, Tucson, AZ 85713
Cell: (520) 270-4873


On Mon, Dec 19, 2022 at 8:21 AM David Palumbo via RE-wrenches <[ 
re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org ]( mailto:re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org 
)> wrote:



Wrenches,
 
I have been retired from doing solar installs for 10 years now and I am 
reaching out for help as to recommending a solution to an old do-it-yourself 
customers question.
His solar system that was formerly off-grid and is now using grid power instead 
of a back up generator. 
He had/has no intention of doing a net-metered system. Just trying to reduce 
dependance on a fossil fuel genset during our mostly sunless Vermont winters. 
 
He says that he brought in power a few years ago to run their expanding maple 
sugaring operation located next to their house. At that time they ran a 115Vac 
circuit (grid power) over to their house and connected grid power into AC Hot 
In terminal #! in their Trace SW 2512. This is correct as I see terminal #2 is 
labeled for generator power. 
He has the Trace programmed for float mode  not sell mode.
 
Their local utility was working on the line nearby on the main road and noticed 
a small amount of current flowing into the grid and figured out where it was 
coming from. The utility did not immediately shut him down. Just told him to 
correct the problem. He is asking me for advice.
 
My first inclination is to separate the grid power completely from the inverter 
power and to feed both power sources into a double pole double throw transfer 
switch. What other options should be considered. 
 
Thanks in advance and happy holidays,
 
Dave Palumbo
Formerly > Independent Power & Light
Hyde Park, VT
802-371-8678 voice or text
 
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[ Tump ]( 
blocked::mailto:t...@swnl.net%22%20%5Co%20%22blocked::mailto:t...@swnl.net )[ 
3...@gmail.com ]( mailto:3...@gmail.com )   [ www.SWNL.net ]( 
blocked::http://www.swnl.net/%22%20%5Co%20%22blocked::http://www.swnl.net/ )



Solarwinds Northernlights   
   Serving Mid Coast Maine & Northern California 
207-832-7574   Cl. 610-517-8401  
  Blair "TUMP" May
  

Re: [RE-wrenches] Today’s mindbender

[Todd Cory via RE-wrenches]

I 100% agree.

When I read the post about foolish, incredibly wasteful pv powered snow 
melting systems, I was happy I'm retired.


Walking away from such nonsense is the only way I could sleep at night.

Todd


On August 10, 2022 6:44:43 PM Hilton Dier via RE-wrenches 
 wrote:


I just had an off grid client have his cousin install an electric water 
heater and wonder why his system went down overnight on low battery. But 
that was just typical newbie off grid mission creep.


You have a full on disaster there, right from the get go. A client with 
unrealistic expectations that require extraordinary departures from normal 
practice.


I mean, driveway melt, hot tub, AC, multiple refrigerators, zero planning; 
it sounds like an elaborate joke.


I have learned and relearned the great truth that the most important client 
is the one you turn away. That demanding, picky, unrealistic, clueless, 
careless deadbeat that will eat your time, money, and emotional energy.


This is one where you walk away. If you somehow manage to install 14 kW and 
surmount the amperage/ service entrance problem (Mo’ amps, mo’ problems) I 
will bet the rent that this client will be perpetually dissatisfied. He 
will crash his battery bank in the first outage.


Call the client. Say “I’m sorry, but I can’t figure out a way to make this 
work that satisfies my standards. I don’t think I can make you a satisfied 
client.” Move on, happy in the knowledge that you dodged a tactical nuclear 
weapon.


Best of luck,

H

Hilton Dier III
Renewable Energy Design
Missisquoi River Hydro LLC
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[RE-wrenches] DC SHW pumps

[Todd Cory via RE-wrenches]

I have a customer with a (now obsolete) Hartell DC 1/2" X 1/2" MIP solar hot 
water circulation pump which is failing. 

Does anyone happen to have one of these in their inventory? Or can anyone 
suggest an alternate? 

I remember March and ElSid used to also make similar DC pumps. It would be best 
to find another Hartel unit to ease the plumbing, but any DC circulation pump 
would work.

Thanks in advance,

Todd Cory
Mount Shasta Energy Services


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Re: [RE-wrenches] Another pump quesiton

[Todd Cory]

I have had exceptional experience using Hartel brand brushless DC 
circulation pumps on my home's solar hot water system.


Todd

On September 17, 2020 11:06:33 AM Christopher Warfel 
 wrote:
I would look at the pump that Thermodynamics LTD of Canada sells.  Pretty 
bullet proof in my experience of 20 years of installing their products.  
Don't deal with the people in VT. Call the business in Dartmouth Nova 
Scotia, eh?   Laing are expensive but very reliable. March is not great for 
small closed loop.  I really support dc pumps for solar hot water unless 
the customer has a solar electric system too.

On 9/14/2020 11:49 PM, Howie Michaelson wrote:

Hi All,
I need to replace 3-5 El Sid pumps I'm using in a low volume hydronic 
heating system.  Other than laing pumps, are there any recommendations for 
12, 24, or 48 vDC pumps?  Having magnetic drives that mate with the 
impeller body of the El Sids, would be a bonus.

Thanks,
Howie
Howie Michaelson
Sun Catcher
NABCEP Certified Solar PV Installer™

Solar Electric Systems Sales & Service
802-272-0004

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[RE-wrenches] outback fx service work

[Todd Cory]

  
  
wrenches,
  
  i have a customer with a failed air (xmfr) temp sensor inside
  their gvfx3648. when ordering a replacement, i was bitching
  about having to unwire the unit and remove it from the wall
  (60 pounds is heavier than it used to be) to accomplish the
  repair... the tech said most people do these projects with the
  unit still mounted. i have previously heard this was a huge
  hassle as the boards do not easily line up when the unit is
  not flat on its back.
  
  whats the wrench experience? take it off the wall, or do the
  repair with it still mounted?
  
  thanks,
  
  todd

  

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[RE-wrenches] pump questions

[Todd Cory]

  
  
this question is part 2 about the
customer with the used astropower 75 watt modules -

he has a grundfos 11sqf-2 already set by the well driller. the
input specifications for the cu200 pump & controller are 30
to 300 vdc, 1400 watts, 8 amps. 

this will initially be running array direct and i am trying to
figure out the wire loss from the modules to the cu200
controller. to do that i need voltage and current numbers. im
assuming the higher the voltage the lower the running current? 
from the specs above: 1400 watts divided by 8 amps = 175
volts... so if i feed this with closer to 300 volts would that
mean the running current would drop to around 4.6 amps?

thanks for the help,

todd


  
  

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[RE-wrenches] used panel mount questions

[Todd Cory]

  
  
wrenches,

i have a customer who purchased 20 used astropower ap75 modules.
they are frameless and appear to have been previously mounted
using four, 2" wide X 10" long strips of blue rigid foam, glued
to the back of each module with some kind of adhesive.

two questions:

this seems to be a reasonable mounting system id like to repeat.
would anyone familiar with this kind of mounting technique be
willing to comment/speculate on an adhesive that would not
degrade the tedlar backsheet? whatever was previously used
worked great.

what kind of flat/smooth mounting surface would folks suggest
the other side of the blue foam be attached to? the only thing i
can think of is plywood, but that would rot over time.

thanks,

todd


  
  

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[RE-wrenches] outback fx series inverters

[Todd Cory]

  
  
wrenches...

put on our tin foil hats... i have a customer who claims the emf
from their grid tied gvfx3648 is making them sick. does anyone
know the switching frequency of the inverter and has anyone else
reported this? also any ideas on how to mitigate it?

thanks,

todd
  
  

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[RE-wrenches] trace DR repair

[Todd Cory]

  
  
i remember a thread awhile back about a good company in southern
oregon who repaired trace dr/sw inverters.

can someone refresh my aging memory please?

thanks,

todd cory
  

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Re: [RE-wrenches] outback power wrench support?

[Todd Cory]

just a follow-up: 

outback is sending me a new fm80 to replace the refurbished
replacement. 
in addition they are 'making this right'  with a comped,
refurbished item.

thanks for the list member's feedback about this issue and outback for
their attention to this matter.

todd



Steve Higgins wrote:

  
  
  Todd,
  
   
  You should have received a new
units at an absolute minimum.  When it comes to compensation that's a
bit of a sticky situation that is usually handled on a case by case
basis. 
   
  I will be talking to the Mgr of
this group to get this squared away today.
  
   
  Thanks.
  
   
  
  Steve Higgins
  Sales Application
Engineering Mgr
  Direct 360-618-4313
  Outback Power
Technologies 
  5917 195th Street NE Arlington, Washington 98223
   
  
   
  
  
  From:
re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org
[mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org]
  On Behalf Of William Miller
  Sent: Wednesday, June 20, 2012 9:06 PM
  To: RE-wrenches
  Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] outback power wrench support?
  
  
Friends:
  
Years ago Outback tried to pull this on me.  I dealt directly with
Steve Higgins and after a brief discussion, he came through with a
brand new inverter.  Other problems ensued and Steve comped me up with
a refurbished item.  Steve intervened and made this situation right,
but I did have to stand up for my rights.  Don't take no for answer.
  
William Miller
  
   
  
  

  i recently installed a grid-tie with battery backup system.
the fm 80 was defective out of the box, so i called outback for a
replacement. i got a refurbished unit which when installed resolved the
problem. the customer was not happy about paying for a new unit and
getting a used one.

 
when contacting outback about why a new (defective) charge controller
was replaced with a refurbished one and how can i be compensated for
basically doing outback's product quality control i was told:

 
"OutBack Power Technologies does not offer compensation for warranty
work."

 
question: is this the new norm at outback? if so... this is a sad day
for me.

 
todd
  

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-- 





Todd Cory



Todd Cory
KE6SXS
toddc...@finestplanet.com
Mt. Shasta Energy
Services
License
C-10  #811428
P.O.
Box 689
Mt.
Shasta, CA. 96067
(530)
926-1079
 
“I'd put my money on solar energy...I hope we don't have to wait till oil and coal run out before we tackle that." 
∞
Thomas Edison, in conversation with Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone,
March 1931
 




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[RE-wrenches] Mitsubushi 180's (MF 180UD4)

[Todd Cory]

Title: Todd Cory




Wrenches,

I have a customer wanting additional modules for his system. It'd be
best if I could get what he already has. I am looking for 3 Mitsubishi
180's (MF 180UD4). From the spec sheet it looks like the size is
identical  and electrical
characteristics compatible with the Mitsu 185, 180, 175 & 170. Any
one have a source for these (new or used) please contact me off list.

Thanks,

Todd



Michael Welch wrote:

  Hi gang. After a discussion awhile back, we settled on discouraging but not disallowing talk of pricing.

Please note that anyone in the public -- in the industry or not -- has access to these postings via the archives within a short time after posting.

There is another list RE-Markets that has private archiving, but it also allows a lot of folks on it that are not wrenches. You will be exposing your discussion to a range of marketers on that list. I know I would not feel comfortable putting info about my bids out there.

