[RE-wrenches] WOW Something Gone Very Wrong
* Rooftop solar installation sparks fires in Trenton, New Jersey* 28.03.2012: According to local news portal NJ.com, a rooftop solar system has triggered several small fires at a recycling center in Trenton, New Jersey. The article reports that a major malfunction in the rooftop solar panel...caused small fires and surges of electricity producing arcs of current to break out. According to Fire Battalion Chief Rich Seeds, There definitely was a problem with the installation, the equipment. Firefighters on the scene said that an inverter was sparking and unusable. The firefighters, with the help of electricians, had to manually disconnect the 100-panel system from the electrical grid before they could safely put out the fire. The fire started while electricians were hooking up junction boxes on the system. Earlier this month, a New Jersey General Assembly committee approved a bill (A266) that would require buildings to clearly label with an exterior emblem whether they have solar panels installed on the premises. The measure, recommended by the National Fire Protection Association, is aimed at protecting firefighters from dangers posed by solar panels. The greater Assembly has yet to discuss the bill, but the New Jersey Senate version of the bill (S507) was introduced in the Senate on Jan. 10, 2012 and is currently being reviewed by the Senate Environment and Energy Committee. ... Source: NJ.com, New Jersey Assembly Republicans, eLobbyist; Summary: PHOTON *http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2012/03/trenton_firefighters_battle _ro.html* http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2012/03/trenton_firefighters_battle_ro.html *http://www.njassemblyrepublicans.com/?p=2862* ___ List sponsored by Home Power magazine List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Options settings: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List rules etiquette: www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm Check out participant bios: www.members.re-wrenches.org
Re: [RE-wrenches] WOW Something Gone Very Wrong
Perfect example of why it¹s a good idea to start designing and deploying systems now that meet the fuse servicing requirements found in NEC 2011even if these are not required by your AHJ yet. People on this list are probably ahead of that curve. If not, you might want to check out these articles: http://solarprofessional.com/article/?file=SP4_3_pg14_QA_2search= (Bill Brooks article on Fuse Servicing disconnect requirements) http://solarprofessional.com/article/?file=SP4_3_pg64_Hrensearch= (Changes to Code in 2011; See content under ³690.6, Fuses² subheading) David Brearley, Senior Technical Editor SolarPro magazine NABCEP Certified PV Installer On 3/29/12 9:36 AM, Mark Frye ma...@berkeleysolar.com wrote: Rooftop solar installation sparks fires in Trenton, New Jersey 28.03.2012: According to local news portal NJ.com, a rooftop solar system has triggered several small fires at a recycling center in Trenton, New Jersey. The article reports that ³a major malfunction in the rooftop solar panelcaused small fires and surges of electricity producing arcs of current to break out.² According to Fire Battalion Chief Rich Seeds, ³There definitely was a problem with the installation, the equipment.² Firefighters on the scene said that an inverter was ³sparking and unusable.² The firefighters, with the help of electricians, had to manually disconnect the 100-panel system from the electrical grid before they could safely put out the fire. The fire started while electricians were hooking up junction boxes on the system. Earlier this month, a New Jersey General Assembly committee approved a bill (A266) that would require buildings to clearly label with an exterior emblem whether they have solar panels installed on the premises. The measure, recommended by the National Fire Protection Association, is aimed at protecting firefighters from dangers posed by solar panels. The greater Assembly has yet to discuss the bill, but the New Jersey Senate version of the bill (S507) was introduced in the Senate on Jan. 10, 2012 and is currently being reviewed by the Senate Environment and Energy Committee. Source: NJ.com, New Jersey Assembly Republicans, eLobbyist; Summary: PHOTON http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2012/03/trenton_firefighters_battle _ro.html http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2012/03/trenton_firefighters_battle_ro.htm l http://www.njassemblyrepublicans.com/?p=2862 http://www.njassemblyrepublicans.com/?p=2862 ___ List sponsored by Home Power magazine List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Options settings: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List rules etiquette: www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm Check out participant bios: www.members.re-wrenches.org
Re: [RE-wrenches] WOW Something Gone Very Wrong
All, It is very likely that the something gone very wrong was a wiring mistake by the installing contractor. Many installers are clueless about the danger and consequences of getting the polarity wrong in strings or combiner box circuits. It is very likely that the contractor mixed up their combiner box circuits causing the combiner boxes and conductors to catch on fire as soon as the fuses were installed. Polarity should be checked and verified on all circuits a total of 2 or 3 times during the course of installation and commissioning. It is the single most important test from a safety point of view. Bill. From: re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org [mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of David Brearley Sent: Thursday, March 29, 2012 8:25 AM To: RE-wrenches Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] WOW Something Gone Very Wrong Perfect example of why it's a good idea to start designing and deploying systems now that meet the fuse servicing requirements found in NEC 2011-even if these are not required by your AHJ yet. People on this list are probably ahead of that curve. If not, you might want to check out these articles: http://solarprofessional.com/article/?file=SP4_3_pg14_QA_2 http://solarprofessional.com/article/?file=SP4_3_pg14_QA_2search= search= (Bill Brooks article on Fuse Servicing disconnect requirements) http://solarprofessional.com/article/?file=SP4_3_pg64_Hren http://solarprofessional.com/article/?file=SP4_3_pg64_Hrensearch= search= (Changes to Code in 2011; See content under 690.6, Fuses subheading) David Brearley, Senior Technical Editor SolarPro magazine NABCEP Certified PV Installer T On 3/29/12 9:36 AM, Mark Frye ma...