was brooks talking about the plus line? I think not. I think that thread was
regarding the Fronius IG
the thread was:
Efficiency Curves of Fronius Inverters?
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Hi Wrenches,
I was wondering if any of you have worked with the Apollo TSW inverter. It
looks a lot like a Xantrex DR. I am wondering how good it is.
regards,
nick vida
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Peter,
I think there was a pertinent article along these lines in the Photon US mag
they were handing out in Anaheim at the SEPA conference.
regards,
nick
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wondering if any wrenches have any opinions on the Apollo charge controllers
T80 in particular.
I heard they had some technical issues not to long ago- is that resolved?
thanks,
nick
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Hi wrenches,
I am looking at the xantrexXW system with 2 inverters, and I asked their tech
support if it is possible to have 2 inverters synced to the same grid and
backup power, but without being parraled on the battery bank. My hope was that
the 2 inverters could switch between master and sl
Hi wrenches,
I am starting to study the grid and how it works, gear involved, voltages,
transformers, maintenance...and whatever else I can learn. I was wondering if
any of you have any suggestions for resources for my reading list, or web
pages/ magazines you keep current with.
thanks,
nick
sounds like a great situation for tigo power optimizers we should be seeing
pretty soon.
nick vida
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I would say on TED, which i have a limited exposure to, that they need to do
some real work on their documentation because it took me a long time to find
their "firmware" update for mac installation, among others, and wow, providing
a 3 inch cd rom which is un-usable on most computers instead of
wreck the inverter. (that would be in a parallel
string of 2).
I know it is not a great situation array wise, or return on investment, but I
would like to sort something out for them.
thanks,
Nick Vida
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screw up the penetration.
nick vida
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ect too much respect. That
being
said, combined with my 6 years of installing, it is a nice additional
credential.
nick vida/
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Hi wrenches.
hope you are well,
Do any of you guys have any experience with portable freezer/ refrigerator
units
with AC and DC input? I see a couple brands out there, like EdgeStar, Dometic,
and Whynter. Anyone have any or ever use any of these? are they good? durable?
thanks a million,
nic
Hi Dan,
I am talking about the ice chest looking ones that run on AC or DC electric.
There are a bunch of brands with pretty similar design. I have no idea if any
of
them are any good. Have you used them? EdgeStar?
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Thanks for the insight Dan,
hey if you are gonna get one for your camping trip, you might want to look into
the Whynter ones, cause they actually claim to be outdoor rated.
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Hi Carl,
No I dont have that data, but I might be getting one for an efficient/ compact
kitchen design here later this month, and that will be a major curiosity.
Inside dimension v. outside dimension looks like they did quite a bit of
insulation, and that general design of opening up is good for
200.6(D) mentions the separating and labeling of conductors of different systems
thumb through that one and you should be able to get a guy on your side.
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hey wrenches.
i am looking at some ballasted racks. Any favorites or least favorites?
trifling
experiences?
i would appreciate hearing from you!
thanks,
nick vida
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It seems like it should be fine if you run one conduit to your shop inverter,
and another to a dc disconnect and underground to the house inverter, but I see
you running a bonding wire for the 2 GECs as well for some reason. You should
go
through the part of 250 about different GEC for separate
;s should step aside, and I cant
help but wonder if the job is in peril because of his massive seminar fees.
nick vida
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Hello Wrenches,
I was wondering if any of you have had any experience with
installing working platforms or catwalks over solar rails. The application
would be a standing seam roof not suitable to walk on. We are trying to find a
way to install a mechanical system while also providing a walking su
experience with this?
Application is SMA tripower monitoring.
Thanks in advance.
Nick Vida
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William Korthof.
View on www.pluginamerica.org Preview by Yahoo
Regards,
Nick Vida
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Hi William,
We deal with this all day in California. You should go in the attic, figure out
the truss type (howe, scissor...), get the spans and sizes of the wood, and
pictures of the grade stamps. You can then send this off to a structural
engineer to get a letter and a digitally stamped set of
On prop 10,
yes you may feel whatever way you would like about Pickens. Seeing how
much windy land he owns in texas and that he owns clean energy natural gas
stations makes it a bit insipid that he is trying to use the government to
increase his infrastructure. But as a tradesman, if you dont thin
and
ac output power circuits, may be contained in the same raceway as PV source and
output conductors... (page 1020 2005 NEC Handbook)
We would only be running the solar circuits in our raceways connecting
different runs to our gear. Are you saying you have a concern about such a
This is interesting to see what regions the squirrels are active.
