[RE-wrenches] California Photovoltaic Requirement 1/1/2020

2019-09-10 Thread Peter Parrish
I had a question about the new law I couldn’t answer. Is the PV requirement effective when the permit is submitted, or when is it pulled (i.e. approved) for new residential construction or when the permit is finaled by all parties, or when the Certificate of Occupancy is issued, or when the res

Re: [RE-wrenches] GE Energy Roof-Integrated Solar Electric power Systems

2019-06-19 Thread Peter Parrish
I did an install in 2007 for a customer in the High Desert just outside of Hesperia, CA. Since he was a General Electric employee at the time, he had access to the GEPV-055 module. We installed 102 of these puppies (three strings of 34 modules each) into a new, flat concrete tile roof. It looked

[RE-wrenches] 1 kW 120 Vac grid tied inverter

2019-04-28 Thread Peter Parrish
I replaced a number of AES (?) 120 Vac 1 kW grid tied inverter back when I was just starting out (2000) There was one poor design element with the DC fuse holders that I discovered and was able to work around, but I usually advised my clients to swap these inverters out for the SMA SWR 2500 and

[RE-wrenches] Does SMA have a SGIP-compliant (i.e. Smart Storage) Product?

2019-04-03 Thread Peter Parrish
-- people at SMA Sales and presales Tech Support , and not one person claimes to have knowledge of the Sunny Boy Storage system. Have I gone blind, dum and crazy? I understand that StorEdge product has traction and I am ready to jump ship. What am I missing? Peter Parrish Peter T. Parrish

Re: [RE-wrenches] Portable Power Centers

2018-12-10 Thread Peter Parrish
e spelling and typos. -- Original message-- From: Peter Parrish Date: Sun, Dec 9, 2018 1:17 AM To: RE-wrenches; Cc: Subject:[RE-wrenches] Portable Power Centers We are working with Turning Point Foundation a 501(c)3 to provide off-grid power for their River Haven project which is providing

Re: [RE-wrenches] Portable Power Centers

2018-12-10 Thread Peter Parrish
is. Bill Dorsett Flint Hills Renewable Energy & Efficiency Cooperative, Inc. “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can” Arthur Ashe 1715 Leavenworth Manhattan, KS 66502 www.fhreec.org 785/539-1956 Office 785/564-2583 Cell wmdors...@cox.net From: RE-wrenches On Be

[RE-wrenches] Portable Power Centers

2018-12-08 Thread Peter Parrish
We are working with Turning Point Foundation a 501(c)3 to provide off-grid power for their River Haven project which is providing transitional housing for homeless folks in the Ventura CA area. The site is truly off-grid and currently uses propane to power three refrigerators and cook stoves. T

[RE-wrenches] Fat Spaniel

2018-10-22 Thread Peter Parrish
I have a client with a Fat Spaniel box. They can't remember their user name and password. I did a little digging and I came to the conclusion that the Fat Spaniel product is no longer being sold, no longer being supported, and their cloud server has been taken down. Am I right -- on any account?

[RE-wrenches] GE GEPVp-055 Modules

2018-10-16 Thread Peter Parrish
I have been servicing this customer for over 12 years now, going through a various problems with the Fronius IG-5100 inverter. We never had to get a replacement but as I see in my files we did swap out a daughter board. The system is comprised of three strings of 34 each GEPVp-055 modules. We ha

Re: [RE-wrenches] Ibew is working to exclude C-46 contractor’s from installing Batteries.

2018-03-23 Thread Peter Parrish
Jason, I’d like to read the .pdf you refer to if that would not violate a Non-Disclosure Agreement. I am on the California Solar & Storage Association (formerly CalSEIA) Storage Subcommittee. Regards, Peter T. Parrish SolarGnosis / California Solar Engineering 1107 Fair Oaks Ave. Ste. 351 Sout

Re: [RE-wrenches] has anyone ever had this happen?