@berkeleysolar.com wrote: Rooftop solar installation sparks fires in Trenton, New Jersey 28.03.2012: According to local news portal NJ.com, a rooftop solar system has triggered several small fires at a recycling center in Trenton, New Jersey. The article reports that a major malfunction in the rooftop solar panel.caused small fires and surges of electricity producing arcs of current to break out. According to Fire Battalion Chief Rich Seeds, There definitely was a problem with the installation, the equipment. Firefighters on the scene said that an inverter was sparking and unusable. The firefighters, with the help of electricians, had to manually disconnect the 100-panel system from the electrical grid before they could safely put out the fire. The fire started while electricians were hooking up junction boxes on the system. Earlier this month, a New Jersey General Assembly committee approved a bill (A266) that would require buildings to clearly label with an exterior emblem whether they have solar panels installed on the premises. The measure, recommended by the National Fire Protection Association, is aimed at protecting firefighters from dangers posed by solar panels. The greater Assembly has yet to discuss the bill, but the New Jersey Senate version of the bill (S507) was introduced in the Senate on Jan. 10, 2012 and is currently being reviewed by the Senate Environment and Energy Committee. . Source: NJ.com, New Jersey Assembly Republicans, eLobbyist; Summary: PHOTON http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2012/03/trenton_firefighters_battle _ro.html http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2012/03/trenton_firefighters_battle_ro.h tml http://www.njassemblyrepublicans.com/?p=2862 http://www.njassemblyrepublicans.com/?p=2862 _ ___ List sponsored by Home Power magazine List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Options settings: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List rules etiquette: www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm Check out participant bios: www.members.re-wrenches.org
Re: [RE-wrenches] WOW Something Gone Very Wrong
That was my suspicion as well. Simple wiring mistake. Inadequate commissioning protocol. On 3/29/12 2:02 PM, Bill Brooks billbroo...@yahoo.com wrote: All, It is very likely that the something gone very wrong was a wiring mistake by the installing contractor. Many installers are clueless about the danger and consequences of getting the polarity wrong in strings or combiner box circuits. It is very likely that the contractor mixed up their combiner box circuits causing the combiner boxes and conductors to catch on fire as soon as the fuses were installed. Polarity should be checked and verified on all circuits a total of 2 or 3 times during the course of installation and commissioning. It is the single most important test from a safety point of view. Bill. From: re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org [mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of David Brearley Sent: Thursday, March 29, 2012 8:25 AM To: RE-wrenches Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] WOW Something Gone Very Wrong Perfect example of why it¹s a good idea to start designing and deploying systems now that meet the fuse servicing requirements found in NEC 2011even if these are not required by your AHJ yet. People on this list are probably ahead of that curve. If not, you might want to check out these articles: http://solarprofessional.com/article/?file=SP4_3_pg14_QA_2search= (Bill Brooks article on Fuse Servicing disconnect requirements) http://solarprofessional.com/article/?file=SP4_3_pg64_Hrensearch= (Changes to Code in 2011; See content under ³690.6, Fuses² subheading) David Brearley, Senior Technical Editor SolarPro magazine NABCEP Certified PV Installer On 3/29/12 9:36 AM, Mark Frye ma...@berkeleysolar.com wrote: Rooftop solar installation sparks fires in Trenton, New Jersey 28.03.2012: According to local news portal NJ.com, a rooftop solar system has triggered several small fires at a recycling center in Trenton, New Jersey. The article reports that ³a major malfunction in the rooftop solar panelcaused small fires and surges of electricity producing arcs of current to break out.² According to Fire Battalion Chief Rich Seeds, ³There definitely was a problem with the installation, the equipment.² Firefighters on the scene said that an inverter was ³sparking and unusable.² The firefighters, with the help of electricians, had to manually disconnect the 100-panel system from the electrical grid before they could safely put out the fire. The fire started while electricians were hooking up junction boxes on the system. Earlier this month, a New Jersey General Assembly committee approved a bill (A266) that would require buildings to clearly label with an exterior emblem whether they have solar panels installed on the premises. The measure, recommended by the National Fire Protection Association, is aimed at protecting firefighters from dangers posed by solar panels. The greater Assembly has yet to discuss the bill, but the New Jersey Senate version of the bill (S507) was introduced in the Senate on Jan. 10, 2012 and is currently being reviewed by the Senate Environment and Energy Committee. Source: NJ.com, New Jersey Assembly Republicans, eLobbyist; Summary: PHOTON http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2012/03/trenton_firefighters_battle _ro.html http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2012/03/trenton_firefighters_battle_ro.htm l http://www.njassemblyrepublicans.com/?p=2862 http://www.njassemblyrepublicans.com/?p=2862 ___ List sponsored by Home Power magazine List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Options settings: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List rules etiquette: www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm Check out participant bios: www.members.re-wrenches.org David Brearley, Senior Technical Editor SolarPro magazine NABCEP Certified PV Installer david.brear...