I hear Vermont, Mass, New Hampshire, and Colorado
here in southern California I have heard of no problems
any other areas anybody knows of?
is it the cold weather?
is it only use-2 or is this including rhw?
nick
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hey Wrenches.
I opened my soon to be installed fronius IG Plus to see what was going on in
there, and found myself a bit disappointed. There is a 6 string combiner in
there which is fine, however there is no bypass for the fusing section and the
terminals are rated at 20 amps. In a situation wh
guys,
thanks for your input. I didnt know about the add on. glad to see it is out
there.
thanks again
Nick Vida
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wrenches,
the defect in REC panels is the frame expands past the panel and can contract
and break the glass. Unfortunate, but no big deal in a lot of ways. I dont know
if there is another defect, but that one would warrant a recall instead of
replacing a lot of panels. There was also an articl
yes you need a myers hub for the same above the bottom 1/3 and into the top for
your non-metalic enclousure. some will use a water tight connector (raintight
with a gasket ring). Either way you need a bonding bushing on your connector or
a myers hub with the bonding screw on the inside locknut t
: 415.559.1525
F: 650.244.9167
www.luminalt.com <http://www.luminalt.com/>
august at luminalt.com
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From: re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org
[mailto:re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of Nick Vida
Sent: Friday, July 24, 2009 1:54 AM
To: wrenches
guys,
on myers hubs... are these even rated for emt connectors?
i know that a lot of inspectors look for them, and a lot of electricians use
them, but i just went through several
manufacturers cut sheets and they only say for rigid and imc. nothing is said
about emt or emt fittings. In fact they
here is one i came across drake, look on the second page for "ground hub" or
"ground nut":
http://www.crouse-hinds.com/catalog/pdfs/00267to00270.pdf
i think most companies have this option, its just a matter of getting your
supply house to order it from the manufacturer they work with.
nick
you can wire a 4 jaw meter for 120 by lifting that little clip on the back of
the meter and using the left side top for line and left bottom for load, but i
think you need to do a high resistance neutral attached to the screw that holds
the jumper.
you might want to look through old grid tied
if you read 690.64b it does mention both the buss rating AND conductors.
for years and years I thought it was just for the buss rating until i got
called recently for the feeders being undersized and unable to accommodate the
solar within 120%. I see a lot of sentiments in this thread that it is
if you read 690.64b it does mention both the buss rating AND conductors.
for years and years I thought it was just for the buss rating until i got
called recently for the feeders being undersized and unable to accommodate the
solar within 120%. I see a lot of sentiments in this thread that it is
Dick,
I think im in William's camp and you may have gathered from my earlier post in
this thread. The actual logic and safety concerned in reality and practice may
be totally true and valid from your perspective (and in reality), however the
wording of the code allows for you to get a out of th
Hans,
that is an interesting reference, well done.
what about if the box is under the panels and only experiencing ambient
temperatures?
That is kind of my current preference when I have to use pvc due to the
deforming issues...
since the panels are movable by unbolting the slow-release mounting
hello wrenches.
I was wondering if any of you have any data on what the losses would be if you
had your string split with 2 different angles, but at the same azimuth. For
instance, string of 11 with 8 facing 180 south at 30 degrees, and 3 facing
south 180 at 45 degrees. I have heard that the vo
maybe build a jig on the roof to hang plumb bobs so you know exactly where the
frame is, then after the lathing is done, drill through to the sticks, and lag
bolt into the frame while also epoxying into the stone, and use some pretty
hefty bolts. Then you can use some short standoffs. If thats n
this is already required in Los Angeles county in a county ordinance. They are
looking for dc disconnect directly after any combiner box and no conduit
entering a building without disconnect- both commercial and residential. You
wont see it in NEC unless you look in the 2002. I dont have the ord
galv and
stainless are of a high grade for hardware, which was interesting.
any thoughts friends?
thanks,
nick vida
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http://www.ladwpsolarnews.com/workshops
Peter,
on your gripe in the orientation thread i thought you might like this link.