2018-01-23 Thread Peter Parrish
Ho Jay, I’d be extremely careful. First with your pricing, don’t forgive some of your legitimate costs. Add Shipping & Handling and taxes to all equipment purchases. Carefully estimate your labor costs, travel to Mexico, shipping across the border to Mexico. Are there any import costs? What wi

[RE-wrenches] Buried Conductors

2016-06-23 Thread Peter Parrish
I am working with a customer who is doing a complete remodel, and upgrading to PV and Smart Energy Storage. The house was broken down to floor joists, open studded walls and open roof rafters. The client wanted a 8 kW/16 kWh Smart Energy Storage system and a 10 kW-ac PV system. The Main pane

Re: [RE-wrenches] 20 kW 208/120 inverters

2016-06-13 Thread Peter Parrish
I am late to this thread. But why not use a SMA Tri-Power or the equivalent inverter from Solectria and others? The two mentioned are great inverters and tested in the field for at least 18 months now. - Peter Peter T. Parrish, Ph.D. President, SolarGnosis 1107 Fair Oaks Ave.

Re: [RE-wrenches] supply side connection

2016-05-13 Thread Peter Parrish
I believe Milbank is one of the manus that sells a meter enclosure that is listed for supply-side connections. I bought an enclosure a while ago that was not only listed but came with an extra pair of lugs. I will research the matter and confirm Milbank or provide the correct manu. - Peter Peter

Re: [RE-wrenches] Does a Neutral Count as a CCC

2016-04-21 Thread Peter Parrish
a 120VAC load without one and you will see what I mean. William Miller Gradient Cap_mini Lic 773985 millersolar.com <http://www.millersolar.com/> 805-438-5600 From: RE-wrenches [mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of Peter Parrish Sent: Thursday, Ap

[RE-wrenches] Does a Netral COunt as a CCC

2016-04-21 Thread Peter Parrish
ctrician stated quite emphatically that they didn't. I thought that the derating calcs for CCCs were based solely on ohmic losses and phasing was not taken into account. Does the NEC provide guidance on this latter situation? - Peter Parrish Peter T. Parrish, Ph.

[RE-wrenches] Successor to SunEye 210?

2016-03-07 Thread Peter Parrish
Can’t seem to find a SunEye product on the Solmetric website. Is it tucked away on the Vivent site or somewhere else hard-to-find? Peter T. Parrish, Ph.D. President, SolarGnosis 1107 Fair Oaks Ave. Suite 351 South Pasadena, CA 91030 (323) 839-6108 peter...@pobox.com

Re: [RE-wrenches] LG neon 365 watt 72 cell modules, who sells them?

2016-03-02 Thread Peter Parrish
You might try Borrego Solar. Peter T. Parrish, Ph.D. President, SolarGnosis 1107 Fair Oaks Ave. Suite 351 South Pasadena, CA 91030 (323) 839-6108 peter...@pobox.com From: RE-wrenches [mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of Daniel Tittmann Sent: Tuesday, March

Re: [RE-wrenches] LiFePO4

2016-01-25 Thread Peter Parrish
Let me wade in here leading with my chin. (1) "Li batteries" come in a bewildering number of chemistries. Try this on for size: LiCoO2 (LCO), LiNiCoAlOx (NCA), LiMn2O4 (LMO), LiFePO4 (LFP), LiNiMnCoO2 (NMC), LiFeMnPO4, etc. (2) Each chemistry has its own virtues and vices: voltage per cell, cy

Re: [RE-wrenches] Availability of Powerwall Batteries

2016-01-17 Thread Peter Parrish
17, 2016 at 12:06 PM, Peter Parrish wrote: I have a residential client who wants a grid tied PV system with battery backup. The client wants everything to be top of the line: Sunpower modules. Tesla Powerwall batteries. Unfortunately, I have been spending time recently researching &quo

[RE-wrenches] Availability of Powerwall Batteries

2016-01-17 Thread Peter Parrish
I have a residential client who wants a grid tied PV system with battery backup. The client wants everything to be top of the line: Sunpower modules. Tesla Powerwall batteries. Unfortunately, I have been spending time recently researching "smart energy storage" for commercial applications focu

Re: [RE-wrenches] battery-based inverter

2016-01-14 Thread Peter Parrish
My 2 centavos. Stick with them. I prefer their approach over SMA. - Peter Peter T. Parrish, Ph.D. President, SolarGnosis 1107 Fair Oaks Ave. Suite 351 South Pasadena, CA 91030 (323) 839-6108 peter...@pobox.com From: RE-wrenches [mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenche

Re: [RE-wrenches] Outback customer service?

2015-12-08 Thread Peter Parrish
only had the option to leave a message and after about 1 hour on hold I did so. That was a week ago. I had not heard of calling at a specific hour. Is this something they suggest? Where did you hear of this 0700 calling time? Larry On Dec 8, 2015, at 3:00 PM, Peter Parrish wrote

Re: [RE-wrenches] Outback customer service?

