UL's monopoly [RE-wrenches]

[Christopher Freitas - OutBack Power]

Just to clarify my statements - My posting was specifically addressing 
the issue of UL being the "only" acceptable product safety listing 
agency for PV equipment.  We need to, as an industry, encourage 
competition and innovation by advocating acceptance of other NRTLs 
providing safety listings.  

I agree that the UL/IEEE/NEC standards are not perfect,  and that it is 
certainly better than not having any standard at all.  UL is not perfect 
either BTW - thousands of people have been killed by UL listed equipment 
that was later found to be not that safe - resulting in changes to the 
product's design and the applicable UL standard requirements to 
"improve" the product's safety.  This is the way the real world works - 
its not perfect - but given time, it does make the products safer.  

Think about UL listed outdoor Christmas lights - indoor type plugs 
without strain relief or weatherproofing / thin plastic insulation on 
wires / no ground fault protection ...  but they are UL listed! I think 
that the AC PV modules manufacturers should add a few LEDs around the 
frame of the PV module and call it a Christmas decoration instead ... No 
ground fault protection required or fancy wire and they could plug into 
an outlet! ;)

In my experience, guerilla solar system are installed safely and use 
listed components.  The reason they are guerrila is because the utility 
will not allow or makes it difficult for the system owner to get 
approval.  The equipment is the same as "approved" systems - which 
typically are approved by the utility by the existance of some 
additional paperwork.  Unsafe guerilla solar systems should not be 
tolerated or used as examples of solar power. 

The reality is that the utility lineman is exposed to far greater levels 
of risk driving his truck around on the job or eating a couple of donuts 
each morning than from utility connected PV systems - yet the utility 
allows these activities to be unrestricted. The chance of a utility 
connected PV inverter (UL, ETL or CSA listed) islanding is extremely 
unlikely (if at all possible) regardless of whether the system was 
"ordained" by the utility or not. 

We can support system safety and be critical of the utilities and UL at 
the same time.   

Christopher Freitas
OutBack Power Systems, Inc.
cfreitas at outbackpower.com  www.outbackpower.com
Tel 360 435 6030  Arlington WA USA

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