UV resistant cables and quick connects warranties [RE-wrenches]

[mrousso at urbanrefuge.com]

Graham,

We install systems with MCs.  We cut the home runs to
length in the field and run them to j-boxes.  We then
run wire and conduit from the j-box (by roof rack) to
the DC disco, etc.

My main concern with MCs has been mechanical strength
and potential corrosion.  Re mechanical strength, we
had several systems in Fallbrook during the recent
fires.  One system is comprised of 3 pole mounts on a
top of the world ridge.  My customer has a small
weather station and, if you recall, we had very high
Santa Ana winds at that time.  He recorded steady
winds of up to 85mph with gusts exceeding 90mph.  This
was over a 4 day period.  The modules were wired with
standard MCs (no shrink wrap) and the cables were
secured to the racks (DP&W TPs).  We had ZERO
mechanical failures at this site and the same at all
of our other locations.  

Having said all of this, the jury is still out in my
mind on corrosion issues.  This is something I'm
closely watching.  I would say that half of my systems
are sold with maintenance contracts.  This gives us
the opportunity to visually inspect all of our work
every 3 months.

I have actually seen installations where the installer
simply ran the MC cable on the roof without securing
it.  These are the jobs I am the most concerned about,
especially with all of the new guys jumping on the
California energy rush.  In fact, I attended a Schott
session hosted by LADWP a few weeks ago.  I hate to
say this, but I would never hire most of the guys in
that room.  They couldn't even spell PV, let alone
properly design and install a system.

I know that I'm a relatively new wrench, but I have
been in the energy business since 1975 and only
recently grew the huevos to make this life altering
jump to owning my own company.  I'm in it for the long haul.

=====
Mo RoussoUrban Refuge, Inc. - A Solar Energy Company760.451.9374 (v) 760.451.9784 (f) 760.845.8843 (c)mrousso at urbanrefuge.comwww.urbanrefuge.com

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