Finally, there is a third list, RE-Bitching, which is private to the members, archives and all. It is strictly wrenches, those on this list are allowed, except for manus -- in case you guys wish to bitch about them.

Of course, nobody sees off-list emails except those intentionally included.

benn kilburn wrote at 02:23 PM 6/10/2011:
 
  
  
William is right, there is another list that is suited for these questions.  Ask Michael about it.

  
  

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-- 









Todd Cory
KE6SXS
toddc...@finestplanet.com
Mt. Shasta Energy
Services
License
C-10  #811428
P.O.
Box 689
Mt.
Shasta, CA. 96067
(530)
926-1079
 
“I'd put my money on solar energy...I hope we don't have to wait till oil and coal run out before we tackle that." 
∞
Thomas Edison, in conversation with Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone,
March 1931
 




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Re: [RE-wrenches] Air conditioning for batteies in high temperature climate

[Todd Cory]

Title: Todd Cory




If my memory serves me correctly
(and that is a big if) I recall tropical locations sometimes install
batteries with slightly a weaker electrolyte solution. Maybe Jamie can
chime in on this.

Todd


Starlight Solar, Larry Crutcher wrote:

  
  
  
  Hello Battery Wrenches,
   
  Over the years I have had several
battery banks in Baja and Sonora Mexico fail in just 36 to 48 months.
These have been L16 or 8D AGM or flooded banks, 24 and 48 volt systems.
The charging systems are working properly and
programmed to manufacturer recommended set points and discharges are
rarely over 30% DoD.  Some batteries are only used on weekends, some
are discharged daily.  I believe what is affecting the short life is
the high temperature they live in for 5 months each year. Temps. can
hit 115 F in vented battery rooms. I have been thinking about a small
air conditioner and insulated battery box to keep the battery at no
more than 80 F. There are some portable units that draw about 600 watts
and the run time would be very little with a highly insulated
enclosure. There is ample power to do this on the home I am changing
batteries in now. Has anyone done this and gained longer battery life?
   
  Best Regards,
  
  Larry Crutcher
  Starlight Solar Power Systems
  
  powered
by STARLIGHT™
  
  

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Todd Cory
KE6SXS
toddc...@finestplanet.com
Mt. Shasta Energy
Services
License
C-10  #811428
P.O.
Box 689
Mt.
Shasta, CA. 96067
(530)
926-1079
 
“I'd put my money on solar energy...I hope we don't have to wait till oil and coal run out before we tackle that." 
∞
Thomas Edison, in conversation with Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone,
March 1931
 




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Re: [RE-wrenches] Reality check

[Todd Cory]

Title: Todd Cory




Cool... a 40 amp fuse on #12 wire...

Todd

William Miller wrote:
Friends:
  
I just found out I've been doing it all wrong.  Time to go back to
school: 
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0dQddOQoyA&feature=channel
  
Have a nice weekend!
  
William
  
  
  
  Please note new e-mail address and domain:
  
  William Miller 
Miller Solar
Voice :805-438-5600
email: will...@millersolar.com
  http://millersolar.com
  License No. C-10-773985
  
  

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-- 









Todd Cory
KE6SXS
toddc...@finestplanet.com
Mt. Shasta Energy
Services
License
C-10  #811428
P.O.
Box 689
Mt.
Shasta, CA. 96067
(530)
926-1079
 
“I'd put my money on solar energy...I hope we don't have to wait till oil and coal run out before we tackle that." 
∞
Thomas Edison, in conversation with Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone,
March 1931
 




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[RE-wrenches] paralleling amp hour meters on one shunt?

[Todd Cory]

  
  
Has anyone ever paralleled two amp hour meters on one shunt? How
about paralleling two e-meters on a single shunt and a single
prescaler?

Todd
  

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[RE-wrenches] battery life

[Todd Cory]

  
  

I have a survivalist minded system owner who is interested in buying
a set of deep cycle batteries dry charged. I have heard even dry
batteries have a limited lifespan. Can any one comment on that
please?

thanks,

Todd
  

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Re: [RE-wrenches] Surrette AGM's

[Todd Cory]

Title: Todd Cory




I know people disagree, but I
NEVER use sealed batteries... I only use wet cell batteries. If people
want no maintenance, they should not have a "survival mode" system.
That level of unconsciousness is what usually creates the need for
"survival mode". If it is grid tie with battery backup consider the
flooded lead calcium cells. They only need watering every 5 years or so.

my .02

Todd



Peter Parrish wrote:

  I am an infrequent (3/year) designer/installer of grid-tied battery back up
systems. I really like the SunXtender battery line. We can get them for a
good price (contact me off line) here in Los Angeles.

With that, I cannot vouch for cycling them 1,200 times to 80% DoD. That
seems a bit severe. I have a graph of #/discharges vs. DoD for thee
batteries. I will try to dig it up and make it available.

- Peter

 
Peter T. Parrish, Ph.D., President
California Solar Engineering, Inc.
820 Cynthia Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90065
CA Lic. 854779, NABCEP Cert. 031806-26
peter.parr...@calsolareng.com  
Ph 323-258-8883, Mobile 323-839-6108, Fax 323-258-8885

 

-- 










Todd Cory
KE6SXS
toddc...@finestplanet.com
Mt. Shasta Energy
Services
License
C-10  #811428
P.O.
Box 689
Mt.
Shasta, CA. 96067
(530)
926-1079
 
“I'd put my money on solar energy...I hope we don't have to wait till oil and coal run out before we tackle that." 
∞
Thomas Edison, in conversation with Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone,
March 1931
 




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Re: [RE-wrenches] On Demand Heaters for SDHW

[Todd Cory]

Title: Todd Cory




The payback on a demand
heater in energy savings is like 50+ years. A traditional tank heater,
super insulated has very little loss.

Todd



Peter Parrish wrote:

  You’re right, Todd, there is often a space limitation. But overall, the tankless approach is more economical, eliminating the need to keep 80 odd gallons of water perpetually up to temperature. Remember the solar heated water is "make up water" and can contribute to the temperature of the traditional water heater only while hot water is being used. So, my guess is that 1/2 of the day in a residence the traditional tank is keeping water up to temperature for no apparent use.

- Peter

Peter T. Parrish, Ph.D., President
California Solar Engineering, Inc.
820 Cynthia Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90065
CA Lic. 854779, NABCEP Cert. 031806-26
peter.parr...@calsolareng.com  
Ph 323-258-8883, Mobile 323-839-6108, Fax 323-258-8885   
 

From: re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org [mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of Todd Cory
Sent: Thursday, September 16, 2010 8:17 AM
To: RE-wrenches
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] On Demand Heaters for SDHW

I know this was not the question, but this whole thread is predicated on the use of a demand hot water heater. Unless there is a space limitation, why would this be done over a traditional tank unit?

Todd



Bill Loesch wrote: 

Kris, 

Boiler manufacturers today get starry-eyed when their machines are able to provide a 10:1 turndown ratio. Even the venerable natural draft Bosch 125BS * provided a better than 4:1 turndown ratio and all the condensing powervent units compared below regularly offer 10:1 and some better than 20:1. With each benefit comes a disadvantage, like with current production cars, serious repair/maintenance takes place primarily at the dealer since they are usually the only ones to pony up for the multitude of specialized test equipment. I find it a bit of backward progress to have to tell someone that the reason they don't have reliable hot water is because they don't have the current software update (due in no small part to the marketing gurus who have no qualms about using the customer as the proving grounds for their product). Many plumbers have no clue to the workings of a combustion analyzer, a necessary tool for  negative pressure gas valve tuning and replacement (and a multitude
 of other tasks where the blue flame is no longer sufficient to be able to deliver optimum performance). 

Your Takagi needs AC power to (in order of decreasing current requirements for a generic power vented tankless) 
   power the freeze protection heating elements 
   run the primary combustion fan 
   run the secondary combustion fan 
   provide control to 
   gas valve 
   water valve 
   control board (oftentimes with digital display) which provides the logic and timing circuits for the multitude of sensors and limit switches and remote controls and wireless remote controls etc., etc. 

Long live the thermocouple. 

My compliments on your simplistic approach to coordinate the solar storage tank and tankless. Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. 

Bill Loesch 
Solar 1 - Saint Louis Solar 



PS I reiterate, despite other RE-Wrenches list comments to the contrary 
about 
"modulate to 
zero", NONE of ANY of the Big Five tankless manufacturers that market to 
North America have a low fire rate which modulates to zero or anything near 
it for the very same reason that you will never get a trickle of hot water 
out of any tankless water heater. (~0.5 gpm minimum activation flow 
requirement) 

Comparing condensing heaters with ~200,000 max BTU/h input 
Bosch GWH C 800 ES 19,900 BTU/h 
Noritz NRC 111   11,000 
Paloma   no condensing heaters 
Rinnai RC98HPe 9,500 
Takagi T-H2 13,000 

Thanks for your patience, I hope it was not too technical. 

- Original Message - From: "Peter Parrish"  
To: "'RE-wrenches'"  
Sent: Tuesday, September 14, 2010 10:37 AM 
Subject: [RE-wrenches] On Demand Heaters for SDHW 



We have a SDHW client that wants to replace his old water heater with 
a new tankless water heater. We do a SDHW system about once a year, 
and only for clients that are getting a PV system from us to begin 
with. So this is not a 
big business line for us and we are behind the curve in terms of 
understanding the latest technologies. 

As I remember from an excellent workshop that I took about four years 
ago: when used in conjunction with a SDWH system, the tankless heater 
should 

(1) Modulate heat input based on INPUT water temperature 
(2) Be able to modulate down to ZERO BTU/hr 

The only unit I knew of back then was the Bosch 125BS (I believe). 
Today I can't find any bigger units that f

Re: [RE-wrenches] On Demand Heaters for SDHW

[Todd Cory]

Title: Todd Cory




I know this was not the
question, but this whole thread is predicated on the use of a demand
hot water heater. Unless there is a space limitation, why would this be
done over a traditional tank unit?

Todd



Bill Loesch wrote:

Kris,
  
  
Boiler manufacturers today get starry-eyed when their machines are able
to provide a 10:1 turndown ratio. Even the venerable natural draft
Bosch 125BS * provided a better than 4:1 turndown ratio and all the
condensing powervent units compared below regularly offer 10:1 and some
better than 20:1. With each benefit comes a disadvantage, like with
current production cars, serious repair/maintenance takes place
primarily at the dealer since they are usually the only ones to pony up
for the multitude of specialized test equipment. I find it a bit of
backward progress to have to tell someone that the reason they don't
have reliable hot water is because they don't have the current software
update (due in no small part to the marketing gurus who have no qualms
about using the customer as the proving grounds for their product).
Many plumbers have no clue to the workings of a combustion analyzer, a
necessary tool for  negative pressure gas valve tuning and replacement
(and a multitude of other tasks where the blue flame is no longer
sufficient to be able to deliver optimum performance).
  
