Arc Fault Circuit Breakers on SW iinverters [RE-wrenches]

[Jay Peltz, Peltz Power]

Hi Doug,


That may be and I've seen systems outthere with no breakers at all ( as the
old TRace will shut off before the breaker will do anything)

However most people have a device that will trip the breakers, and thats a
genny.  So even if the inverter will not ( and many of the new inverters
will trip breakers) the genny will.

jay

Peltz Power
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Doug Pratt" <dmpratt at sbcglobal.net>
To: <RE-wrenches at topica.com>
Sent: Tuesday, March 16, 2004 5:48 PM
Subject: RE: Arc Fault Circuit Breakers on SW iinverters [RE-wrenches]


> Hi Nick,
>   I went through this with a Sonoma Co. inspector a couple months ago.
> Many of our residential inverters can't deliver the amperage that the
> testing device requires. I emailed the inspector and attached the spec
> sheet for DR inverters, as that's what the homeowner had. Once the
> inspector looked at the specs for the tester (I think it required
> something like a 70A surge), and looked at the specs for the inverter,
> he immediately sent a very nice, "...oops! We sure missed that one! No
> problem..." letter and passed the residence with his boss's blessing
> thrown in.
>
> Doug Pratt
> Real Goods Technical Editor
>
> PS: email me at work doug at realgoods.com, and I can probably dig up all
> the particulars for you.
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Nick Nicholas [mailto:APS at SBCGLOBAL.NET]
> Sent: Tuesday, March 16, 2004 12:43 PM
> To: RE-wrenches at topica.com
> Subject: Re: Arc Fault Circuit Breakers on SW iinverters [RE-wrenches]
>
> Hello wrenches:
>     We (APS) have powered off grid home which we have provided
> electrical
> contracting services for the residential wiring and solar / equipment
> wiring.  As you may know, Arc Fault Breakers are required for bedroom
> receptacle circuits.  The AFCI Breakers can be tested with a device
> which
> causes an arc, and makes the breaker to trip.
>     The problem that we are having  is that the AFCI tester will not
> cause
> the breaker to trip in time.   The SW-5548 inverter is feeding a T-240,
> therefore we only have 25 Amps available at 240 VAC at the residence.
> This
> may not be enough current available.  The county inspectors have
> resisted
> giving the home a final electrical inspection.
>     Has anyone else seen anything like this?
>
>             Nick Nicholas
>             Chief of Engineering
>             Alternative Power Systems, Inc.
>             135 Colfax Ave. Grass Valley CA 959545
>             530-274-0588 530-274-0589 530-913-5605
>             aps at sbcglobal.net alternativepowersystems.com
>
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