Trace UL and stupidity [RE-wrenches]

[Joel Davidson]

Ok. Rules change and inverters evolve. Hopefully, tomorrow's customers will
not have to pay for call-backs to yesterday's PV systems.

Here is how defective equipment is recalled in Japan.
http://home.kyodo.co.jp/all/display.jsp?an=20011116245

Japan Storage Battery to recall solar cell power generators.
KYOTO, Nov. 16, Kyodo - Japan Storage Battery Co. said Friday it will recall
and repair a total of 335 solar cell-based power generators in the wake of
reported outbreaks of fires in some of its generators. The incidents in
Miyazaki Prefecture and Fukuoka Prefecture earlier this year marked the
first time in Japan that a solar cell-based power generator triggered a
fire. The fires began in the generators' inverters that converts the direct
electric current generated by the cells into an alternating electric
current, the company said.

The company examined the defective generators and found the soldering work
fixing some of the electronics components onto the electric circuit
substrates was done improperly with a soldering machine, it said.  The
generators to be recalled are 191 generators the company sold under its own
brand and another batch of 144 generators which it supplied to Canon Inc.
for sale under the Canon badge, it said.

The defective generators were shipped between November 1999 and April 2000.
Since Japan Storage Battery has manually attached the components since May,
further outbreaks of fire have not been reported, it said. The company has a
market share of 10% on the domestic market for solar cell-based power
generators.


jberdner at sma-america.com wrote:

> Joel:
>
> Since I was present at the original testing with Kevin, I can tell you
> that we did not look at islanding with balanced loads or current
> distortion.
> Remember, at the time that letter was written there was no UL 1741 so it
> was up to Kevin to decide.
> Now we (regulators, utilities, and manufacturers) have gained more
> experience with grid tied inverters.
> This is why we now have requirements for balanced loads and current
> distortion.
>
> At one time we didn't have requirements for seat belts or airbags
> either - Now we do.
>
> Best regards,
>
> John Berdner
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Joel Davidson [mailto:joeldavidson at earthlink.net]
> Sent: Wednesday, November 21, 2001 10:37 AM
> To: RE-wrenches at topica.com
> Subject: Re: Trace UL and stupidity [RE-wrenches]
>
> June 28, 1994 letter from Kevin Cornish at PG&E to Robin Gudgel at
> Trace, "I
> am pleased to inform you that the process to approve the Trace 4024
> series
> inverters for use on the PG&E distribution system is complete. Last
> week, I
> informed the various involved PG&E departments of this."
>
> On May 6, 1994, Kevin "witnessed tests of a Trace 4024 unit and the
> various
> protection and control features that is (sic) possesses. All aspects
> functioned as desired. Therefore, these units are now approved for
> installation on the PG&E system."
>
> What has changed?
>
> Lawrence Elliott wrote:
>
> > This whole UL/Zantrex/Utility thing is starting to make me sick!
>
> <snip>
>
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