  
Your Takagi needs AC power to (in order of decreasing current
requirements for a generic power vented tankless)
  
   power the freeze protection heating elements
  
   run the primary combustion fan
  
   run the secondary combustion fan
  
   provide control to
  
   gas valve
  
   water valve
  
   control board (oftentimes with digital display) which provides
the logic and timing circuits for the multitude of sensors and limit
switches and remote controls and wireless remote controls etc., etc.
  
  
Long live the thermocouple.
  
  
My compliments on your simplistic approach to coordinate the solar
storage tank and tankless. Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.
  
  
Bill Loesch
  
Solar 1 - Saint Louis Solar
  
  

PS I reiterate, despite other RE-Wrenches list comments to the contrary

about

"modulate to

zero", NONE of ANY of the Big Five tankless manufacturers that market
to

North America have a low fire rate which modulates to zero or anything
near

it for the very same reason that you will never get a trickle of hot
water

out of any tankless water heater. (~0.5 gpm minimum activation flow

requirement)


Comparing condensing heaters with ~200,000 max BTU/h input

Bosch GWH C 800 ES 19,900 BTU/h

Noritz NRC 111   11,000

Paloma   no condensing heaters

Rinnai RC98HPe 9,500

Takagi T-H2 13,000


Thanks for your patience, I hope it was not too technical.


- Original Message - From: "Peter Parrish"


To: "'RE-wrenches'" 

Sent: Tuesday, September 14, 2010 10:37 AM

Subject: [RE-wrenches] On Demand Heaters for SDHW



We have a SDHW client that wants to replace
his old water heater with
  
a new tankless water heater. We do a SDHW system about once a year,
  
and only for clients that are getting a PV system from us to begin
  
with. So this is not a
  
big business line for us and we are behind the curve in terms of
  
understanding the latest technologies.
  
  
As I remember from an excellent workshop that I took about four years
  
ago: when used in conjunction with a SDWH system, the tankless heater
  
should
  
  
(1) Modulate heat input based on INPUT water temperature
  
(2) Be able to modulate down to ZERO BTU/hr
  
  
The only unit I knew of back then was the Bosch 125BS (I believe).
  
Today I can't find any bigger units that fit the above requirements.
  
  
Short of using two Bosch 125BS units in parallel, does anyone have a
  
solution?
  
  
- Peter
  
  
Peter T. Parrish, Ph.D., President
  
California Solar Engineering, Inc.
  
820 Cynthia Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90065
  
CA Lic. 854779, NABCEP Cert. 031806-26 peter.parr...@calsolareng.com
  
Ph 323-258-8883, Mobile 323-839-6108, Fax 323-258-8885
  
  
  
  
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[RE-wrenches] two year update on Surrette FC-420 batteries

[Todd Cory]

Title: Todd Cory




I was one of the beta test sites for
the Surrette, lead calcium, L-16 style, wet cell battery starting in
2008. These are a part of an Outback grid-tied RE system. 

After the second year
of operation today I checked and added water to the cells. The batteries used about 5 ml/cell over
the last year, so basically nothing. 

Once again I feel the need to recommend this battery chemistry for grid
tied with battery backup systems. The water consumption (as is typical
for lead calcium batteries) is basically nothing. The float charge rate
is also much less than standard lead antimony batteries. The expected
life is much longer too. I have an old set I got from the local hydro
plant I work at that were 20 years old at the time (the end of their
"service life"). After 25 years they are still going strong.

Todd

-- 









Todd Cory
KE6SXS
toddc...@finestplanet.com
Mt. Shasta Energy
Services
License
C-10  #811428
P.O.
Box 689
Mt.
Shasta, CA. 96067
(530)
926-1079
 
“I'd put my money on solar energy...I hope we don't have to wait till oil and coal run out before we tackle that." 
∞
Thomas Edison, in conversation with Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone,
March 1931
 






SDSPECFC 01, FC-420.pdf
Description: Adobe PDF document
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[RE-wrenches] wind scam?

[Todd Cory]

Sorry to bother the list with this kind of BS, but I have a client who
insists this is a revolutionary wind machine design that is not a yard
art scam. Feedback?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9flSPAdOLk


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Re: [RE-wrenches] Flashed Footing Requirements

[Todd Cory]

When I was on the roof taking
measurements for the proposed array... I found the oatey flashing on a
1 1/2 sewer vent. The metal was still there, but only a few pieces of
the rubber were left. It had been leaking down along the pipe into the
wall for years. This is what got me to thinking those rubber flashings
may not be as great as I had assumed they were.

Since we were putting up an array, it was a no brainer to have the
aging roof replaced first, along with the flashings. The comp was 20
years old.

Todd


Peter Parrish wrote:

  
  
  
  
  
  

  Todd Cory
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  Let’s see.
“25 years out in the sun”. Did
the roof last the 25 years? If it didn’t, why weren’t the Oatey
flashings replaced as part of the re-roof at $4 a pop?
   
  But I
digress. All the flashings on a
normal, well-designed are UNDER THE PV ARRAY. No UV, no rain, but some
extra
heat, no doubt. My wag is that Oatey
flashings as
part of a PV array will outlast most of the roofs they are designed to
protect.
  
   
  
  Peter T.
Parrish, Ph.D.,
President
  California
Solar Engineering, Inc.
  820 Cynthia Ave.,
  Los Angeles, CA
  90065
CA Lic. 854779, NABCEP Cert. 031806-26
  peter.parr...@calsolareng.com  
Ph 323-258-8883, Mobile
323-839-6108, Fax 323-258-8885   
   
  
  
  
  
  From: re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org
[mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org]
  On Behalf Of Nick Soleil
  Sent: Thursday, June
24, 2010 3:33
PM
  To: RE-wrenches
  Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Flashed Footing Requirements
  
   
  
  Aloha Wrenches:
    Do you add a rubber boot to the top of the Oatey
Flashings.  Do you think the Oatey
Solar Flashings, which utilize a rubber boot, will stand up to
weathering below
an array.  
  
   
  
  Nick Soleil
Project Manager
Advanced Alternative Energy Solutions, LLC
  PO Box 657
  Petaluma, CA 94953
Cell: 707-321-2937
Office: 707-789-9537
Fax: 707-769-9037
  
   
  
  
   
  
  
  
  From: Todd Cory

  To: RE-wrenches

  Sent: Thu, June 24,
2010 2:34:29
PM
  Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Flashed Footing Requirements
  
  
  
I have seen 25 year old oaty flashings rot
out in the
sun too. I think caulked L-feet is a more long lasting solution to roof
mounts.
  
Todd
  
  
Blair May wrote: 
  
  Whats wrong with
doing it right the first time? Flashing is the only way
to insure that you don't have to use that liability insurance &
that the
install is water tight. I would speak to the inspector & try to
work
out proper flashings installed in the future & see if he will waive
the
removal & replacment of the exisiting
installs.
  
  
  Welcome to
my world where we loose jobs
regularly to other installers that do not use proper flashing methods.
  
  
  Yeah it does
increase the cost, but the
install should have a life cycle of 25 years.
  
  
-Original
Message-
From: re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org
[mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org]
On Behalf Of Nick Soleil
Sent: Wednesday,
June 23, 2010
8:10 PM
To: RE-wrenches
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Flashed Footing Requirements

Who can help:
    One of our local jurisdictions, City of Petaluma, is beginning to require
flashed footings
under all solar arrays.  I think that some flashed footings are better
than the Unirac L feet or Prosolar's TileTrac foot, but the flashed footings cost a
lot more $,
and some flashed footing products seem flawed (less watertight)  They
are
asking me to uninstall two commissioned systems from last week, and
replace the
footings with flashed Fast Jacks, even though the documents detailed
the
penetration method.  

    I am looking for some
good info that
supports flexible installation methods, including caulked footings. 
Our
industry has come a long way from the early days of racking on slotted
angle
iron with steel L-brackets for feet, but those experiences tend to give
me
confidence in continuing to use caulked footings.  

Nick Soleil
Project Manager
Advanced Alternative Energy Solutions, LLC
PO Box 657
Petaluma, CA 94953
Cell: 707-321-2937
Office: 707-789-9537
Fax: 707-769-9037 

 


 



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  Todd Cory
  KE6SXS
  toddc...@finestplanet.com
  Mt. Shasta Energy Services
  License C-10  #811428
  P.O. Box 689
  Mt. Shasta, CA. 96067
  (530)
926-1079
   
  “I'd put my 

Re: [RE-wrenches] Flashed Footing Requirements

[Todd Cory]

Title: Message




I have seen 25 year old oaty
flashings rot out in the sun too. I think caulked L-feet is a more long
lasting solution to roof mounts.

Todd


Blair May wrote:

  
  
  
  
  Whats wrong with doing it right the first time?
Flashing is the only way to insure that you don't have to use that
liability insurance & that the install is water tight. I would
speak to the inspector & try to work out proper flashings installed
in the future & see if he will waive the removal & replacment
of the exisiting installs.
  Welcome to my world where we loose jobs
regularly to other installers that do not use proper flashing methods.
  Yeah it does increase the cost, but the install
should have a life cycle of 25 years.
  
-Original Message-
From: re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org
[mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of Nick
Soleil
Sent: Wednesday, June 23, 2010 8:10 PM
To: RE-wrenches
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Flashed Footing Requirements


Who
can help:
    One of our local jurisdictions, City of Petaluma, is beginning to
require flashed footings under all solar arrays.  I think that some
flashed footings are better than the Unirac L feet or Prosolar's
TileTrac foot, but the flashed footings cost a lot more $, and some
flashed footing products seem flawed (less watertight)  They are asking
me to uninstall two commissioned systems from last week, and replace
the footings with flashed Fast Jacks, even though the documents
detailed the penetration method.  
    I am looking for some good info that supports flexible
installation methods, including caulked footings.  Our industry has
come a long way from the early days of racking on slotted angle iron
with steel L-brackets for feet, but those experiences tend to give me
confidence in continuing to use caulked footings.  
Nick Soleil
Project Manager
Advanced Alternative Energy Solutions, LLC
PO Box 657
Petaluma, CA 94953
Cell: 707-321-2937
Office: 707-789-9537
Fax: 707-769-9037









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Todd Cory



Todd Cory
KE6SXS
toddc...@finestplanet.com
Mt. Shasta Energy
Services
License
C-10  #811428
P.O.
Box 689
Mt.
Shasta, CA. 96067
(530)
926-1079
 
“I'd put my money on solar energy...I hope we don't have to wait till oil and coal run out before we tackle that." 
∞
Thomas Edison, in conversation with Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone,
March 1931
 




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Re: [RE-wrenches] E-meter/Link-10 prescaler

[Todd Cory]

Title: David Katz




Thanks David, but the1:5 prescaler
is for a different
meter (e-xpert pro) than
the old link-10/e-meter. I am looking for old stock of link-10/e-meter
0-100 volt prescalers.

