Driving up the cost to install PV [RE-wrenches]

[Michael Welch]

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Hi gang. John Liebendorfer, President of UniRac, asked me to post this response on his behalf.

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Graham Owen's posting to the RE-wrenches list made some serious accusations about UniRac that require a response.  We need to set the record straight.

First, he confuses New Mexico State University (NMSU) in Las Cruces NM with the University of New Mexico (UNM) in Albuquerque.  Other than both are state universities, these are two unrelated institutions 200 miles apart.  If you follow college football or basketball, you'd know there is no love lost between them.

Until we read Graham's email, we knew nothing about a building inspector training program run by NMSU.  We doubt that such training is coming from UNM as it houses the nuclear engineering programs and nothing for PV or renewables.  For the record, UniRac and NMSU (or the Southwest Technology Development Institute) have no relationship other than the occasional phone call about using PV racks as grounding paths.  Graham needs to take up any issues he has with these or other training programs with the people running them.

UniRac does have a financial connection with UNM.  The two $10,000 grants to UNM referred to in Mr. Owen's letter were to fund graduate students' work through the UNM School of Engineering CO-OP program.  The graduate student is helping UniRac to develop structural design engineering software.  For the record, UniRac has also contracted with the UNM Engineering lab to perform destructive testing on UniRac components.  Finally, independently of UNM, we contract for engineering consulting services with Dr. Walter Gerstle. Ph.D., P.E., a member of the UNM Engineering Faculty.  Our only other connection with UNM is that, as an alumnus, I have access to the gym and swimming pool, a place I need to get to more often.

What bothers us the most is the suggestion that for a few thousand dollars, UniRac, Hal Newman and myself (the owners), our employees, two major universities, and the building inspectors of America are in cahoots to make life difficult for installers. The post ignored that all major rack manufacturers make standoffs that require similar flashing techniques. We sincerely hope that you Wrenches will leave behind the conspiracy theories and get back to the important business of installing more PV, which you do so well.

Respectfully,

John Liebendorfer
President
UniRac, Inc.


Graham Owen wrote at 07:50 PM 08/27/2004:
  
>I’d like to get back to Bob-O’s point of driving up the costs of PV
>installations.  What I’m about to say comes second hand and I am not a
>direct witness, but believe the info is worth sharing because Bob-O
>raises a serious issue for wrenches.
>
>I’ve heard grumbling from PV installation contractors in California
>regarding new rules and requirements by local building departments.
>Contractors accustomed to using Pro-Solar Inc. Tile-Trac mounts on
>existing tile roofs have recently been required to remove PV array’s,
>have the roof under the tiles covers with comp shingles, in order to
>pass final inspection. Apparently to prevent roof leaks. It is my
>understanding that this new requirement is a result of inspector
>training presented by a couple of engineer employees of New Mexico State
>University.  I was also told that these UNM folks suggest that since the
>area is being comp shingled, Uni-Rack Inc. flashable mounts would now be
>preferable.
>
>The curios part is that Uni-Rack paid a grant to UNM.  The following is
>copied from UNM’s website:  Funded UNM Research Projects “Solar Rack
>Design Software”, funded by UniRac, Inc., $10,806, 2/03-7/14/03. &
>“Solar Rack Design Software ­ Phase II”, funded by UniRac, Inc.,
>$10,841, 7/14/03 ­ 12/19/03.
>
>Could it be that manufacturers are now funding "experts" to train
>building inspectors to approve certain brands even though the
>competitions product is suitable for the application?
>
>Graham Owen
>GO Solar Company 


Michael Welch

------------------------
"Electricity is but the fleeting byproduct of nuclear reactors. The actual product is forever deadly radioactive waste."
			Michael Keegan, Coalition for a Nuclear-Free Great Lakes

Michael Welch, michael.welch at homepower.com
     Home Power magazine
     www.homepower.com
     To reach me: 707-822-7884
     To reach Home Power: 800-707-6585

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