2015-12-08 Thread Peter Parrish
Phil Undercuffler has the title of Chief Technologist, Product Development – or something to that effect. I suggest not trying to reach him with run-of-the-mill issues, but if your want to engage him about future product development, or to get confirmation about utility issues, NEM 2.0, industry

Re: [RE-wrenches] Fronius Primo

2015-11-16 Thread Peter Parrish
I have a client who is on their third IG5100. The latest replacement was due to bad fan (one of them). The location for this inverter is in the shade with lots of air circulation. Does anyone know what’s wrong with this model? - Peter Peter T. Parrish, Ph.D. President, SolarGnos

Re: [RE-wrenches] large array on 200 amp service

2015-09-25 Thread Peter Parrish
One way, if you want the feed to be on the customer’s side of the meter, is to install a new service panel with meter jaws that are designed to be “double lugged”. That is the two lugs on the customer side have accommodation for a solar backfeed. There are rules about the OCP and disconnect, but

[RE-wrenches] Fronius Warranty Problems

2015-09-03 Thread Peter Parrish
I have recently had a spate of warranty (and out of warranty) calls from customers with Fronius IG inverters (from the 2000 to the 5100). In working the problem, Fronius has had fairly good technical support (initially) BUT things have gone downhill from there. They have for example, sent a GFDI

Re: [RE-wrenches] Lithium Iron Phosphate

2015-08-18 Thread Peter Parrish
I too am interested in LiFeP batteries. I think we need some more information on charge/discharge cycles. I've bits and pieces, but there must be some solid data from Panasonic or one of the other LiFeP manufacturers. Such as, Recommended charge cycle Maximum discharge rate Low voltage disco

[RE-wrenches] Using the North Facing Roof

2015-07-28 Thread Peter Parrish
I recently read a short piece that caught me up short, and I quote: “The fast dropping cost of solar, while a huge boon to the adoption of solar PV, has counter-intuitively altered design parameters. No longer is the north-facing roof considered unusable because limited application in less-tha

[RE-wrenches] Trina Module Annual Degradation

2015-07-16 Thread Peter Parrish
I have recently been in discussion with a company that builds a large number of medium-sized PV ground mount system (30 kW to over 100 kW). They claim that they have been seeing something on the order of 0.7% annual degradation in the output of their systems due to intrinsic degradation in the PV m

[RE-wrenches] Schematic for AES Inverter

2015-03-15 Thread Peter Parrish
Wrenches, Many years ago, I had the opportunity to remove four of the old Advanced Energy Systems GC-1000-SA inverters and replace with a single Fronius IG-5000. If I remember correctly, the PV modules were SP-65s! I spend a lot of time teaching PV theory, sales and installation courses i

[RE-wrenches] BP Solar Point of Contact

2014-08-29 Thread Peter Parrish
Has anyone a point of contact at BP Solar to discuss warranty issues of SX170Bs installed in January 2006? Thanks Peter T. Parrish, Ph.D. President, SolarGnosis 1107 Fair Oaks Ave. South Pasadena, CA 91107 Ph. (323) 839-6108, Fax. (323) 258-8827 ___ L

Re: [RE-wrenches] Renogy 100W Bendable Mono Module?

2014-06-10 Thread Peter Parrish
You can order direct from Renogy in California (Chino or Chino Hills). - Peter Peter T. Parrish, Ph.D. President, SolarGnosis 1107 Fair Oaks Ave. South Pasadena, CA 91107 Ph. (323) 839-6108, Fax. (323) 258-8827 From: RE-wrenches [mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of Tum

Re: [RE-wrenches] OutBack Power Radian Grid Zero GS4048A or GS8048A

2014-06-08 Thread Peter Parrish
Hi Tom et al, I am sorry that I can't help you. We have just installed a GS8048 (not an "A" model as I understand things) system and are having some difficulty with Los Angeles Dept of Water and Power getting an Interconnection Agreement. They have assigned an engineer to review our application a

[RE-wrenches] California State Fire Marshal's "Solar Photovoltaic Installation Guidelines"

2014-02-12 Thread Peter Parrish
The most recent copy of the "Solar Photovoltaic Installation Guideline" that I have is the April 22, 2008 draft. Has this been released in final form or incorporated into some other publication? - Peter Peter T. Parrish, Ph.D. President SolarGnosis 1107 Fair Oaks Ave. South Pasadena, CA 91107 Ph