Todd


David Katz wrote:

  
Hi Todd,
If you get desperate, you can buy them from the company that
manufactured them for Xantrex.   It is the same company that made the
Link meters for them and still sells them in Europe.
It is TBS electronics.  
  http://www.tbs-electronics.nl/products_expertpro_15voltageprescalerkit.htm
Cheers,
David
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  David Katz
  Chief Technical Officer
  AEE Solar
  1155 Redway Drive
  P.O. Box 339
  Redway,
CA  95560
  Tel (707) 825-1200
  Fax (707) 825-1202
  dk...@aeesolar.com
  www.aeesolar.com
   
  DISCLAIMER: 
This communication, along with any documents, files or attachments, is
intended
for the use of only the addressee and contains privileged and
confidential
information. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby
notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of any
information
contained in or attached to this communication is strictly prohibited. 
If
you have received this message in error, please notify the sender
immediately
by e-mail reply and destroy the original communication and its
attachments
without reading, printing or saving in any manner.
   
  
  
  
  
  toddc...@finestplanet.com
wrote:
  I am looking for any old stock or leads for the
now discontinued E-meter/Link-10 prescaler. 0-100 volts.

Thanks,

Todd


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Todd Cory
KE6SXS
toddc...@finestplanet.com
Mt. Shasta Energy
Services
License
C-10  #811428
P.O.
Box 689
Mt.
Shasta, CA. 96067
(530)
926-1079
 
“I'd put my money on solar energy...I hope we don't have to wait till oil and coal run out before we tackle that." 
∞
Thomas Edison, in conversation with Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone,
March 1931
 




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Re: [RE-wrenches] monitor for SW4048 grit interactive system

[Todd Cory]

Title: Todd Cory




Cool if anyone has used this
system, please report back to the group.

Todd


Allan Sindelar wrote:

  
Todd,
According to their website (I haven't tried them) the ENVI monitors
suggested by Jeff Yago are 120/240 in single phase, and multiple
sending units can send data to one display. Their website shows a basic
PV GT setup. So I think a single system could do it. You are thinking
more in terms of utility-type revenue meters, I think.
Allan
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

   
  
  
  
  Allan Sindelar
  Allan@positiveenergysolar.com
NABCEP Certified Photovoltaic Installer
EE98J Journeyman Electrician
  Positive Energy, Inc.
3201 Calle Marie
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87507
  505 424-1112
  www.positiveenergysolar.com
  
  
  
  
  toddc...@finestplanet.com
wrote:
  A dual system will need two meters... one to
keep track of each leg. Outback has details on their web page about how
to configure these, or if you like contact me off list for repostings
of messages from the last few times this went around.

Todd

On Wednesday, April 21, 2010 10:08am, "Dana" 
said:

> Hello all,
> 
> We have a client that we just revived their Dual SW4048 grid
> interactive with the GIT configuration boxes.
> This setup feeds a utility meter and a dedicated loads panel and
works
> well.
> 
> Our client would like to know-
> 1- How much power he is using through the dedicated panel.
> 2 - How much he is back feeding the utility.
> 
> Any suggestions are appreciated.
> 
> Thanks, Dana Orzel
> 
> Great Solar Works, Inc
> web - www.solarwork.com
> E - d...@solarwork.com
> V - 970.626.5253
> F - 970.626.4140
> C - 970.209.4076
> 
> "We have been slow to give up on the myth of the Earth's
generosity.
> Rather grandly, we have overdrawn our accounts."
> Barbara Kingsolver - Water is life.
> 
> 
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Todd Cory
KE6SXS
toddc...@finestplanet.com
Mt. Shasta Energy
Services
License
C-10  #811428
P.O.
Box 689
Mt.
Shasta, CA. 96067
(530)
926-1079
 
“I'd put my money on solar energy...I hope we don't have to wait till oil and coal run out before we tackle that." 
∞
Thomas Edison, in conversation with Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone,
March 1931
 




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Re: [RE-wrenches] kwh meters

[Todd Cory]

Title: Re: [RE-wrenches] kwh meters




You will have to put a meter on each
120 volt leg... just like on a dual outback system.

Todd


Allan Sindelar wrote:

  
The 12-S approach in the Solar Pro article only works with 120V
inverter systems. I am facing a similar issue with our first XW system,
which was chosen for this application because it's the only GTWB
120/240V single inverter unit.  We also currently have a REC program as
well as net metering. How can I make this work?
Thank you.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

   
  
  
  
  Allan Sindelar
  Allan@positiveenergysolar.com
NABCEP Certified Photovoltaic Installer
EE98J Journeyman Electrician
  Positive Energy, Inc.
3201 Calle Marie
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87507
  505 424-1112
  www.positiveenergysolar.com
  
  
  
  
David Brearley wrote:
  

Is it a Form 12-S meter? If not, that’s the
reason its not working. Here’s an article you can refer to:

http://solarprofessional.com/article/?file=SP1_1_pg16_QandA_3&search=

David Brearley, Senior Technical Editor
SolarPro magazine 
NABCEP Certified PV Installer ™
david.brear...@solarprofessional.com
Direct: 541.261.6545



On 1/28/10 2:57 PM, "g...@arp-solar.com"
<g...@arp-solar.com>
wrote:


 I am using an analog GE kwh meter on an
outback system with battery backup to a protected loads panel.  The AC
in to the inverter is attached to the bottom of one leg of the meter
and the AC out of the inverter is connected to the top of the other
leg. This should give me an accurate record of just the production from
the system. The idea is that the AC IN that will power the protected
loads panel at night will come in the bottom of one leg and turn the
meter backwards then exit through the top of the meter going forward
thus cancelling those kwh. out. I have a neutral hooked to the meter
because I am using it to record 120V but I am not getting accurate
readings with this configuration. Any suggestions on metering in this
case? I need a utility grade kwh meter.  
 
Gary Easton
NABCEP Certified Solar PV
NABCEP Certified Solar Thermal 
APPALACHIAN RENEWABLE POWER LTD.
Stewart, Ohio 
740-277-8498
  
“I'd put my money on solar energy… I hope we don't have to wait 'til
oil and coal run out before we tackle that.”
  
—Thomas Edison, in conversation with Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone,
March 1931
  
  
  
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Todd Cory
KE6SXS
toddc...@finestplanet.com
Mt. Shasta Energy
Services
License
C-10  #811428
P.O.
Box 689
Mt.
Shasta, CA. 96067
(530)
926-1079
 
“I'd put my money on solar energy...I hope we don't have to wait till oil and coal run out before we tackle that." 
∞
Thomas Edison, in conversation with Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone,
March 1931
 




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Re: [RE-wrenches] Solar System Certification

[Todd Cory]

Title: Todd Cory




So William... are you
saying as a part of wrench survival we are expected to become glorified
electricians? I am not sure about your point. I think this thread
should move to the marketing list though.

Todd


William Miller wrote:
Todd:
  
Survival is about learning to adapt.  Happiness is about learning to
be open minded.
  
William Miller
  
  
  
At 06:45 PM 12/21/2009, you wrote:
  
  Who
warranties the installation, you or the installer? 
Who carries the liability insurance, you or the installer?
Who sells the materials and gets the materials profits, you or the
installer?

The reason why I ask these questions is I see this disturbing model
becoming more common... where the wrench in the field becomes nothing
more than a glorified "electrician" installing others materials
and designs. 

I think the folks ripping their knuckles, sweating in the hot sun on a
roof and liable for the installation deserve the profits, rather than
the
"experts" sitting behind their desks "designing"
systems. We have a wholesale to the public biz here in town doing just
this. The designs are  laughable,. but the real fools are those who
will install other people's materials and designs.

Todd

  

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Todd Cory
KE6SXS
toddc...@finestplanet.com
Mt. Shasta Energy
Services
License
C-10  #811428
P.O.
Box 689
Mt.
Shasta, CA. 96067
(530)
926-1079
 
“I'd put my money on solar energy...I hope we don't have to wait till oil and coal run out before we tackle that." 
∞
Thomas Edison, in conversation with Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone,
March 1931
 




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[RE-wrenches] Power 4 Home

[Todd Cory]

http://www.power4home.com/index.php?hop=watertt

Why are we building these expensive systems for customers when this
dude sells em for $200.00! I wish on line advertisers would not
perpetuate these myths.

Todd


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Re: [RE-wrenches] Fwd: Grounding on a glacier??

[Todd Cory]

I have heard that this
requirement (to bond negative to ground) as well as bonding one of the
AC conductors to ground (neutral wire) was pushed through by wire
manufactures and unions. The wire manus sell more of their product and
the electricians get more labor in installing them. I also agree that
grounding any live conductor actually makes the system less safe.

When I have traveled over seas, I always try to open the main panel to
see how things are laid out. They never associate one of their power
conductors (usually 240 v) to ground.

Todd


Matt Tritt wrote:

  
As long as we're already on the subject, BESIDE the NEC requiring it,
why is it that we have to bond the ungrounded conductor on the battery
side of a DC system??? I believe that we are the only country in the
world that has this requirement. As long as all the system cabinets,
mounting plates, housings and etc are grounded, what is gained by
including a battery conductor? I'm not talking about HV inputs from an
array, just the battery busses.
  
I have been asking this question since forever, and the only
explanation seems to be the recital of the Code. Obvious problems can
occur when there is a + grounded piece of equipment in the mix, since -
well, it's obvious.
  
Matt T








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Re: [RE-wrenches] Tube solar collectors

[Todd Cory]

In snow country good old, simple,
flat plate collectors do better then the EV tubes. The snow slides off
and melts faster... and unless you are trying to make steam, the summer
performance is about the same. IMO evacuated tube units are an overly
high tech product looking for an application.

Todd


roger dixon wrote:

  I have yet to see a flat plate collector outperform an EV tube setup.  With
EV tubes the angle of incidence is almost always at 90 degrees throughout
the course of the day and the sun's arc.  Except for very early in the
morning and very late in the afternoon, you always have the most/maximum
solar absorption - 90 degrees from the face of the collector.  Does anyone
have a different experience?

Roger Dixon
Certified Wind Site Assessor
Distributor & Installer of Solar & Wind Energy Systems 
Skylands Renewable Energy, LLC
908.337.2057 cell
908.730.6474 fax
roger.di...@skylandsre.com
www.skylandsre.com

  









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Re: [RE-wrenches] Grid-Connect Inverter with battery, AND auto backoff?

[Todd Cory]

Oh, I see... they want self applying
lipstick on their pig... (sigh)

Todd



Troy Harvey wrote:
I've got a high-end customer who doesn't have the interest
in knowing  the details of managing "manual" load shedding. He wants
something  that works... period. At one point Gridpoint advertised
this, but they  no longer make their products (I'm not sure they ever
really had the  feature either).
  
  
  
  
Troy Harvey
  
-
  
Heliocentric
  
801-453-9434
  
tahar...@heliocentric.org









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[RE-wrenches] lay in lugs

[Todd Cory]

Does anyone have a part number for the lay in lugs they use for module
grounding? I don't want copper or aluminum ones because of problems
with dissimilar metals. Don't they make a tin plated copper one that
works with the aluminum module frames? My wholesaler cannot seem to
find the part number.

