Re: [RE-wrenches] Finding ground faults

Mike: Is there such a tool as a DC clamp-on that can reliably measure 10 mA? My experience is any clamp meter is unreliable below 5A. William At 10:09 PM 5/23/2012, Mike Sullivan wrote: Hi Bob, Sorry if I am duplicating any of the replies you've already received regarding the possible gr

Re: [RE-wrenches] Number of Controllers

Larry: Thank you for the update on this intriguing product. It would be helpful if the charger network could talk to a Mate or an SCP, but I doubt that will ever happen. Here's an idea: A standard CAT5 protocol for exchanging data/settings in RE equipment. Utopia or Chaos? William At

Re: [RE-wrenches] Finding ground faults

Hi Bob, Sorry if I am duplicating any of the replies you've already received regarding the possible ground fault. I think the best way to determine whether GFDI is tripping on 1 A ground current or 80 A circuit current is to use a sensitive DC clamp-on to check the current on your system ground

Re: [RE-wrenches] Number of Controllers

Colin, The IPN Network charge controllers from Blue Sky Energy can be configured as Master & Slave so ALL controllers work together. With up to 8 controllers on the network, you can have multiple arrays and orintations. Their new Duo model will function as hydro or wind diversion control. AND,

Re: [RE-wrenches] Solar NGO's in Haiti??

Hi Bill, I've worked as a contractor with SELF on half a dozen PV installations in central Haiti. SELF has a very good relationship with solar suppliers and solar technicians/electricians based out of PaP. Email me off-list and I will give you the contact info for the SELF project manager livin

[RE-wrenches] Integrated GFDI (branch from Finding Ground Faults)

Steve, A PV system GFDI integrated into the charge controller certainly simplifies charge controller installations. Unfortunately every charge controller that has done that has failed to correct a serious flaw in the operation of the GFDI: under a ground fault circumstance, the energized PV n

Re: [RE-wrenches] Number of Controllers

Hi Colin. No limits beyond battery C rate limits. I've got 3 CC and 4 dump loads (3 AC and 1 DC). Biggest issue is getting them synced to the same voltage. Set points don't need to match. Jay Peltz power. Sent from my iPhone On May 23, 2012, at 6:47 PM, Colin Vogt wrote: > Wrenc

[RE-wrenches] Number of Controllers

Wrenches, What considerations are there for the number of charge controllers that can be in a stand-alone system with a single battery bank? If one uses MPPT controllers, then one would want (I think) a different controller for different module orientations. That is, if one had a couple

Re: [RE-wrenches] Finding ground faults

Ooops !! Sorry about that one !!That was from 1741... Still applicable of course but NOT NEC. That was applicable from 2007 though. boB On 5/23/2012 6:34 PM, b...@midnitesolar.com wrote: On 5/23/2012 4:44 PM, Darryl Thayer wrote: I sure do not like the way the X brand installed t

Re: [RE-wrenches] Finding ground faults

On 5/23/2012 4:44 PM, Darryl Thayer wrote: I sure do not like the way the X brand installed their charge controller, Also the code says that all strings must open if one string is faulted. your breaker does this up to 4 strings. DT I think that this is the pertinent part of the code regard

Re: [RE-wrenches] Finding ground faults

I sure do not like the way the X brand installed their charge controller, Also the code says that all strings must open if one string is faulted.  your breaker does this up to 4 strings.   DT  From: Steve Higgins To: RE-wrenches Sent: Wednesday, May 23, 201

Re: [RE-wrenches] Finding ground faults

Bob I had a tough find one time, when it rained I would have GF when it would dry out no GF I turned off main DC disconnect, I turned off each circuit breakers for the strings, I opened the grounded conductor of the strings, I connected my Megger at 500 volts I think It might have been maybe 10

Re: [RE-wrenches] cogeneration

Hi Mark, I have had a brush with a Honda CHP Combined Heat and Power unit, a 1 kW unit I think, and with a Marathon "ecopower" a 4.9? KW,  I was not the installer, These were a while back,  4 and 2 years I think.  One house the customer was keeping maticulus records and had a value calculation.  (h

Re: [RE-wrenches] Voltage Datalogger

Jason: E-gauge was working on this. The interface is great. If they have added the DC feature, you are set. William At 12:06 PM 5/23/2012, you wrote: I have a customer interested in monitoring a 48V battery bank's voltage via the Internet. This is a DC only system. He just needs basic re

Re: [RE-wrenches] Voltage Datalogger

Ooops, sorry all. small keyboard and hit send too early.. Program Arduino to say: If time since last data transmission > 1 week AND battery voltage > 12.3 volts TURN ON satellite internet modem; PING (my server IP) UNTIL RESPONSE=1 UPLOAD with WPUT (data acquired since last upload) TURN OFF s