Re: [RE-wrenches] 208 V 240 in residential applications

2014-02-09 Thread Peter Parrish
It depends on the appliance. Some pure resistance heating units will work okay but with a lower thermal output. Other appliances will work if there are internal jumpers that can be reset for 208V operation or terminal blocks that can be rewired for 208V. This is especially true for appliances tha

Re: [RE-wrenches] PID

2014-01-18 Thread Peter Parrish
Has anyone any direct experience with the SMA PV Offset Box? Which inverter did you use it with and with which PV modules? Any help would be appreciated as we may have problems in the field. Has SunPower issued anything regarding their product line as to allowing negative grounding. It would be gr

Re: [RE-wrenches] Solar product whole sellers with good reputation

2012-04-24 Thread Peter Parrish
Dear William, I too had a very difficult interaction with DC-Power Systems a couple of years ago -- before they merged (whatever) with Solar Depot. Since they are now one and the same company, and it looks like the DC-Power Systems folks (and their approach to doing business) are asserting control

Re: [RE-wrenches] Honda EU3000i pranks

2012-04-06 Thread Peter Parrish
This dialog is pretty informative, and I think that it boils down to distortion and probably harmonic distortion. There are in addition to scopes, specialized "harmonic distortion analyzers". I think I should be able to lay my hands on one. I want to pull the trigger on this purchase. I think the

[RE-wrenches] Small Generator

2012-04-04 Thread Peter Parrish
I have an off-grid demo consisting of 5 SX3170's, a Blue Sky CC, 6 kWh of 24 V batteries and a Xantrex ProSine 1000 inverter. I would like to add a ~750 W - ~1000 W genny that can be interfaced with the ProSine. Any ideas? Peter T. Parrish,

Re: [RE-wrenches] Solar Powered PA system

2012-01-04 Thread Peter Parrish
I have designed and built one and have used it for many years: 6 kWh (gross battery storage), 24 Vdc and 120 Vac at 1 kW ea; 850 W STC PV modules. PV rack on casters and BoS in 8 cu-ft box on casters as well. One off design. It keeps on ticking while taking a licking. Peter T. Parrish, Ph.D., Pre

Re: [RE-wrenches] GNB Battery Contact

2011-10-06 Thread Peter Parrish
nce on the tires and suspension as well as the rating. Bob Ellison From: re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org [mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of Peter Parrish Sent: Sunday, October 02, 2011 12:08 PM To: 'RE-wrenches' Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] GNB Battery Con

Re: [RE-wrenches] GNB Battery Contact

2011-10-02 Thread Peter Parrish
We are looking for a battery-powered fork lift: total vertical lift 22' and load (typically on pallets) 350 to 700 lbs. We will of course need a solar powered charging station, but that can be designed once we have a good fork lift identified. Has anyone actually purchased a battery-powered forkl

Re: [RE-wrenches] Anti-Islanding Explanantion

2011-07-26 Thread Peter Parrish
rid tie to. I was always under the impression (perhaps false) that there were additional software controls to prevent anti-islanding to another inverter. Bill Brooks seems to know more about UL1741 test procedures. R. Walters r...@solarray.com Solar Engineer On Jul 19, 2011, at 10:04 AM, Peter Parr

[RE-wrenches] Anti-Islanding Explanantion

2011-07-19 Thread Peter Parrish
I need to give a group of California educators the simplified explanation of inverter anti-islanding. I know the full details are quite complicated and have evolved a bit over the past few years, but would the following be an acceptable short explanation? *** Please contact me off-list with commen

Re: [RE-wrenches] OSHA Certification?

2011-07-18 Thread Peter Parrish
I came late to this discussion, but one can take the course on-line for $50. IMHO it is worth having one member of each install crew take the course. - Peter Peter T. Parrish, Ph.D., President California Solar Engineering, Inc. 820 Cynthia Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90065 CA Lic. 854779, NABCEP Cer

Re: [RE-wrenches] 24 volt Battery Bank comparison

2011-05-31 Thread Peter Parrish
Fewer number of strings the better. Go with plan A. Why 13 (and not 12) of the Rolls if I may ask? 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

[RE-wrenches] High Grid Voltage in Los Angeles

2011-05-24 Thread Peter Parrish
To all of you that labor in Los Angeles: we have been experiencing some recurring high grid voltages in the Northeast Los Angele area (e.g. 90065). About a month ago a client called to inform us that his inverter was off line. It turned out that there may have been a voltage spike intense enough to