Thanks,

Todd




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Re: [RE-wrenches] DR Power curve

[Todd Cory]

Title: Todd Cory




Regardless of the unit's efficiency,
if the idle current is 20 watts and it is powering a 10 watt led, then
it is taking 30 watts to power a 10 watt load. That is NOT efficient.

Todd




robert ellison wrote:

  Does anyone have a power curve for a DR 2412 inverter?
   
  I need to show a customer that it is not 94% effecient with a 10
watt ac led pluged into it alone. 
  I am betting that it needs 500 watts to get into the 75 or 80%
range. 
   
  Thanks,
  Bob
  

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-- 









Todd Cory
KE6SXS
toddc...@finestplanet.com
Mt. Shasta Energy
Services
License
C-10  #811428
P.O.
Box 689
Mt.
Shasta, CA. 96067
(530)
926-1079
 
“I'd put my money on solar energy...I hope we don't have to wait till oil and coal run out before we tackle that." 
∞
Thomas Edison, in conversation with Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone,
March 1931
 




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Re: [RE-wrenches] Wattsun AZ-225 reliability and Production

[Todd Cory]

I too have some experience with
Array Technology (Wattsun) trackers (customer systems and 3 here at
home). In the early days there were lots of problems with sensors aging
and causing the array to not track properly. Customer service was
always (and still is) exceptional. 

Those early problems have been resolved and now the product is robust.
My only minor issue is in low light conditions (like in the winter) the
rack will go clear back flat. The work around for here in snow country
is that I always add a toggle switch to the vertical actuator. I have
the customer shut the power off to the vertical actuator in the winter
at a steep angle to keep the snow sliding. Pole mounts work really well
in deep snow country and if the site specifics allow, I'll suggest a
tracker.

Todd
P.S. Make sure you remind your customer to grease them at least once a
year.



Ken Schaal wrote:
I'll second Jay's remarks.  We had a 4 tracker system from
Y2K, that while troublesome, fully demo'd Wattsun's committment to
customer service. A year ago we installed 1 of the new and improved
design, and it has been flawless. Be sure to get the manual switch for
making tracking adjustments and so it can be set flat for
windstorms--just for hurricane insurance here in the east.
  
  
We continue to spec them for those sites with good E to W solar window.
With time of use net metering, they really make sense---so long as the
durability holds up!
  
  
Ken Schaal
  
www.commonwealthsolar.com
  









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Re: [RE-wrenches] Sunpower modules

[Todd Cory]

Mitsubishi also makes a black framed
module.

Todd

Jeff Blick wrote:

  Hiya Jeff,
You are correct that the sunpower modules are positively grounded.  You are
also correct that sunpower only deals with dedicated "dealers".  That means
that if you are not one of their dealers you cannot get their panels.  It is
my understanding that sunpower is always looking for new dealers, so you may
want to check in with them.  As far as architectural review committees and
such, we have never had a problem using SPR modules in the areas where
review is an issue.  The positive ground really does not affect aanything.
Instead of your negative wire being the grounded (white) conductor it is
your positive conductor that is grounded.  This means you are switching the
negative instead of the positive in the DC disco.  Sunpower sells packaged
systems, so they provide positive ground inverters from different
manufacturers.

Evergreen now has a black framed module, and I believe Sharp does too.  I
hope this helps, any other questions feel free to contact me.  
Jeff Blick
Lead PV Installer
Sunlight Solar Energy, Inc.
direct: 541-306-4196
fax: 541-322-1911
jeff.bl...@sunlightsolar.com
www.sunlightsolar.com 









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[RE-wrenches] link 10 problems

[Todd Cory]

Title: Todd Cory




Wrenches,

I always use the e-meter (now brand X's link 10) on my off grid
systems. IMO this is the best amp hour meter out there mostly because
of the simple bar graph display for customers not well versed in
amps/watts/amp hours/volts etc.

Last week I was completing work on an off grid system and was
frustrated by a troublesome link-10. After checking, double checking
and triple checking the wiring I determined the problem was in the
meter. I drove out there again today with two spares in the truck, and
they both behaved the same way. After another hour of troubleshooting,
I discovered the problem is related to meter's light sensor that
brightens the display when the ambient lighting is brighter. Every time
bright light hit the display the meter blinked off and back on as if
the power was interrupted. To temporarily resolve this, I put black
electrical tape over the sensor. The serial numbers on the two meters
in my truck are 64613 & 63677.

Has anyone else discovered this latest manufacturing problem with the
link-10? What is Xantrex's policy on reimbursing wrenches for wasted
time and mileage troubleshooting poor quality control?

Todd

-- 









Todd Cory
KE6SXS
toddc...@finestplanet.com
Mt. Shasta Energy
Services
License
C-10  #811428
P.O.
Box 689
Mt.
Shasta, CA. 96067
(530)
926-1079
 
“I'd put my money on solar energy...I hope we don't have to wait till oil and coal run out before we tackle that." 
∞
Thomas Edison, in conversation with Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone,
March 1931
 




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Re: [RE-wrenches] Professional conduct

[Todd Cory]

Unfortunately, this seems
more and more like the fiasco created by the DHW credits 25 years ago.
Sadly, this is what I expected and why I am opposed to incentive
programs. Most people have no clue about energy or resource depletion
issues.

For example, I was contacted by a group that runs the interpretative
center at a local I-5 rest stop. They wanted to "put solar" on their
building to reduce their power bill. As a part of the
design/evaluation, I did a light energy audit of the facility. Their
average energy use is 125 kWh a day for a ~800 sq foot building, open
12 hours a day! Everyone thinks we can add a few solar panels to
buildings and everything can continue business as usual. It is
frustrating to see the same old business as usual happening, while
people expect different results.

Todd



Wind-sun.com wrote:

  
  
  
  We are seeing far more of this in
the past 2-3 years, especially for off grid systems.
   
  It seems like very few of these
new startup bandwagon places have even a remote clue as to how to size
battery based systems. I would guess that half of our tech support
calls come from people that bought systems from someone "cheaper" than
us.
   
  A couple days ago a cell phone
company that has a few small sites called us about how the sites were
all going dead. They sent us a copy of what they bought, and the
 company based their battery system on the yearly
average insolation. DUH!
   
   









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Re: [RE-wrenches] Low Voltage Alarm Based on cell phone text message

[Todd Cory]

If you have internet access at the site,
there is an easy way to send a text message to a cell phone via e-mail.
For example if your client uses Verizon the e-mail would be addressed
to: 

num...@vtext.com

You can google to find out how to do this with the other wireless
carriers. Automating this might be tricky...

Todd


Dean T. Newberry wrote:

  
Hello Peter,
We have used the Mitsubishi Alpha PLC, it has a GSM interface and can
be setup to perform this task.
It is a few hundred dollars, is best setup with a DC power supply.
We get them from Campbell & George in San Jose CA.
The engineers at C&G have been helpful.
  
Good Luck Dean









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[RE-wrenches] PSR-SCT

[Todd Cory]

Can the Outback rep please confirm
whether the PSR-SCT battery spill trays have been discontinued or not.
I checked with the folks at Conergy and they say they just got a
shipment of them in so I am confused about whether to stock up on these
or not.

Todd








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Re: [RE-wrenches] Voltage Meter

[Todd Cory]

Title: Todd Cory




Something simpler than an e-meter?
What could be simpler than a 4 LED bar graph gas gauge? Green is
charged, yellow is mid, and red means start the generator. 

The C-40's LCD display does not track amp hours in/out and will not be
an accurate way to determine batter SOC.

Todd



hol...@sbcglobal.net wrote:

  
  
  
  Small houseboat system that I
put in a few years back needs a "gas gauge" other than the original
E-meter. Operator issues require something simpler. System uses Trace
T40 CC, but can't seem to find the lcd display that was an optional
accessory - anybody have one of those or other ideas for a very simple
display for this system?
   
  Holt E. Kelly
Holtek Fireplace & Solar Products
500 Jewell Dr.
Waco,Tx. 76712
254-751-9111
254-228-9621 (cell)
  hol...@sbcglobal.net
  www.holteksolar.com
  

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-- 









Todd Cory
KE6SXS
toddc...@finestplanet.com
Mt. Shasta Energy
Services
License
C-10  #811428
P.O.
Box 689
Mt.
Shasta, CA. 96067
(530)
926-1079
 
“I'd put my money on solar energy...I hope we don't have to wait till oil and coal run out before we tackle that." 
∞
Thomas Edison, in conversation with Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone,
March 1931
 




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Re: [RE-wrenches] Snowman Armed with Solar Powered Flamethrower

[Todd Cory]

It is wise to consider the power of
the sun. I used to keep a gallon jug of water in my work truck for
drinking. One day I noticed it had magnified the sun and burned a long
hole in the seat. I am lucky it did not start the truck on fire!

Todd


Matt Lafferty wrote:

  
  
  Uh,
oh!  Frosty's got a flamethrower!  Interesting application for solar
concentrator disguised as snowman... 
   
  http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09073.html



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Re: [RE-wrenches] mate issues AND MORE ISSUES

[Todd Cory]

I know this is not the topic, but I never
set up auto genny starts and this thread only confirms the correctness
of that decision. Having a machine automatically start/stop while
unattended is IMO a recipe for, at best damage to gear and, at worst a
fire that could destroy the entire homestead. 
If people are too mindless to know how to fly their off-grid system by
looking at the weather forecast and battery SOC meter, then they should
move to a on-grid home. I tell my customers when they are away from
their off-grid homes, to shut the inverter's DC breaker off and leave
the PV charging sources on. There is no chance for failure with this
setup.

Murphy will get you every time you try to automate what should be done
manually.

Todd


cvso...@aol.com wrote:

  
  
  
  Matt
& Tom,
    
Guess it's time to put in my two cents.  I have also had the same
random failures to start and/or stop the generator automatically from
the mate in 3 installation.  Managed to boil dry 8 L 16's and run
through 90 gallons of propane before we went back to the unattended
second home over three days after checking it out and found the
generator had been running since we left.  As you have noted, all tests
checked out good at the time.  We are looking into 3rd party auto start
modules as an alternative or continue to tell all customers not to use
auto start if unattended.  It seems that all auto start problems occur
when the customer is not home.  We had one Trace SW4024 start a Kohler
generator flawlessly for 3 years and when they took their first
extended stay from home, it failed Turned out it was a bad spark
plug but it shattered their faith in the system. We have also had
problems with The Xantrex SW Plus with similar problems.  We have also
had a problem with several Outback systems shutting down the generator
prematurely at about 70% charge even though we reset the mate and
Inverter to factory defaults. 
   
  I
still have trouble convincing the rich second home owners that the only
reliable system is 2 generators with a person to run them.  We are
currently using a honda 2000i as our backup for our off grid home so
our VFX3624 does just fine taking in the power. Love the low fuel
consumption.  My customer with the runaway Kohler used more fuel in one
weekend than we have used in a year. 
   
