GC-1000 warranty [RE-wrenches]

Thu Jun 5 10:35:56 PDT 2003

Ouch! That hurt.
The state probably feels that it can mandate a warranty because they're
paying for the product (in rebates)... And they don't want to buy anything
without a valid guarantee. In a sense, this is the 'customer' requiring that
the guarantee be valid.
Posting a bond could be a dis-incentive... You're right.
The alternative would be that the rebate is based on production, not
installation, and the end-customer gets burnt if the inverter fails
(figuratively, of course). 
We need more ideas!

-Mark
Nextek Power

-----Original Message-----
From: matthew tritt [mailto:solarone at charter.net] 
Sent: Wednesday, June 04, 2003 11:58 PM
To: RE-wrenches at topica.com
Subject: Re: GC-1000 warranty [RE-wrenches]

Mark,

Don't you think that requiring manufacturers to post a bond, big enough to
cover this kind of problem, would be enough of a dis-incentive to most
manufacturers that many would simply opt out? Requiring a 5 year guarantee
for electronic equipment has seemed like a utopian vision that could only
possibly make sense to bureaucrats who have never made a thing in their
lives (other than paperwork of course).

Of course, even with a 2 year warranty, Advanced Energy inverters would
still have plenty of big problems.

Matt T
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mark Robinson" <Mark at TheEnergyGrid.com>
To: <RE-wrenches at topica.com>
Sent: Wednesday, June 04, 2003 8:17 AM
Subject: GC-1000 warranty [RE-wrenches]

> Regarding service on the GC-1000 (and MM)
> Bankruptcy court won't help... that's over. Beacon Power, who acquired 
> the AEI intellectual property has no legal obligations here. As
far
> as I can see, there are no warranties after bankruptcy and the 
> customer is the only source of funding repairs. This is a problem as 
> there are over 2500 GC-1000's installed... And further problems if any 
> other inverter companies go out of business. The state's mandate 
> around warranties doesn't seem to have a way to handle
this.
> Should we require that manufacturers post some kind of bond? I think 
> Tony Brasil was working on this at a state level.
>
> Regards,
> Mark Robinson
> Formerly Director of Customer Service for Advanced Energy News as of 
> 6/1/03: Nextek Power Systems, Inc.
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: matthew tritt [mailto:solarone at charter.net]
> Sent: Sunday, June 01, 2003 1:44 PM
> To: RE-wrenches at topica.com
> Subject: Re: Selling Used GC-1000's [RE-wrenches]
>
>
> Hi Mark,
>
> The "Lemon Law" comment is really a good one. Has anyone else 
> considered
the
> dilemma that many of us may be facing one of these days (especially 
> people down in the Los Angeles area) concerning the absence of the 
> factory that issued all those 5 year warranties?  Should the State 
> assume the role of warrantor, (not likely), the installer, (even less 
> likely), or the party
who
> acquired the remains of Advanced Energy?
>
> Maybe a warranty repair facility could be financed through the 
> bankruptcy court?
>
> Matt
>   --- Original Message -----
> From: "Mark Robinson" <Mark at TheEnergyGrid.com>
> To: <RE-wrenches at topica.com>
> Sent: Sunday, June 01, 2003 9:57 AM
> Subject: Selling Used GC-1000's [RE-wrenches]
>
>
> > Is there a "lemon Law" still in effect?
> > Actually, I'm hoping to soon announce a GC-1000 repair facility. 
> > Stay
> tuned.
> > The GC would still be a viable piece of equipment if there were 
> > service available for it. Regards, Mark Robinson
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: matthew tritt [mailto:solarone at charter.net]
> > Sent: Thursday, May 29, 2003 9:09 PM
> > To: RE-wrenches at topica.com
> > Subject: Re: cost per kWh [RE-wrenches]
> >
> >
> > Hey there all you wrenches,
> >
> > Has anyone tried selling used GC 1000s? If so, what would be a 
> > target
> price
> > (all things considered).
> >
> > Matt T
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Eric Smiley" <Eric_Smiley at bcit.ca>
> > To: <RE-wrenches at topica.com>
> > Sent: Thursday, May 29, 2003 11:52 AM
> > Subject: RE: cost per kWh [RE-wrenches]
> >
> >
> > >
> > > I think it makes more sense on a battery based system without MPPT 
> > > to use peak sun hours and array mpp amps (Imp). Amps are pretty 
> > > much proportional to sun light intensity and the modules are going 
> > > to produce Imp or greater at battery charging voltage and elevated 
> > > temperatures. For simplicity, I keep all my calculations on 
> > > battery based systems in terms of amps and amp hours. Working in 
> > > watts means using two different "typical" battery voltages -- one 
> > > for charging and one for discharging
> > > -- which is necessarily vague.
> > >
> > > If you have the time, you can copy and paste hidden cells in 
> > > RetScreen onto a blank worksheet and decipher what is going on in 
> > > the background. Another engineer told me about this and discovered 
> > > that RetScreen actually calculates monthly energy values but keeps 
> > > them hidden and only displays a yearly summary.
> > >
> > > Eric Smiley
> > > Project Leader
> > > Photovoltaic Energy Applied Research, Technology Centre British 
> > > Columbia Institute of Technology Burnaby Campus
> > >
> > > NE25 - 3700 Willingdon Avenue
> > > Burnaby, British Columbia
> > > Canada V5G 3H2
> > >
> > > phone: 604.432.8657    fax: 604.436.0286
> > > esmiley at bcit.ca             www.tc.bcit.ca
> > >
> > > The information contained in this E-mail is intended for the 
> > > addressee only.  If you have received this in error please delete 
> > > it.
> > >
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