Re: [RE-wrenches] Voltage Datalogger

Hi Jason; This is a big interest of mine also, due to many extremely remote sites with PV installations. Though am more int he market for a deployable voltage monitor where the client can send me data upon their arrival at camp each spring, so i can see what the systems were doing all winter with

Re: [RE-wrenches] Finding ground faults

>From what I understand, future controllers from Outback Power will incorporate >the Ground Fault detection into the controller. Steve Higgins Sales Application Engineering Mgr Direct 360-618-4313 Outback Power Technologies 5917 195th Street NE Arlington, Washington 98223 ___

[RE-wrenches] Voltage Datalogger

I have a customer interested in monitoring a 48V battery bank's voltage via the Internet. This is a DC only system. He just needs basic real-time and historical voltage recording without any bells and whistles. Any cost effective ideas? Jason Szumlanski Fafco Solar

Re: [RE-wrenches] Finding ground faults

Steve: IMHO, a brilliant suggestion. William Miller At 11:19 AM 5/23/2012, you wrote: Steve, It would be appropriate for the GFDI to have 80-amp rated contacts that do not have an over-current trip mechanism. IMHO, the fact that they can trip on over-current and unnecessarily interrupt the

Re: [RE-wrenches] Solar NGO's in Haiti??

Bill, I think that you should seriously think of a 24V DC system with high efficiency LED lights, DC fans, DC refrigerators, DC computers and Internet access devices, and DC for the other appliances like TVs and radios. Start by minimizing the power requirements. Air conditioning is a huge load

Re: [RE-wrenches] Finding ground faults

Steve, It would be appropriate for the GFDI to have 80-amp rated contacts that do not have an over-current trip mechanism. IMHO, the fact that they can trip on over-current and unnecessarily interrupt the dc system bond is a serious design flaw. Kent Osterberg Blue Mountain Solar, Inc. www.b

Re: [RE-wrenches] Finding ground faults

Bob, Be careful with that GFDI... It's most likely wired on the output of the controllers, on the battery side. This can trip if a ground fault is occurring, or if you are exceeding 80 amps of current. With 8, 3 module strings, an edge of cloud event you could have the 80amp portion of that

[RE-wrenches] cogeneration

Have any of you had any experience or heard of experiences with the residential cogeneration systems such as the Freewatt? Sounded like there was a lot of potential a few years back, but have heard little since. Any reason you couldn't tie one into an off-grid Sunny Island system? Best regard

Re: [RE-wrenches] Solar NGO's in Haiti??

Daryl, I greatly appreciate your offer to help us think through putting a system together in Haiti. For some time we will be prioritizing the loads not so much for the orphanage but for the doc and his wife. They are like so many who buy into a project before processing that they are the ones needi

Re: [RE-wrenches] Solar NGO's in Haiti??

Jeff, I greatly appreciate your offer to help us think through putting a system together in Haiti. For some time we will be prioritizing the loads not so much for the orphanage but for the doc and his wife. They are like so many who buy into a project before processing that they are the ones nee

Re: [RE-wrenches] PV into a resistor: please advise

Hi, Technicians~ Thanks to all for the replies regarding "PV behavior when the load is a resistor". My client wants to emulate the "Divert" function as with an old school Bobier NDR-30 charge controller (& also seen with Mr. Katz' Enermaxer controller from days gone by). The 2012 twist is that we'

Re: [RE-wrenches] Kohler 10RY rewire to 120

You should be able to common the stator windings to give you 120V. If you can show me a wiring diagram I can tell you the wire numbers to connect. On Tue, May 22, 2012 at 11:47 PM, mac Lewis wrote: > Hello wrenches, > > Does anyone have any good instructions or advice on how to rewire an older >

Re: [RE-wrenches] Kohler 10RY rewire to 120

I've gotten away with using a transformer in the past. dbDan BrownFoxfire Energy Corp.Renewable Energy Systems(802)-483-2564www.Foxfire-Energy.comNABCEP #092907-44 Original Message Subject: [RE-wrenches] Kohler 10RY rewire to 120 From: mac Lewis Date: Tue,

Re: [RE-wrenches] Finding ground faults

Here's the Paul Mync / John Berdner article from SolarPro 2.5: http://solarprofessional.com/article/?file=SP2_5_pg60_Mync -David Brearley... er... Click On 2012/5/22 22:36, Bob Clark wrote: Wrenches: Sorry to bring up this situation again, but I could not find a previous discussion thread that