  John
Blittersdorf
NABCEP Certified Solar PV Installer tm
Central Vermont Solar & Wind, LLC.
104 River Street
Rutland, VT 05701
  
802-747-0577
802-773-0924 fax
802-770-8625 cell
  www.cvsolar.com









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Re: [RE-wrenches] Outback PSR-SCT

[Todd Cory]

Sure we can all get these made
privately, but the PSR-SCT filled a particular need for us battery
based inverter folks... and now that product has been discontinued. The
AHJ here is really anal about making sure the batteries are in spill
containment trays, so not having this product available will be another
hassle in the "what to do with the batteries" issue. Usually I have a
local handyman (or the customer) build a vented plywood box... and now
I will have to get a privately made plastic tray for the batteries to
sit in. I guess us battery folks are in the minority here but safe
containment / enclosures are essential for the systems I do.

Todd



North Texas Renewable Energy Inc wrote:

  
  
  
  Todd et.al.
   
  Look in the yellow pages for a manufacturer
of "Prototype Injection Molds". These guys are set up to manufacturer
short runs of molded plastic parts. 
  They often use the vacuum-form process to
make simple plastic shapes, usually not close tolerance pieces. A
battery tray would be a perfect job and built exactly to your specs. 
  If you use a lot of the same size cells, you
may want to consider a single or double tray-per-cells arrangement. The
initial setup cost will be lower for a small tray, say 9" X 14", and by
buying a lot of them, the mold-maker is happy to give a lower unit cost
and will spend less time on the setup.
  As always, any molded part will be tapered so
start big with your dimensions and go smaller. It's a lot easier to
take a little material off the sides of the mold core compared to
putting it back on. 
  Jim Duncan
North Texas Renewable Energy Inc
817.917.0527
  nt...@earthlink.net
  www.ntrei.com









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Re: [RE-wrenches] PSR SCT

[Todd Cory]

If anyone has any of these PSR-SCT's
in stock still and wants to sell them to me (off list) please contact
me.

Todd



penobscotso...@midmaine.com wrote:

  Hi Todd and all,
We use products from US Plastics. They make great, acid resistant
trays in lengths up to four feet. Here's the link to a page where you
can find some of their products. They have an extensive website, so
look around a bit. You can spend a lot ($300+) or a little, depending
on what you need. I have been using them for years with no issues. One
note, be sure to get the measurements of the bottom, not the top rim
as the walls typically flare out and the given dimensions can differ
from the actual footprint.

http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/product.asp?catalog_name=USPlastic&category_name=97&product_id=3448

Daryl DeJoy
NABCEP Certified PV installer
Penobscot Solar Design




  
  
Hey Todd -



The company we used to make the spill containment trays has been having
severe delivery and quality problems for a long time and we unfortunately
had to just drop the product.   We had a lot of problems with the plastic
being too fragile due to the thin wall thickness used.  It needs a
complete redesign and possibly different material.



My favorite solution is to use before we offered the spill containment
trays was using EPDM type rubber pond liner sheet and just folding the
corners (sort of like wrapping a Christmas presents) inside of the
enclosure.  The upper edges can be screwed or stapled to the sides to keep
it from sliding down - although if the liner is heavy enough its not
really an issue.



I hope this helps!



Christopher





Christopher Freitas
  









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[RE-wrenches] PSR SCT

[Todd Cory]

Title: Todd Cory




I was just informed I can no longer
get the Outback PSR-SCT (spill containment tray). What are others using
in their battery boxes for spill containment?

Todd

-- 









Todd Cory
KE6SXS
toddc...@finestplanet.com
Mt. Shasta Energy
Services
License
C-10  #811428
P.O.
Box 689
Mt.
Shasta, CA. 96067
(530)
926-1079
 
“I'd put my money on solar energy...I hope we don't have to wait till oil and coal run out before we tackle that." 
∞
Thomas Edison, in conversation with Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone,
March 1931
 




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Re: [RE-wrenches] solar hot water penetration flashing

[Todd Cory]

I use accordion style rubber boots.
These are typically attached to the roofing with a bead of silicone
underneath and gasketed metal roofing screws on top. These are made for
all kinds of metal roof penetrations and I have even seen them used for
6" metalbestos stove flues. One note of caution, the orange "high
temperature" ones are (I think) rated only to 180 degrees F. so you
want to make sure the SHW fluid never exceeds this. Also in time, like
any rubber flashing on a roof the rubber will deteriorate from UV. I
build a show shed over my system's plumbing which shades it so
hopefully this will not be in issue in ~20 years.

Todd




troy Harvey wrote:

  Any thoughts on how to flash a copper pipe roof penetration on a
metal roof. The brazed copper flashing we typically use would cause
corrosion with the steel roof I'm afraid. WHat have others used in this
situation?
  
   
  
  Troy Harvey
  -
  Heliocentric
  801-453-9434
  [EMAIL PROTECTED]
  
  
   









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Re: [RE-wrenches] CFL lighting and the mercury hazard.

[Todd Cory]

Sad to hear the QC on the modern
el-cheapo CF lamps is so poor that they do not last. I guess the $25.00
Osram Dulux ones I am still using after 20+ years weren't such a big
expense after all. I have had several customers all panicked about the
supposed mercury hazard in CF lamps and appreciate Dan Fink's posting
which mirrors my own feelings.

Todd






Woah, everyone. Slow down.
  
  
Snopes is indeed a great resource. However, they, like nearly every
media article cited, completely miss the point. Compact Fluorescent
bulbs contain no more mercury than do regular tube FLs, which have been
in use in homes and offices for decades. The disposal recommendations
are no different. Ask any office building custodian--the mercury
warning is printed on the base of most larger length T8s.
  
  
Proper disposal is needed for ANY broken FL or CFL--and has been for
decades.
  
  
As far as LEDs -- the reason LED lamps don't make much heat is because
they don't make much light, either. Lumen-per-watt figures for LEDs
still lag far behind FL or CFL. Yes, yes, there have been recent
announcements from LED companies -=- but take these all with a grain of
(metallic, heh heh) salt. Many of these figures take into account only
luminous efficiency, NOT real-world *total*
efficiency. AND, the high-efficiency ones are not generally available
in room lighting products yet -- they are available only as discrete
LEDs.
  
  
LED lamps are extremely directional. They work fine for close-up task
lighting. But I have yet to see any LED lamp suitable for area
lighting, like a living room. I have installed and tried many, for
myself (first) and for customers. The usual response, after dark, when
they see the lighting of their living room, is --"You've got to be
kidding me. I paid $300 for THAT awful lighting?"
  
  
Give it a few years, and LEDs will be everywhere. But right now, they
are very marginal at best:
  
T8 FL = up to 95 lumens per watt
  
f40T12 FL = up to 65 lumens per watt
  
CFL = up to 60 lumens per watt
  
White LED = most ranging from 24 to 45 lumens per watt. Some have
reached 90 lumens per watt -- but are so far only available as discrete
components, not massed together in commercial lighting fixtures.
  
100w Incandescent = up to 17 lumens per watt
  
  
*Again, be VERY careful of LED lumen per watt claims. All the above
numbers are actual efficiency, not luminous. Most companies that
manufacture LED home fixtures do not measure light output correctly.
Contact me off-list if you want more info on how to actually measure
efficiency.*
  
  
  
REF:
  
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluorescent_lamp
  
Don Klipstein:
  
  http://members.misty.com/don/light.html
  
And almost every other page on his website.
  
Me:
  
  http://otherpower.com/otherpower_lighting.html
  
  
  
  
DAN FINK
  
Technical Director, http://www.otherpower.com/
  
Co-Author, "Homebrew Wind Power"
  
ISBN 978-0-9819201-0-8
  
  







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Re: [RE-wrenches] Wood shop lighting

[Todd Cory]

Another efficiency option is to wire
the 4 tube fixtures with two sets of two lamps that are independently
switchable. Or you could get really fancy and have three lighting
levels by switching one lamp on, three lamps on or all four in each
fixture. That way there are options for various lighting levels
depending on the needs.

Todd



Travis Creswell wrote:

  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  Continuous
rows of four 4’ lamp T-8 fixtures
(8’ long) on 8’-12’ centers would be the ideal lighting
system in terms of performance, efficiency, installed price and
maintenance cost. 
T-5’s are actually slightly less efficient and really don’t make
sense at mounting heights less then 20’.  Plus T-5 lose more light
output then T-8 as temperatures decrease which starts to become
noticeable at
60f and really noticeable at 50f.  Most shops are kept warm unless they
are being used and on the colder days it could take hours for the T-5
lights to
get to full output.
   
  I suggest
continuous rows because that
gives the owner a very uniformly lit space and tons of flexibility when
he
decides to reconfigure the shop in the future.  “I can’t put
this machine over there because that’s the dark corner”.  The
fewer the fixtures the worse the shadows which are a bad thing in work
shops
and continuous rows are essentially shadow free.  For energy purposes I
would switch every other fixture for times when not as much light is
needed. 
IE; 42’ long shop/8’ long fixtures = 5 fixtures per row with 1’
gap on each end of the row, 3 fixtures per row on one switch and two on
the
other.  I would suggest the basic commodity grade 8’ white painted
fixture that every electrical supplier stocks plenty of.  Typical cost
is $40-$45
each.  No need for hoods (reflectors) at the heights you mention
especially
if the ceiling is white.  5000k 800 series lamps are the best lamp for
this application.   F32T8SPX50 would be the GE part number and your
local supplier can easily cross that with what ever brand they carry.
   
  Best,
  Travis
Creswell
  Ozark Energy
Services
   
  









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Re: [RE-wrenches] Insurance classification

[Todd Cory]

correction - I pay 1400.00 a year
for 2
Million. I don't know how adequate the coverage is because I had to
tell them I do not work on roofs.

Todd



William Miller wrote:
Colleagues:
  
If y'all don't mind my asking, what are you paying in these
categories?
  
I know I am mis-categorized and I've notified my carrier in writing,
and
I've been audited, but they insist on keeping me as some kind of
electrical machinery installer.  My rates are less than $20.00 per
hundred, so I've stopped complaining.
  
Wm
  
PS:  Do you also get a little irritated when you lose a bid to
someone you know is not paying worker's comp?  (I know because it is
easy to look up in California).
  
Wm








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Re: [RE-wrenches] Insurance classification

[Todd Cory]

I pay 1400.00 a year for 1/2
Million. I don't know how adequate the coverage is because I had to
tell them I do not work on roofs.

Todd



William Miller wrote:
Colleagues:
  
If y'all don't mind my asking, what are you paying in these
categories?
  
I know I am mis-categorized and I've notified my carrier in writing,
and
I've been audited, but they insist on keeping me as some kind of
electrical machinery installer.  My rates are less than $20.00 per
hundred, so I've stopped complaining.
  
Wm
  
PS:  Do you also get a little irritated when you lose a bid to
someone you know is not paying worker's comp?  (I know because it is
easy to look up in California).
  