LADW just finished a series of angry frustration venting sessions where they
were "work-shopping" ideas for how to put Los Angeles solar installers out of
business with b
g eye to eye with your AHJ, but i would rethink
that one.
nick vida
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With certain designs where you have the service between the array and the
inverter, you may be compelled to make a common raceway to a pull box and
divert a conduit to the service from there. The conduit between the pull box
and the inverter would then have your ac wires and dc wires running to
Drake,
REC are pretty good id say.
They are big, like Sharp big. A bit of a challenge to layout on a roof.
They have a removable back on the junction box and there are 3 diodes i
believe. Everything in there looks like its fastened by compression, which
might be why they had that recall on the
they are here at solar power.
its cool technology, they have a mesh on the top of the panels instead of
traditional solder lines. This reduces resistance so they get better
efficiency. They also flash test each panel so you can sort the for mismatch
before installing. Yes they are made in Canada
I put a temperature probe under the modules almost every job, and it is always
drastically lower than the module itself. A frying module at 130 might have an
ambient temperature underneath in its shade of 89 degrees. the specifics are
always surprisingly low relative to touching the panel and how
a big concern from many voices
all along. Maybe those guys can offer several whip lengths or something...
i don't know I haven't worked with the gear yet.
nick vida
I'm also concerned about the issues brought up here. I have two
possible projects that would benefit from Enphase d
s have any thoughts on this?
Nick Vida
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Thanks for a great response Matt, and an interesting lead to a product
solution...
Let me preface this with saying I am installing another company's design, so
all you are saying about proper
gear at the service is totally heard, and this tap would not be something I
would design...
The situa
now how do you guys feel about all the "ramping down for second quarter 2009"
announcements in the industry rags?
as if you weren't frustrated that solar manufactures were participating in
recession consolidations already!
nick
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Yes I know the failures you were mentioning in 05-06.
I had one that had 2 blown 20a ac midget fuses inside the cover. i was told by
the service of their partner company at that time to replace the fuses- it
might have been a grid surge that took out the fuses.
i did so later that day and the i
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nb5GpV_LUuU
Hey wrenches,
super fun to do, especially when you have some context with the folks, Vendor
sections are the worst ever because they have no regard for efficiency in most
cases. You will want to stock bulbs and devices to lend out. Favorite vendor
kil
I have it and i dont know how to use it yet.
I have been meaning to email them to suggest a youtube chanel to show you how
it
is done. It describes 3 ways of doing the measurements, but either way you try,
it just beeps a couple times and says it is over. You would have to trace your
horizon i
are there any unusual line side tap considerations when using panels with
automatic transfer switches?
regards,
nick vida
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, there are removable vent clean outs on the right side of the IG plus, so
it is difficult to leave access in some cases, and you might have to remove the
power stage to clean them if you run a pipe there.
nick vida
Brighter Days
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Hi wrenches.
I had an interesting case today that I have been thinking about since it
happened. I dont have all the details because the homeownter had to leave
before
I was done with the service call, but here is what I do know. SB5000 with 2
strings of 15 modules. String one was 437 vdc, and
Hi Bob,
thanks for thinking about my question!
I landed the fuses and put the fuses back in (not it- typo) on my sma
disconnect, and there was an arc across the fuse holder. Seems like it could
have been closing a short circuit on the bus once the parallel connection was
made.
H
I will be back at that house and be able to figure out what was wrong
and let you wrenches know for interest's sake.
Have a great 4th
nick vida
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Op
.
cheers,
nick vida
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Hello Wrenches,
Are any of you aware of any recall on low producing Sayo HIP-190BA3 from 2005?
Thanks,
Nick Vida
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http://www.digikey.com/
is always a great place to start, especially for small quantity purchases or
testing. same with the following:
http://www.allelectronics.com/make-a-store/category/340/LEDs/1.html
another good place to go is the following event with a free entry for the
exhibition:
http:
ottom of the disconnect. Adding the length of
the conductor that lands in the terminal makes for some
serious dexterous labor, especially all the way in the back of the disconnect.
Hopefully in the future the wiring section will become easier in that rega
Hi wrenches,
I am in need of a Sharp 170, either NE-170UC1 or NE170OU1, either new or used.