@solarprofessional.com Direct: 541.261.6545 Fax: 541.512.0343 Visit our Web site at solarprofessional.com (Sample copy available for download at: solarprofessional.com/sample) ___ List sponsored by Home Power magazine List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Options settings: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List rules etiquette: www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm Check out participant bios: www.members.re-wrenches.org
Re: [RE-wrenches] WOW Something Gone Very Wrong
Hmm...no voltage...must've left the fuse out of this holder...lemme just open it up a take a quick looksie On Thu, Mar 29, 2012 at 3:41 PM, David Brearley david.brear...@solarprofessional.com wrote: That was my suspicion as well. Simple wiring mistake. Inadequate commissioning protocol. On 3/29/12 2:02 PM, Bill Brooks billbroo...@yahoo.com wrote: All, It is very likely that the something gone very wrong was a wiring mistake by the installing contractor. Many installers are clueless about the danger and consequences of getting the polarity wrong in strings or combiner box circuits. It is very likely that the contractor mixed up their combiner box circuits causing the combiner boxes and conductors to catch on fire as soon as the fuses were installed. Polarity should be checked and verified on all circuits a total of 2 or 3 times during the course of installation and commissioning. It is the single most important test from a safety point of view. Bill. *From:* re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org [ mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.orgre-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] *On Behalf Of *David Brearley *Sent:* Thursday, March 29, 2012 8:25 AM *To:* RE-wrenches *Subject:* Re: [RE-wrenches] WOW Something Gone Very Wrong Perfect example of why it’s a good idea to start designing and deploying systems now that meet the fuse servicing requirements found in NEC 2011—even if these are not required by your AHJ yet. People on this list are probably ahead of that curve. If not, you might want to check out these articles: http://solarprofessional.com/article/?file=SP4_3_pg14_QA_2search= (Bill Brooks article on Fuse Servicing disconnect requirements) http://solarprofessional.com/article/?file=SP4_3_pg64_Hrensearch= (Changes to Code in 2011; See content under “690.6, Fuses” subheading) David Brearley, Senior Technical Editor *SolarPro* magazine NABCEP Certified PV Installer ™ On 3/29/12 9:36 AM, Mark Frye ma...@berkeleysolar.com wrote: * Rooftop solar installation sparks fires in Trenton, New Jersey* 28.03.2012: According to local news portal NJ.com, a rooftop solar system has triggered several small fires at a recycling center in Trenton, New Jersey. The article reports that “a major malfunction in the rooftop solar panel…caused small fires and surges of electricity producing arcs of current to break out.” According to Fire Battalion Chief Rich Seeds, “There definitely was a problem with the installation, the equipment.” Firefighters on the scene said that an inverter was “sparking and unusable.” The firefighters, with the help of electricians, had to manually disconnect the 100-panel system from the electrical grid before they could safely put out the fire. The fire started while electricians were hooking up junction boxes on the system. Earlier this month, a New Jersey General Assembly committee approved a bill (A266) that would require buildings to clearly label with an exterior emblem whether they have solar panels installed on the premises. The measure, recommended by the National Fire Protection Association, is aimed at protecting firefighters from dangers posed by solar panels. The greater Assembly has yet to discuss the bill, but the New Jersey Senate version of the bill (S507) was introduced in the Senate on Jan. 10, 2012 and is currently being reviewed by the Senate Environment and Energy Committee. … Source: NJ.com, New Jersey Assembly Republicans, eLobbyist; Summary: PHOTON *http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2012/03/trenton_firefighters_battle _ro.html* http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2012/03/trenton_firefighters_battle_ro.html *http://www.njassemblyrepublicans.com/?p=2862* http://www.njassemblyrepublicans.com/?p=2862 -- -- ___ List sponsored by Home Power magazine List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Options settings: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List rules etiquette: www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm Check out participant bios: www.members.re-wrenches.org David Brearley, Senior Technical Editor *SolarPro* magazine NABCEP Certified PV Installer ™ david.brear...@solarprofessional.com Direct: 541.261.6545 Fax: 541.512.0343 * *Visit our Web site at solarprofessional.com (Sample copy available for download at: solarprofessional.com/sample) ___ List sponsored by Home Power magazine List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Options settings: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List rules etiquette: www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm Check out