Wm








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Re: [RE-wrenches] Insurance classification

[Todd Cory]

I am listed on my insurance as
"99080 solar electric contractor".

Todd


Starlight Solar, Yuma, AZ wrote:
Does anyone know what the insurance classification is for
installation  of renewable energy equipment installer? My insurer has
me under  95647, heating and AC contractor. I asked about this and was
told  there is no class for RE installers.
  
  
Kindest Regards,
  
  
Larry Crutcher
  
Starlight Solar
  
11279 S. Glenwood Ave #4
  
Yuma, AZ 85367
  
(928) 941-1660









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Re: [RE-wrenches] Soldering electrical conductors

[Todd Cory]

In the old days I soldered all the
crimp connections that went into the module J-boxes, but now that
j-boxes are a thing of that past, so is the soldering. In those days
systems were always 12 volt, so resistance in electrical connections
was a bigger deal.

Todd


North Texas Renewable Energy Inc wrote:

  
  
  
  Wrenches
  Over the years I have heard almost nothing
about soldering of electrical connections in PV circuits, AC or DC. The
only reference I recall is from the recommendation that one should
crimp AND solder larger compression fittings to assure a permanent
connection. There were references to factory made battery cable crimps
not holding after installation and during the final "pull-test".









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Re: [RE-wrenches] More on AC coupling - SI and SB

[Todd Cory]

I have not tried these, mostly
because I have never had good luck with sealed batteries off grid so
avoid them for on grid as well. Perhaps I should think this.

Todd



Chris Worcester wrote:

  
  
  

  
  Hi
Todd,
  We
are looking into the new East Penn Deka Unigy ll sealed
batteries. They seem to be a good deal less money than the GNB’s. 
Anyone
have any experience with these? 
  I
agree with you if we are to use a smaller group 27/31 size AGM
battery but these big industrial cells should go the distance if they
work as
advertised.
  Do
you have any experience with the Unigy ll batteries?
   
  Sincerely,
  
Chris Worcester
NABCEP Certified PV Installer
Phone: 530-582-4503
Fax: 530-582-4603
  www.solarwindworks.com
  [EMAIL PROTECTED]
"Proven Energy Solutions"
  









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Re: [RE-wrenches] tankless hot water and pumping question

[Todd Cory]

Title: Message




Thanks for the recommendation. Does
this unit need an external pressure switch or is that integral? Does
these work w/o an expansion tank or will they cycle on/off excessively
set up in a direct pumping situation?

Todd

Allan Sindelar wrote:

  
  
  
  Todd,
  The
Shurflo 2088-24 (model 2088-474-144) is a reliable and cheap surface
pump; tolerates sediment, field rebuildable (until the motor brushes
eventually wear out, but in this app that could be many years) and
retails aroud $125. About 2 gpm at pressure. Not freeze-tolerant.
  Allan









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[RE-wrenches] tankless hot water and pumping question

[Todd Cory]

Title: Todd Cory




I am working on a semi-volunteer job
for a local non-profit. It is off grid with water being trucked in and
stored in a ground level polyethylene tank. 

I need recommendations for:

1) A 24 volt DC pressure pump. This is a single residence so can be
relatively low volume as it will only feed a shower or sink... no
irrigation.

as well as 

2) Which tankless (propane) hot water heater would be best? I think
there is one that uses the water flow to spin a tiny generator that
ignites the burner. Being off grid it is important to not have a unit
that draws power 24/7.

Thanks,

Todd

-- 









Todd Cory
KE6SXS
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Mt. Shasta Energy
Services
License
C-10  #811428
P.O.
Box 689
Mt.
Shasta, CA. 96067
(530)
926-1079
 
“I'd put my money on solar energy...I hope we don't have to wait till oil and coal run out before we tackle that." 
∞
Thomas Edison, in conversation with Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone,
March 1931
 




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Re: [RE-wrenches] Pt valves as overheat control

[Todd Cory]

Title: Todd Cory




Sure, but the discussion was about
preventing hot water storage tanks from exploding. Putting BTUs into a
tank, whether that  be from a wood stove loop or 5 kW electric heating
element is not the issue. Relying on a P/T valve to regulate
overheating is of course not a good idea, but it will prevent the tank
from exploding.

Todd



Conrad Geyser wrote:

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Todd,
   
  I’m afraid
that any PT valves that I’ve
ever known have continued to weep indefinitely after one or two
overheat
triggers.  
  I would not
recommend relying on them for
heat control devices.
   
  Conrad 
  Cotuit Solar
  NABCEP
thermal cert.
  









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Re: [RE-wrenches] hydro coils

[Todd Cory]

Title: Todd Cory




Properly protected with a code
required  P/T valve this is a non-issue.

Todd

Conrad Geyser wrote:

  Drake,

Yes the tank can overheat is the answer!  Anybody doing this should be aware
of the explosive nature of superheated water in a pressurized tank.
Assuming that you are using an insulated tank, you need plenty of storage.
It also helps to run the water coming from the bottom of the tank (to your
coil) through some baseboard so once the tank is heated to the bottom it
starts dumping heat as more is gathered.

Conrad
Cotuit Solar


-Original Message-
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] On Behalf Of Drake
Chamberlin
Sent: Sunday, November 09, 2008 2:08 PM
To: RE-wrenches
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] hydro coils

At 11:56 AM 11/6/2008, you wrote:
  
  
is a thermo siphon feed as done in days of old.  This is self 
regulating and worry free

  
  
Why is the system worry free?  Don't the coils thermo siphon into a 
tank that could overheat?

Thanks


Drake Chamberlin
Athens Electric
OH License 44810
CO License 3773
740-448-7328
740-856-9648  


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-- 









Todd Cory
KE6SXS
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Mt. Shasta Energy
Services
License
C-10  #811428
P.O.
Box 689
Mt.
Shasta, CA. 96067
(530)
926-1079
 
“I'd put my money on solar energy...I hope we don't have to wait till oil and coal run out before we tackle that." 
∞
Thomas Edison, in conversation with Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone,
March 1931
 




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Re: [RE-wrenches] hydro coils

[Todd Cory]

Thanks Ben... I downloaded it yesterday but have not read it yet.

Todd

Benjamin Root wrote:


Hi Todd,

See the current issue of/ Home Power/ for article on Heat Exchangers 
(by Chuck Marken). I know that at least one of the manufacturers 
mentioned in/ Access/ has a unit specifically designed for wood stoves.


Ben

I have a client that is wanting to add a water loop in their wood 
stove. Does anyone know if the old SS hydro coils are still made?


Todd




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[RE-wrenches] hydro coils

[Todd Cory]

I have a client that is wanting to add a water loop in their wood stove. 
Does anyone know if the old SS hydro coils are still made?


Todd

--


   Todd Cory


   KE6SXS

[EMAIL PROTECTED] <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>*


   Mt. Shasta Energy Services


 License C-10 #811428


 P.O. Box 689


 Mt. Shasta, CA. 96067

*(530) 926-1079*

* *

“I'd put my money on solar energy...I hope we don't have to wait till oil and coal run out before we tackle that." 

∞ Thomas Edison, in conversation with Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone, 
March 1931**


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Re: [RE-wrenches] life expectancy of sealed batteries

[Todd Cory]

No, this is a 4.5 kW, grid tied, PV only system.

Todd


jay peltz wrote:


HI Todd,

ARe you using this in a year round hydro application?

jay

peltz power



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Re: [RE-wrenches] life expectancy of sealed batteries

[Todd Cory]

Hi Nick,

Sorry you are not on the wrench list anymore Nick (Michael?).

 I am a part of the Surrette beta test program on these L-16 lead
calcium wet cell batteries. I have had these on my 48 volt Outback
system since 6-14-08 and so far, so good. I have heard the price will
only be slightly higher than their lead antimony batteries. I have no
idea when they will be released for public purchase.

Todd



Nick Houser wrote:
Toddread
with interest your posting to re-wrenches about lead calcium  batteries
in float service. I too have experimented sucessfully with  ex-phone
company lead cals. Around here you can often buy them for $50  apiece.
I
  
fing they're particularly good in micro-hydro service where deep
cycling  is not really necessary. For your information I happen to know
that  Surrette has a lead calcium project in devleopment with SMA.
Don't know how
  
"affordable" they will be, though. Nick Houser  Off Grid Services, 
Powell  River, British Columbia. P.S> could you  please post this
for me? I can no  longer post to this forum, for some reason. Thanks.
  
  


--









SDSPECFC 01, FC-420.pdf
Description: Adobe PDF document
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Re: [RE-wrenches] generator-pump

[Todd Cory]

I think generators, being mechanical devices have much more "mechanical 
inertia" to power through large load spikes then their electronic 
counterparts.


Todd



Drake Chamberlin wrote:


Hello Wrenches,

I've noticed, over the years, that generators will start pumps that 
have a higher surge rating than the generator output.   What I'm 
wondering is what the mechanics of this is.  Will the pumps just start 
fine even if the instantaneous draw of the windings is not met?   Even 
though the windings will draw a very high amperage, if available, is 
it ok if this momentary surge current is not available?  Do the 
generators provide a momentary surge?  Why do the pumps start with no 
problem, even though the numbers don't work out?


Thanks



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Re: [RE-wrenches] Fake Email solar orders

[Todd Cory]

I always write them back and tell them I will only sell to them if they 
use a bogus credit card. I never hear back.


Todd

John Raynes wrote:


Jeff,

We get a few a week, every week.  They're always for a list of parts, 
never for a group of items that would go together and make anything 
resembling a system.  I've never been tempted to even try to respond.


It seems to me as if they always leave that "signature" of bad 
grammar, or "Dear Sir/Ma", almost as if to cue any savvy dealer, whom 
they would not want to deal with.  They're only trolling for rank 
newbies, I would think.


John Raynes
RE Solar
Torrey, UT 



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[RE-wrenches] 48 VDC to 24 VDC converter

[Todd Cory]

Wrenches,

I am needing a 48 VDC to 24 VDC converter to power one of my home 
system's tracker. The ones supplied by array technology are suspect. The 
DC input voltage can go as high as 60 volts when equalizing and the 
tracker control can take up to around 35 volts or so. I believe I am 
needing around 5 amps of supply current. What do folks recommend for 
this application?


Thanks,

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Re: [RE-wrenches] Inverter temp spec for cold regions

[Todd Cory]

Title: Message




I was warned about this for a system
I built in Alaska for a friend. He & his wife are gone most winters
and the temperature inside the unheated home probably gets down to -30.
The VFX3524 has never had any problems.

Todd


Allan Sindelar wrote:

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Wrenches,
  
  Inverter manufacturers
have an ambient temperature range with a lowest 
temperature spec. For example, SMA has a spec of -13 to +113 degrees F.  In our area of New Mexico, we have a record cold
temperature well below the -13 degrees F. If we mounted the inverter on
an outside wall or on a pole, this would expose the inverter.  
   
  I called SMA and asked
about this.  They told me that the capacitor
blows up if it goes below the coldest temperature. 
   