[RE-wrenches] Los Angeles Assessor Form

2011-05-19 Thread Peter Parrish
Has anyone had to help a client (Los Angeles County, California) filling out a "Property Owner's Statement - New Construction". This form was sent to the client/homeowner, apparently triggered by the issuance of a permit to install a PV system. I gave it a quick once over and there does not appear

[RE-wrenches] "Colored" Solar Panels

2011-05-09 Thread Peter Parrish
The is a relatively new company in Southern California, Gold Coast Solar, that is marketing colored PV panels a/k/a "Stylish Solar Panels™". Back in late-2010, they were in the process of getting CEC listing. They are not listed today, at least not under "Gold Coast". They made some technically i

[RE-wrenches] Fully discharged AGM battery

2011-04-21 Thread Peter Parrish
I have a client who fully discharged a pair of SunXtender PVX3050T 6V batteries. They were about one year old. They had no load voltages of 1.77 and 0.87 V respectively. I have ordered him a new pair but I wondered if they could be resuscitated to some degree and be used for some odd purpose around

Re: [RE-wrenches] Xantrex / Schneider recall update

2011-04-08 Thread Peter Parrish
We have had our "delivery date" repeatedly pushed out to 2-3 weeks from my date of inquiry. Our latest ship date is "definitely the week of 4/11-4/15 2011". We'll see. Peter T. Parrish, Ph.D., President California Solar Engineering, Inc. 820 Cynthia Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90065 CA Lic. 854779, NAB

Re: [RE-wrenches] PVC running through the house

2011-04-07 Thread Peter Parrish
The Code back then was a little vague back then and I am not sure it has been improved. First, there needs to be a DC disconnect just before or just after penetrating the building shell. Most AHJ allowed us to place this disconnect in the attic within reach of the access door. Once we needed to pl

Re: [RE-wrenches] The Simplest Line Side Tap EVER

2011-04-02 Thread Peter Parrish
That's pretty easy. Square D has a 3R rated 60A fusible disco. P/N D222NRB with Class R fuse kit P/N RFK03H The fuse kit "rejects" non Class R fuses As for the Milbank tap kit, would this kit have to be used with Milbank sockets only? I'm thinking of both mechanical issues and nit picking in

Re: [RE-wrenches] NABCEP Stamp

2011-03-31 Thread Peter Parrish
There may be some confusion here. Bill Brooks is referring to “work” being done and the original post, unless I am mistaken, referred to “plan checking”. Aside from the fact that the work being proposed needs to be done by a duly licensed contractor, the plans may be the product of just about anyon

Re: [RE-wrenches] NABCEP Stamp

2011-03-30 Thread Peter Parrish
Back in '06 I got a nifty roll of stickers that I think were meant to be put inverters. But we put so much (doubtless important) signage on our systems, I stopped using them. Maybe they might be used on plans. - Peter Peter T. Parrish, Ph.D.,

[RE-wrenches] Expansion joints

2011-03-29 Thread Peter Parrish
Does anyone have information (manu and part number) for expansion joints for 1-1/2 EMT? I have also heard that many EJs are designed for rigid conduit (RMC) and may not be directly applicable to EMT. - Peter Peter T. Parrish, Ph.D., President California Solar Engineering, Inc. 820 Cynthia Ave., L

[RE-wrenches] Fronius IG-5100

2011-03-07 Thread Peter Parrish
I have a client that was going to get a refurbished IG-5100 under warranty, but he is now thinking about the newer IG Plus 6.0. Fronius is not interested in replacing the dead IG-5100 with an IG Plus 6.0 even though the client is willing to pay a reasonable amount of money for the "upgrade". Besi

[RE-wrenches] Bulk Chrging Rate for AGM Batteries

2011-02-27 Thread Peter Parrish
We have a portable "demo-off grid" system (24 Vdc, 120 Vac, 1kW-ac) and occasionally we end the day with a fairly deep discharge 11.6-11.7 V (80% DoD). I like to get a deeply discharged battery back up to 100% capacity as soon as possible (as opposed to letting the 850 W PV / charge controller sy

Re: [RE-wrenches] Array tilt angle doesn't matter?