If you have any you are willing to get rid of, please let me know.
regards,
Nick Vida
818.307.9526
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Nice one,
OCW is amazing, with a lot of great lectures. It is pretty exciting that MIT,
the university largely behind OCW, is releasing MITx this spring. In the
program you can get a certificate for completing OCW curricula. One can only
hope solar physics is a topic there!
http://web.mit.edu/
of data.
nick vida
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Sound systems hate square wave and modified square wave, so unless you want to
listen to a ground hum and some other mid frequency square waves under your
broadcast, only use true sin wave inverters for that.
nick vida___
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coincides with a service upgrade anyway, but pricing out a duplex setup
is slightly intimidating, and not that compact for layout. Any thoughts or
leads would be interesting, and I hope some of the manufactures
are addressing this soon to be popular scenario.
Best Regards,
Nick Vida
Brighter
That is very interesting Jay, do you have a code reference for no derate needed
for your solar accumulation panel?
Thanks,
Nick Vida
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I am a little late on this:
Mark and Jay,
thanks for the code reference for the solar accumulation panel bus rating. It
is too bad that adding a little 15 amp receptacle for your monitoring that
draws like 7 watts is enough to incite a derate under the more optimistic
school of thought. Also,
Hi all,
out of curiosity, what resources are you using to study for this?
If it is like the PV installer test, it is a puzzle and a test, but all and
all, not that hard if you super know your stuff.
nick vida___
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L
How are those things as they come apart after being installed for several years?
Pretty strong?
any quality issues over time?
Nick Vida
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Hi wrenches,
I am having the hardest time finding rated safety glasses that don't cause
vertigo when you get tired. Most of them are curved, and I find that it
distorts your vision a bit, and hits you like crazy when you start getting on
toward exhausted. Anyone have any luck finding a reasonab
because here in Los Angeles they are
revising the standard plan and they have an unusual name for the device, so as
it is still a draft, I would us like to align with the future, if at all
possible.
Thanks wrenches!
Nick Vida
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thanks for the link Dave, very useful.
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I tried this approach once and got totally shot down. The explanation was just
like the one you are worried about, too easy to undo.___
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LADWP is requiring inverters to apply for articles of certification though
their engineers. Several transformerless inverters are approved, others have
not supplied the required schematics.
I wouldnt worry about the over the counter for LADBS. The plan check is not
routine enough for these syst
Many of the American sold REC group modules contain silicon made in Washington
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I like NABCEP because I meet people all the time who couldn't pass the exam. As
long as it stays very challenging and requires a lot of specific knowledge I am
ok with it. I found it super difficult and would not have been surprised if I
failed. I am glad to have a credential that shows I have a
Hello wrenches,
I am hoping some of you might have some experience with the GE flat tile bipv
modules from around 2006. We are dealing with a ground fault issue and would
like to figure out what to expect. Thanks in advance for your comments.
Nick Vida
What size is the conduit? Can you re-pull conductors at a higher ampacity?
Nick Vida
Mac: Nope. William Miller PS: It's pretty straight forwards, the code says
"bus or conductor." wm PPS: Can you customer live with a smaller feeder
breaker, say 125 amps? If so,
your gold. w
My main jurisdiction (Los Angeles City) has a utility with its own
service manual with their own requirements. Through experience we
know what they require, and it often has nothing to do with NEC.
If you bring up NEC to them, they usually laugh at you.
Nick Vida__
specifying EMT only). I am
wondering if this is a new wave of inspectors wanting the future now as
informed by an expert seminar, or if there is something I am not aware of. Any
comments are very appreciated.
Thank you,
Nick Vida
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Hi Wrenches,
Thanks for you comments. Fun for the day is hearing they want to apply section
230 about service conductors and say that flex is not a metallic raceway
because it is no good for bonding. They are defining the pv source circuits as
a service.
I am getting a distinct Wiles vibe here
Hi wrenches,
do any of you have pro solar clamps for Sanyo hip-200ba3? I am in need of 80
mids and 30 ends. (I cant remember if there is only one clamp you use in both
applications?) This was that Sanyo module with the cuff on the edge by the way.
Please contact me off list of you want to free
If you are looking for a cheapo one that will work for input fields over usb,
you can get them at any office store.
If you are looking for a pda solution for in the field, i would check out some
of these type products:
http://www.techforless.com/cgi-bin/tech4less/process?mv_session_id=NqRsHbGy&
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