  My question is does
anybody have experience with this issue in the cold regions of the US like Colorado or Montana?  Do
you always mount the inverter inside in those cold regions?  
   
  Thanks,
  Randy Sadewic
  Positive Energy
   
   
  









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Re: [RE-wrenches] offgrid system question

[Todd Cory]

 Jeff Yago wrote:

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Sorry, but sometimes you do
have to tell a client they are wrong, and I do not always have the Zen
time to help them discover that realization on their own through a slow
learning process. 
  
  
  Jeff Yago
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


And I would add... be willing to walk away from the job if they insist
on hiring you to put lipstick on a pig.

Todd










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Re: [RE-wrenches] XW SERVICE

[Todd Cory]

Is there still a Xantrex rep here to reply to this?

Todd

Peter Parrish wrote:


Let me put in my two cents worth about Xantrex technical support. I
typically am put on hold for 15-20 minutes, sometime more, before I get a
human on the line. Sometimes after giving them a short synopsis of the
problem I am having, I'm told by the person I am talking to that they want
to transfer me to someone with more experience in that area. This invokes
another wait -- usually less than the first (sometimes, rarely, I never get
to talk to tech support person about my problem, at all that first day). In
all, I can wait as much as 45 minutes before I can actually start a dialog
about the problem at hand.

Let me choose my words carefully. Personally, this level of technical
support is unacceptable. It is infuriating to be at a customer site, using a
cell phone, under difficult conditions (100 F temperatures) -- and to have
to deal with 45 minutes delays, or no help at all. I have worked in the high
tech field all my adult life (IC design, software development, high speed
communications) and my experience with Xantrex ranks among the worst.

All companies have to balance the resources they apply to tech support
including the fluctuations in call volume. New products typically cause a
spike in volume for the obvious reasons. Nonetheless, most companies figure
all this out. The ones that don't should cause their customers (us) concern
that greater challenges are taking precedence. I hope that in not the case
with Xantrex.
 



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Re: [RE-wrenches] XW SERVICE

[Todd Cory]

Can you provide some information on how this happened? I am doing my 
first XW system next month and would like to avoid this scenario! Bummer 
about Xantrex service. I keep hearing how hard they are trying and a 
story like this disappoints.


Todd



Tump wrote:

I am in need of a service center that will work on a XW series 
inverter, located on the East coast. Tekris in NJ has never worked on 
one & isn't interested. I was on hold w/ Xantrex for 15 minutes so 
needless to say I can only hope that the service center is a bit more 
professional! Customer smoked the gen2 donut transformer & god knows 
what else.
 



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Re: [RE-wrenches] Inverter for Switch to GT

[Todd Cory]

Title: Inverter for Switch to GT




Most of the grid ties I do now want
battery back up. People see what is going on with regard to energy and
anticipate increasing unreliability of the grid. 

Since the system is already configured for operation with batteries,
perhaps the best approach might be to sell them on the wisdom of having
a whole house UPS.

Todd


Allan Sindelar wrote:

  
  
  

  Wrenches,
  
  Occasionally, but more frequently recently, we get
requests to turn off-grid systems into grid-tie systems. Usually this
involves sale of a property to a new owner, and either grid is brought
in to facilitate an easier sale or the new owner brings it in. Once
grid is in, the off-grid-based system is of limited utility, as the
equipment won't sell back. Most of these new owners want a
maintenance-free batteryless system.
  Unfortunately, most off-grid arrays don't
easily convert, as the string sizing doesn't match. Here's my question:
I have two of these requests right now. Both are systems we installed
in the late 90s. One has ten BP 275s, one has twelve. These are
standard 12V 75W modules common to that time. I need advice on
inverters that will work with these strings.
  The Sunny Boy 700, which is the only small
inverter model SMA still offers, will handle one string of up to nine
of these in our temperature range. Larger models require higher string
voltage. Fronius also requires higher voltage.
  You know, it's a real problem to have to
explain to new green-oriented homeowners that there's nothing I can do
with their ten-year-old PV system to make it spin their new meter
backward. It doesn't do much for the mainstream perception of PV for
these folks.
  What will work with these existing arrays,
please?
  
  Allan Sindelar
  
  allan_(at)_positiveenergysolar.com
  
  NABCEP certified solar PV installer
  
  Positive Energy, Inc.
  
  3225A Richards Lane
  
  Santa Fe NM 87507
  
  505 424-1112
  









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Re: [RE-wrenches] Battery Question

[Todd Cory]

A better idea is to have them spring for lead calcium wet cell batteries 
that will go ~25+ years.


Todd


Kirpal Khalsa wrote:

Hello All..we have a customer who is interested in storing some 
Surrette batteries with no electrolyte as a back up set of 
batteries..is there any time period that you would expect these 
batteries to remain healthydo they start losing life after some 
time?  how long can you store batteries with no electrolyte and still 
expect them to remain in good condition when you want to begin using them?

Thanks!!!

--
Sunny Regards,
Kirpal Khalsa
NABCEP Certified Solar PV Installer
Renewable Energy Systems



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Re: [RE-wrenches] MX60 output trips with load

[Todd Cory]

The MX60 current limits by misaligning the MPPT. I have mine set to 70 
amps with a 90 amp output breaker and on cold, winter, edge of cloud 
days I have seen the unit peak the output wattage as high as 4812 
watts/94 amps @ 51.2 volts before the software could throttle the unit 
back!


I'd try upping the output wire size and adding much larger breaker.

Todd



R. Walters wrote:


Hi Phil;

THe only thing I could think, is that your battery voltage would  
drop, when the EV charger came on. If its a small battery bank this  
could be a large enough drop to cause the MX 60 output to go over 60  
amps long enough to trip the breaker. We had a similar problem,  
everything fine most of the time, but with high enough array power,  
and a low enough battery voltage, (Power / voltage = current)  You  
are going to go over 60 amps. I figure at full array output, a  
battery voltage of 45.3 will give you 60 amps. If your array outputs  
more than rating (which we are seeing most of the time with  
Solarworlds) then the problem gets worse.
I think the problem is its a higher array output than rating, and a  
very small battery. Also if the room is warm, that will move the trip  
curve of the breaker as well.



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Re: [RE-wrenches] Surrette Battery Question

[Todd Cory]

Did this customer check the voltage of the individual batteries/cells? 
Maybe there is a weak cell developing. Sometimes EQing can take a long 
time. I do not "buy" that batteries need to be cycled to stay healthy.


Todd

jay peltz wrote:


Hi Robert,

When you mention cycling batteries, are you saying that batteries in a 
offgrid system that are being cycled 15-25% a day should be cycled 
even deeper than that?


Thanks,

jay 
peltz power

On Aug 1, 2008, at 8:36 PM, robert ellison wrote:

A couple things that I haver noticed in the past, sometimes batteries 
like to be cycled, shut off the controllers and run them down, then 
charge them up fully and then give them an eq charge till it comes up 
the peak voltage and hold it there as it (sometimes) slowly rises. 
Any of these thoughts are superseded by Jamie if he has any thoughts. 
 
Also, if you have not given them an eq in a while it might take 
longer than the available solar time has to get them to the top and 
hold them there..

Have the controllers settings changed?
 
Bob
On Fri, Aug 1, 2008 at 10:18 PM, Allan Sindelar 
<[EMAIL PROTECTED] 
> wrote:


Wrenches,
In late 2003 we installed a 24V set of Rolls-Surrette 4-KS-21PS
6V 1104 A/hr batteries in the off-grid system of a long-time
client. The client's system had a democracy array of around 800
watts of tracked PV. In early 2005 we added 1,280 watts of
additional PV, and the client hasn't run the generator since; the
system rarely drops below 80% and fills to 100% most days in
sunny New Mexico. Batteries are located in a basement, so
temperatures stay relatively constant, although it will vary
slightly seasonally. MX60 controller is temperature compensated,
with 29.6 VDC bulk and 31.4 VDC EQ set points.

The problem is that the client reports being unable to achieve
previous EQ voltages, and this inability appears to be a new
development. The system is otherwise performing well. As the
client is sharp and pays close attention to the system's
operation, I'm not ready to blame user ignorance (with one
possible exception; read on). This may be an issue of seasonally
warm temperatures, but I'm not sure this would explain the full
0.4 VDC reduction in voltage. I told him that I would post his
problem to this list, and also request advice from Surrette Battery.

Here is the client's description of the symptoms:
I'm concerned that I am unable to equalize batteries at this
time.  Up
until June of this year the Tri-Metric readings during equalizing
indicated
holding voltage at 31.1, with maximum amps gain of around 52.  
Three weeks

ago, when set on equalize, the maximum voltage reading was 30.7,
with
maximum amps of 46; this was reached around noon, and by around
1:30 pm
voltage/amps began its typical afternoon drop-off.  I attempted
equalizing
on two other occasions since then--the last time this past
Saturday, with
clear skies up until mid-afternoon--but having the same results. 
So, the

question is: are my batteries beginning their decline? We've had
this set
for 4 1/2 years, so it would seem a bit too early for this, given
that these
batteries are expected to last 7-10 years.



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Re: [RE-wrenches] Todd's ah meter wish list. (Was: battery charging with XW series equipment)

[Todd Cory]

Yum - this is just what I would love!

Todd
If a true amp-hour meter were
ever integrated into the
XW system, my big "wish list" item is similar to what Todd mentions
below. Whenever the charge controller goes into float, that should
signal the battery fuel gauge to reset to 100% (and the battery
efficiency should be calculated & updated at that point). 








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Re: [RE-wrenches] Battery charging with XW series equipment

[Todd Cory]

So why does the list Xantrex rep not
reply to this inquiry?

Todd



jay peltz wrote:
Hi Todd,
  
  
  I agree.  I sure like what I've seen, but that is a large hole,
  
  
  jay
  
  
  peltz power
  
  On Jul 24, 2008, at 10:07 PM, Todd Cory wrote:
  
   I wish
they would address the question I asked about why they neglected to
include an amp hour meter that communicates with their charge
controller on a battery based system. The lack of an accurate metering
system is one of the biggest elephants in the room with this
inverter/CC system.

Todd

Allan Sindelar wrote:
  
  









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Re: [RE-wrenches] Battery charging with XW series equipment

[Todd Cory]

Title: Battery charging with XW series equipment 




I wish they would address the
question I asked about why they neglected to include an amp hour meter
that communicates with their charge controller on a battery based
system. The lack of an accurate metering system is one of the biggest
elephants in the room with this inverter/CC system.

Todd

Allan Sindelar wrote:

  
  
  

  Wrenches,
  
  Just before Topica died there were several postings related to observed
problems and limitations with Xantrex' new XW system. I sent a heads-up
to Mark Edmunds, asking him to check the Wrenches forum and reply to
the issues raised. Mark was out, but I received the following response
from Jeff Everett. 
   
  
  I am quite impressed with Jeff's clarity
and directness in addressing all of the issues raised, so now that we again have a list, I am forwarding his response. 
   
  
  Allan at Positive Energy.
  
   
  









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