Fw: Interesting installation [RE-wrenches]
Bill Brooks
billb at endecon.com
Fri Apr 18 12:56:15 PDT 2003
Matt,
You seem surprised by this installation. You must be looking at your own
installations too much. You need to get out more often (as if you had the
time). Unfortunately, the problems you are seeing here are all too common.
Too many people doing system design and installation that are not qualified.
Manufacturers, dealers, and incentive programs are proceeding as if these
things are not happening on a regular basis---and they are wrong.
It's time for our industry to pick the quality up several notches and
earnestly discuss and consider ways to prevent these problems from
continuing to spread. I don't see any leadership on these issues right now.
I do see an ostrich mentality--I guess that's how people get sand packed
into their ears.
Bill.
-----Original Message-----
From: matthew tritt [mailto:solarone at charter.net]
Sent: Thursday, April 17, 2003 5:13 PM
To: RE-wrenches at topica.com
Subject: Re: Fw: Interesting installation [RE-wrenches]
Dana and Joel,
Thanks for the input. I think I'll take a bunch of photos and then talk to
the installer, but I have a hunch the system's owner might want to have a
chat with him before then. He has a right to be unhappy with the system,
particularly about the West-facing array. I can't imagine what kind of
rationale was reached before installing it like that. No compass?
Matt T
----- Original Message -----
From: "Joel Davidson" <joeldavidson at earthlink.net>
To: <RE-wrenches at topica.com>
Sent: Thursday, April 17, 2003 2:14 PM
Subject: Re: Fw: Interesting installation [RE-wrenches]
> The best goal is a good PV system and a happy customer.
> Call the installer and tell him:
> 1) that the owner asked you to look at the system for possible expansion,
> 2) in your judgment the system has some design and electrical problems,
> 3) and the owner is not happy.
> Then ask the installer what he wants to do about this situation.
> His answer will lead you to your course of action.
>
> matthew tritt wrote:
>
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: matthew tritt
> > To: wrenches at topica.com
> > Sent: Wednesday, April 16, 2003 10:17 PM
> > Subject: Interesting installation
> >
> > Here's one for all you Xantrex fans.
> >
> > I went to look at a potential system expansion today, the current system
of which consists of 11.5 kW (name plate rating) of Kyoceras on 4 array
mounts, a Xantrex 10 kva 3 phase and an isolation transformer. The owner
wants to add 5 k of Sharp 156's and a couple of SB's with remote monitoring.
Great.
> >
> > So, we climb up on the roof and, lo and behold, the entire array is
pointed directly West! This is on a flat roof surrounded by a rather high
parapet. The first row is about 6 feet from the parapet, which results in
the entire row being useless in all seasons except Summer, before around
10:00 AM (it's facing West), and after 2:00 PM (looong shadow from the
parapet). Added to this are the PV "racks" which are so wimpy that they
actually bend in the middle from the weight of the modules!
> >
> > So, just for the fun of it, I checked the Trace combiner box, and
discover that it's putting out about 390 volts positive to negative, 1/2 of
that from positive to the ground buss, 1/2 from the negative to the ground
buss (that's well over 120 volts folks) and there is a 2 to 3 amp load on
the ground wire! What the f***k say's I. There is no "Danger! High voltage"
label on this scary combiner with a "live" negative stickin out in the
breeze either.
> >
> > I called Xantrex in Livermore (sp?) and talked to a tech who was very
interested in finding out who installed this fine piece of work. I decided
that, after all the discussions we've had concerning the pros and cons of
being a tattle-tale, I'd see what the consensus is from you sterling bunch
of wrenches. Also I don't want to get in the middle of a potential
litigation. :-) The owner isn't too thrilled with what we showed him.
> >
> > According to the owner, the installer has done a lot of big jobs and
does a bit of work for the Hollywood crowd (he's from Santa Barbara).
> >
> > I think there's a chance that either the inverter isn't grounded at all
(yikes!) or that it is, but it's acting like it isn't. The inverter was
reported to have failed early-on and was sent back for a repair which took
almost a month, so the owner isn't too keen on repeating that situation.
Maybe this bad/non existent ground or ground fault caused the initial
failure?
> >
> > Opinions?
> >
> > Matt T
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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