2011-02-20 Thread Peter Parrish
Interesting abstract. One thing that struck me was the lack of measured data on power production (if that indeed is the object of this study). I guess one can infer the Pmp from "the short circuit current (Isc ), the open circuit voltage (Uoc ) and the cell temperature (T) of each cell". I also wo

Re: [RE-wrenches] Calculation of Maximum Circuit Current

2011-02-11 Thread Peter Parrish
Short answer: DC/PV side two factors of 1.25; AC side one factor. Reasons: the common factor of 1.25 is due to the treatment of PV systems as continuous sources of power, the second factor of 1.25 is for the "cloud effect". It is entirely possible to get more than 1,000 W/m^2 on a PV module if the

Re: [RE-wrenches] Solmetric SunEye upgrade?

2011-02-11 Thread Peter Parrish
I recently went through the same exercise as you are about three months ago. Our Site Surveyors had mangles the jack on the Model 100 body to the point that there was less than a 50% chance that (1) the unit would charge up adequately and (2) we could download the session to our computer. The fix

Re: [RE-wrenches] Problem with NABCEP ad

2011-02-06 Thread Peter Parrish
As PV becomes more and more mainstream, more and more organizations (including state licensing boards, unions and other certifying bodies) will weigh in on the subject of certifying installers for PV installation. We also have Professional Engineers that can provide expert opinions on the subject o

Re: [RE-wrenches] PV voltage at Isc

2011-02-06 Thread Peter Parrish
Dear Greg and others, The answer to your “paradox” is actually quite simple. It is also a great example of how a paradox can stimulate further thought until a more refined answer can be achieved. First, let’s set up the problem. You have a PV module and an external circuit. In the case of an Isc

Re: [RE-wrenches] Low light panel

2011-02-03 Thread Peter Parrish
This is a pretty good example of how obscure the various "lighting" variables are for even solar pros. I won't go into the gory details (and they are details of some depth, trust me). So let's take the following shortcut. A decent CFL puts out 60 lumens per watt of power consumed. So, in theory,

Re: [RE-wrenches] Roofers installing solar = creative, new installation methods

2011-01-31 Thread Peter Parrish
Well, I thought we were talking about getting into bed with roofers. If we are talking about DIYers, here is my two cents worth. Just so boB and Warren don’t appear to be a couple of voices in the wild(erness). I personally do not know of a single PV integrator who would work with a DIYer. The r

Re: [RE-wrenches] Schneider recall

2011-01-25 Thread Peter Parrish
I believe that Schneider will send PB board swap-out kits to installers and compensate installers for the swap-out. We are putting together a list of all the GT inverters that we have installed since 2002 and will ask for enough to cover the list, and if we have extra kts left over, we will be able

Re: [RE-wrenches] Matching modules into Xantrex GT

2011-01-15 Thread Peter Parrish
A typo. See below: Here is the way I figure this kind of problem out. (1) Old modules. Figure out the number of cells and the cell size. For example 72 cells, 100 mm (4”) square. (2) New module. If you can, find a module with the same number of cells (not modules!) and same cell size. (3) Make

Re: [RE-wrenches] Matching modules into Xantrex GT

2011-01-15 Thread Peter Parrish
Here is the way I figure this kind of problem out. (1) Old modules. Figure out the number of cells and the cell size. For example 72 cells, 100 mm (4") square. (2) New module. If you can, find a module with the same number of modules and same cell size. (3) Make sure were are talking

Re: [RE-wrenches] Incompatible Metals

2011-01-14 Thread Peter Parrish
and strip away the jacket at each lug, using No-Ox on that section of bare wire at the lug. The wire can be tucked in to the module frames and with the PV conductors. Kelly Keilwitz, P.E. Whidbey Sun & Wind Renewable Energy Systems ke...@whidbeysunwind.com 360-678-7131 On Jan 14,

[RE-wrenches] Incompatible Metals

2011-01-14 Thread Peter Parrish
One of my students who is currently responsible for standing for inspection at their company encountered a inspector who made an interesting point about incompatible metals (i.e. copper and anodized aluminum). The PV system in question used outdoor rated lay-in lugs to bond the rails to bare coppe

Re: [RE-wrenches] Xslent?

2011-01-07 Thread Peter Parrish
for this makes sense. Its the reason they( inverter companies ) are doing it. I"ve heard a better more complete reason of course from Bill Brooks, who maybe can chime in. sorry got away from me, jay peltz power On Jan 6, 2011, at 2:34 PM, Peter Parrish wrote: > I can't understand

Re: [RE-wrenches] Xslent?

