utility obfuscation and obstruction [RE-wrenches]

Wed May 8 06:57:34 PDT 2002

I have a net metered wind/PV home here in Vermont. My disconnect is a 3R box with a 
100 amp, 240 circuit breaker under the cover next to my meter. I have a plastic tie wrap 
plainly looped thru the lock hole on my disconnect. This is my visual indicator to see if 
the utility ever pulled the switch. In 3 years it has never been used and my utility never 
wanted to look at my installation.

BTW: Jeff Wolfe is being yanked around here in VT by CVPS and we will fight them. By 
not fighting back, they win. The utilities try to wear you down but we are pretty active 
here in our little state and luckly the utilities are tiny compared to the ones many of you 
go up against.

Regards,

David Blittersdorf

On 8 May 2002 at 6:12, jberdner at sma-america.com wrote:

> William:
> 
> Instead of a lock how about a short bolt, lock washer, and nut through
> the locking tab.
> Now it requires a tool to open but not a key.
> If there guys want to see it then they can remove the bolt.
> Keeps the little kiddies out but still gives them access.
> That is if they ever come out to see the blades before the house and the
> switchbox crumble into dust.
> 
> If you have any questions, or if I can be of any further assistance,
> please do not hesitate to contact me.
> 
> Best Regards,
> 
> John Berdner
> 
> SMA America, Inc.
> 20830 Red Dog Road
> Grass Valley, CA  95945
> 530.273.4895 (voice)
> 530.274.7271 (fax) 
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: William Miller [mailto:wrmiller at slonet.org] 
> Sent: Wednesday, May 08, 2002 12:05 AM
> To: RE-wrenches at topica.com
> Subject: Re: utility obfuscation and obstruction [RE-wrenches]
> 
> 
> Venerable Colleagues:
> 
> I have always had mixed emotions about disconnect switches:
> 
> Just today a bunch of us attended a meeting with PG&E.  I asked the
> question:  "Why don't any of the line crews I've queried have any data
> about where these switches are located?"  The answer was, "We are
> redrawing the maps and they will be on there within the year."
> 
> My thoughts:  If this is so important for safety, why the delay, and,
> conversely, all new things take time, and if we did not install the
> switches now, they couldn't ever be on a secondary map in the future.
> 
> I also had to replace a couple of disconnect switches because they
> lacked external handles.  I was told that line crews need to be able to
> inspect the handles from their vehicles.  I responded: What if the meter
> is in the back yard? and, Are they going to padlock them from their
> trucks?  No reply was given to these somewhat facetious questions. 
> 
> Another complaint about safety switches:  Children can open them and
> access live parts.  Lock them shut and you can't inspect the blades.  Oy
> vay!
> 
> All in all, if implemented reasonably, the switches do kind of make
> sense. Backfeeds have killed line workers.  Technology does fail, even
> with redundant safety systems.  This is one of my arguments against
> nuclear power and I guess it applies here.
> 
> Regarding Jeff's situation, I'd consider the time it takes to fight them
> versus the time it takes to replace a switch.  Jeff could insist on a
> list of approved switches and if they ever try to disallow previously
> allowed switches, fight them based on the written evidence.
> 
> Sorry I did not have a clearer answer to this thorny question.
> 
> William
> 
> 
> 
> At 07:19 PM 5/7/02 EDT, you wrote:
> >In a message dated 05/07/2002 9:43:36 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
> >jberdner at sma-america.com writes:
> >
> >
> >> Makes perfect sense to me.
> >> They want it to be more expensive to install so less people will do 
> >> it.
> >> 
> >
> >We all know that it is not about actually using the switch for safety. 
> >You
> >all are right, don't expect any servicemen to be out looking for
> disconnects 
> >on that dark and rainy night when the system is down--they will be very
> busy 
> >doing other things.
> >
> >The switch is about control. I had a customer locked out once. During 
> >the
> >meter install the service man determined erroneously that the system
> had not 
> >been permitted. At that point he took the inititive to lock the PV out.
> A 
> >call the next day to his supervisor got it fixed. I can say this is the
> only 
> >time I saw a utility person use the switch. It's about control.
> >
> >Don
> >
> >--
> >[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
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> 
> __________________________________________________________________
> William Miller
> Miller Power and Communications
> PO Box 50, Santa Margarita, CA 93453
> Voice :805-438-5600		Fax: 805-438-4607	VMail:
> 805-546-4875
> email: wrmiller at slonet.org
> http://millerpowerandcomm.com
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> 

David Blittersdorf
NRG Systems, Inc.
110 Commerce Street
Hinesburg, VT 05461 USA
Tel: 802-482-2255
Fax: 802-482-2272
email: davidb at nrgsystems.com
Web:http://www.nrgsystems.com

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