Grounded for two weeks...hopefully longer [RE-wrenches]

[Bill Brooks]

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Marco,

John Wiles has been pointing that issue out in the last year or two. The
good news is that it will probably never loosen. ;-)  If you have to remove
a module, you will likely have to cut the lay-in lug in half to release it.
RWE supplies the correct lug in their system kits, but most installers that
buy their own are not aware of the underground version of the lug, or think
it is too expensive.

Incidently, BP Solar is to be congratulated because they put together a
bulletin and went to UL to provide the installer with at least 6 different
ways to ground their PV module. I read this over and decided that the
cheapest method for grounding roof-mounted modules is to install two 10-32
stainless self-tapping or self-drilling screws in the end of the module
frame (allowed by their bulletin if installed in the correct region) at a
diagonal to each other, and then do a Zorro zig-zag with ground wire. This
holds the wire and strain relieves it so it wants to stay connected to the
module rather than have the propensity to pop out of the screw. It only
costs less than about $0.25 per module and keeps the ground wire hidden
across the top edge of the modules. I used an 8 AWG ground wire and could
have used a 10 AWG.

Some inspectors will consider the top edge of the module as exposed to
physical damage--in this case a 6 AWG ground wire is required, and my Zorro
method won't work with 6 AWG. ASE has a very cool brass ground washer they
use for their modules. It seems to be one of the more thought-out grounding
methods as PV manufacturers go.

Bill.



-----Original Message-----
From: Marco Mangelsdorf [mailto:marco at pvthawaii.com]
Sent: Tuesday, March 30, 2004 11:28 AM
To: RE-wrenches at topica.com
Subject: Grounded for two weeks...hopefully longer [RE-wrenches]


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I dunno what most of you are doing for grounding modules, but I wanted to
share my observation of what happens to an Ilsco-brand GBL-4DB ground lug
(the type where it's easy to simply lay in a bare CU wire) after it's been
in the rainy Hilo environment for two years.  The screw has rusted big time.
If one tried to extract it, the screw would crumble.  Yikes...Apparently,
the ground lug to use is the Ilsco GBL-4DBT which is a copper alloy with a
SS screw.  I just got a price from my supplier: $3.94 per lug!  Ouch.  And,
to perhaps state the obvious, you gotta also use a SS screw to attach the
lug onto the module frame.  Those zinc-plated puppies also rust something
awful.

arroHA,
marco

Marco Mangelsdorf
President
ProVision Technologies, Inc.
69 Railroad Avenue, Suite A-7
Hilo, Hawaii 96720 USA
(808) 969-3281, fax 934-7462
www.provisiontechnologies.com



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