2011-01-06 Thread Peter Parrish
I can't understand how any inverter WOULDN'T deliver its power with the voltage and current 100% IN PHASE. When the voltage and current are not 100% in-phase that represents reactive power. Reactive power flows positive for a quarter of the AC cycle, then negative for a quarter of a cycle, then p

Re: [RE-wrenches] Reliability Issues in PV Modules and Inverters

2011-01-02 Thread Peter Parrish
I know each of us probably has their individual Xantrex GT warranty replacement story but what I hope is to capture is the big picture. >From what I understand, essentially 100% of the Xantrex GT inverters manufactured from a specific Chinese factory ultimately have failed by now. It had to do wi

Re: [RE-wrenches] cleaning modules

2010-12-30 Thread Peter Parrish
If your rust (iron oxide) problem is a tough one, I have a great “rust remover”. It’s called “Naval Jelly” and its pretty powerful stuff (contains phosphoric acid). Use rubber gloves, and in the case of a thin layer of rust, you could dilute it with water. It will attack paint and probably anodized

Re: [RE-wrenches] Low grid voltage fix

2010-12-20 Thread Peter Parrish
No one should put up with grid voltages "out of range". Immediately inform your utility: tell them where, when and how often you measured (or your inverter registered) the out of range voltages. It turns out that you are doing them a favor and they often appreciate the information. What we measure

Re: [RE-wrenches] Driving Point Impedance of the Point ofConnection of a Grid-tied PV System

2010-12-10 Thread Peter Parrish
former out of the equation. Bill. -Original Message- From: re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org [mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of Peter Parrish Sent: Friday, December 10, 2010 9:07 AM To: 'RE-wrenches' Subject: [RE-wrenches] Driving Point Im

[RE-wrenches] Driving Point Impedance of the Point of Connection of a Grid-tied PV System

2010-12-10 Thread Peter Parrish
I wanted to share with the Wrenches a post-install measurement that we make and file along with the other routine measurements (e.g. V(+) to V(-), V(+) to Gnd, V(-) to Gnd, Pac, time or date, date, ambient temp, etc). This is the AC voltage at the distribution panel with and without the inverter o

[RE-wrenches] Code reference needed

2010-12-04 Thread Peter Parrish
I spent some time putting together information on the "2'-6" Lower Limit" and the "6'-6" Upper Limit" for operable equipment; and then when I went to send out the results of my efforts, the content in the email disappeared. Since the information I thought would be helpful, I have re-assembled the i

Re: [RE-wrenches] Code switch heights

2010-11-26 Thread Peter Parrish
I believe anything operable needs to be within 2’6” lower and 6’6” upper. 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

[RE-wrenches] One Inverter - Two Strings - Different Orientations

2010-11-24 Thread Peter Parrish
I thought we thoroughly thrashed this one out. A no less an authority than Bill Brooks assures us that we can orient two (or more) strings differently, wire them in parallel and the MPPT algorithms in modern inverters will sort things out, essentially extracting the maximum (or nearly maximum) powe

Re: [RE-wrenches] 120 volt grid tie inverter

2010-11-16 Thread Peter Parrish
n going without, then that's better than nothing. And, of course, one would have to pick a proper resistance (a few Ohms, typically), and a minimum power rating of the resistor. boB On 11/16/2010 10:34 AM, Peter Parrish wrote: Bob, So he is grid-tied. But his household loads are all 1

Re: [RE-wrenches] 120 volt grid tie inverter

2010-11-16 Thread Peter Parrish
[mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of Peter Parrish Sent: Monday, November 15, 2010 8:38 PM To: glenn.b...@glbcc.com; 'RE-wrenches' Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] 120 volt grid tie inverter Bob, Do you mean they have a nominal 120 Vdc input? Or do you mean that they

Re: [RE-wrenches] 120 volt grid tie inverter

2010-11-15 Thread Peter Parrish
Bob, Do you mean they have a nominal 120 Vdc input? Or do you mean that they want a 120 Vac (RMS) output? If the former, what output voltage do you want? If the latter, what is their nominal dc input voltage (better yet the range of DC input voltages over a range of typical temperatures and irradi

Re: [RE-wrenches] 3.7kW grid tie

2010-10-31 Thread Peter Parrish
SMA will sell a SB4000US programmed to limit the AC output current to 16.0A. I think they designate it as a SB4000US-CL, or something to that effect. Interestingly enough SunPower, which rebrands many of the SB inverters (including the SB4000US) and sells them as SP products, has chosen not to sup

[RE-wrenches] Doing Business in Cleveland and Detroit

2010-10-29 Thread Peter Parrish
Are any installers who could help us with two projects in Cleveland and Detroit? We have an opportunity to install PV and SDHW on a number of single family dwellings in both cities. We are looking to do planning over the next three months and the installations as soon as the weather permits (April?

