third Party Installations [RE-wrenches]

[Drake Chamberlin - Electrical Energy]

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Hi Wrenches,

Most of my RE work is with systems that are either off grid, or designed to 
supply specified loads in the event power outages.  To function adequately, 
these systems require careful planning.  Some of my concerns might not 
apply to systems that are strictly gird intertie.

I  am willing to install equipment purchased from other sources with 
certain understandings.  One is that, in the event of equipment failure, I 
will be paid my regular rate to service the installation, unless the 
problem is due to my error.

A big issue is, that I must be paid for designing the system.  Without 
commission, I can't afford to provide "free" deign work.   The bargain 
hound may find that much of his savings are eaten up by having to pay for 
design time.

A lot of existing systems I've seen look fine.  A power panel hanging on a 
wall, and a nice looking solar array can look pretty impressive.  The only 
problem is that many of these systems don't accomplish much.  The 
electrical loads and use patterns of the premise may squander the 
relatively few watts available from the PV system.

Yet, with a well thought out system, a dwelling really can run on solar 
electricity.  It may require not using a forced air furnace, but 
circulating DC pumped hot water from a gas boiler, that uses either a pilot 
light or an efficient AC control box, that is designed to shut off when not 
needed.  This may require working with a plumber who needs to be 
educated.  This may lead to searches for appropriate boilers, hot water 
tanks, pumps, tubing and other related equipment.  It may be necessary to 
make certain, that elements of systems that we are not installing, get set 
up properly.

A functional system may require phantom loads be eliminated by use of DC 
powered answering machines, computers, cell phones, etc. Voltages may need 
to be adjusted by using battery bank equalizers or DC to DC voltage 
converters.

All proposed appliances need to be cleared for the system.  Certain loads 
may need to be shed on low battery conditions.  Water pumping and 
pressurizing strategies need to be evolved.  Wires need to be sized for 
amperage and voltage drop.  Code compliant physical layouts need to be 
developed, often with difficult space limitations.  Appropriate and 
properly listed equipment needs to be specified and located for all 
subsystems.  It is truly necessary to wholisticly design the entire system, 
loads as well as generation.

Every job is different.  Making an off grid home truly function involves a 
lot more than hanging an inverter on a wall and wiring batteries & modules 
together.  Two systems may look a lot a like to the untrained eye, but one 
may serve 95% of the electrical needs of a premise and the other 15%.  The 
magic is in the subtle detail.  In this line of work, details really do 
matter.

I don't care too much how I get reimbursed for my time.  It is probably a 
better deal for the customer to pay the higher price for the equipment, and 
get on-going support for the system, plus get the "free" design work.  But 
it is sometimes hard to get customers to understand that there is more to 
this business than assembling a Lego set.  That can be the biggest 
challenge in a project.  But careful design work is essential to 
demonstrate the true potential of PV.   Few can afford to supply it for free.

Peace,

Drake

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