Re: [RE-wrenches] What is a solar installer...?

2010-10-15 Thread Peter Parrish
Hello Benn, I have some pretty strong opinions about this subject but some of them are reflections on politics as opposed to sound engineering design and best installation practices. See my comments interspersed below: Peter T. Parrish, Ph.D., President California Solar Engineering, Inc. 820 Cyn

Re: [RE-wrenches] insolation v. actual output

2010-10-12 Thread Peter Parrish
Hi Marco, First off, the P-ptc/P-stc ratio is 90% if you have a high-quality module. >From their things get progressively worse. IMHO it is like peeling an onion. From the outside it can be reduced to one simple statement. Then you can investigate some of the simplifying assumptions and make more

[RE-wrenches] Supply Side Tap Overcurrent Protection

2010-10-07 Thread Peter Parrish
Bill and others. I don’t remember what type fuses are needed in conjunction with the AC disconnect. - 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

[RE-wrenches] UL and Grid-tied Battery Back Up Systems

2010-10-05 Thread Peter Parrish
Are there UL testing procedures for Grid-tied Battery Backup Systems, such as the Xantrex XW systems and the Outback GVFX systems? The reason for my inquiry is that the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power intends to require that "...applicants installing Battery Backups on their solar systems

[RE-wrenches] Affordable, Quality Thermometer

2010-09-30 Thread Peter Parrish
I have been looking into the possibility that a relatively new weather station in the Los Angeles area -- a RAWS station to be precise -- is consistently recording temperatures about 5 deg F higher than actual. I have been basing my opinion using a standard Hg/glass thermometer and a IR gun. Both o

Re: [RE-wrenches] T-240 transformer

2010-09-17 Thread Peter Parrish
Please call Elie at (323) 258-8883. He's my office admin and he can tell you where we purchase this puppy, both with and without the enclosure! I believe it's SunWize but I'm not sure. - Peter Peter T. Parrish, Ph.D., President California Solar

Re: [RE-wrenches] Surrette AGM's

2010-09-16 Thread Peter Parrish
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

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

2010-09-16 Thread Peter Parrish
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

Re: [RE-wrenches] The Demise of Reason, SunPower and WEEBs

2010-09-14 Thread Peter Parrish
I think we have made some progress here on the story line. So let’s see if we can understand what happened "due to UL testing changes". One other random question. I believe that SunPower permits drilling their frame for the purpose of accommodating the lay-in lug, for example the outside of the s

[RE-wrenches] On Demand Heaters for SDHW

2010-09-14 Thread Peter Parrish
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 unders

Re: [RE-wrenches] The Demise of Reason

2010-09-13 Thread Peter Parrish
l. -Original Message- From: re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org [mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of Peter Parrish Sent: Monday, September 13, 2010 7:18 AM To: 'RE-wrenches' Cc: 'Christopher Flueckiger'; 'Tim Zgonena' Subject: Re

Re: [RE-wrenches] The Demise of Reason, SunPower and WEEBs

2010-09-13 Thread Peter Parrish
7;t have to constantly be revisiting the issue. > > Bill. > > > -Original Message- > From: re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org > [mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of Peter > Parrish > Sent: Monday, September 13, 2010 7:18 AM

Re: [RE-wrenches] The Demise of Reason

2010-09-13 Thread Peter Parrish
ge- From: re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org [mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of Peter Parrish Sent: Sunday, September 12, 2010 1:49 PM To: 'RE-wrenches' Subject: [RE-wrenches] The Demise of WEEB We were informed a while ago that SunPower no longer "sup

Re: [RE-wrenches] The Demise of WEEB

2010-09-12 Thread Peter Parrish
Are you sure that's a ILSCO GBL-4DBT lug? I am pretty sure the set screw is not SS, which it should be to be the genuine part. - Peter Peter T. Parrish, Ph.D., President California Solar Engineering, Inc. 820 Cynthia Ave., Los Angeles, CA 9006

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