KWh subsidies (was PVUSA rating vs. CEC rating) [RE-wrenches]

Sun Aug 1 20:30:56 PDT 2004

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Joel,

FYI, the warranty on the MST modules is still valid. If there power has degraded below warranted levels, BP will replace on a wattage basis.

Maybe not the best solution, but at least BP's still in business and still honoring the warranty. (And although I've obviously heard of problems with the MST line, I have not heard that power degradation is typically out of spec.)

Jeff
Jeffery D. Wolfe, P.E.
NABCEP Certified Solar PV Installer(tm)
Global Resource Options, LLP, Solar  Wind  Energy Solutions
A Woman-Owned Limited Liability Partnership
601 Old River Road, Suite 3, White River Junction, VT 05001-9030
Saratoga Technology + Energy Park, 10 Hermes Drive, Malta, NY 12020
800-374-4494 x107 Toll Free     802-295-4415 x107 Phone      802-295-4417 Fax
Jeff at GlobalResourceOptions.com,   www.GlobalResourceOptions.com

Distributor for:
BP Solar - photovoltaic panels
SMA - Inverters
UniRac - PV racking systems
Outback Power - Battery based inverters and controllers
Xantrex - Inverters
Rolls - Batteries
Concorde - Sealed Batteries
Other fine products for renewable energy

-----Original Message-----
From: Joel Davidson [mailto:joeldavidson at earthlink.net] 
Sent: Sunday, August 01, 2004 4:59 PM
To: RE-wrenches at topica.com
Subject: Re: KWh subsidies (was PVUSA rating vs. CEC rating) [RE-wrenches]

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I'm guessing Michael and some wrenches, including me, are thinking "This discussion is not 'nuts-and-volts." So I'll end this string with an email from someone's customer...and Michael's oft' repeated words, "This subject belongs in RE-Markets at topica.com

----- Original Message -----
From: "robert winfield" <winfield100 at yahoo.com>
To: <joeldavidson at solarsolar.com>; <graham at solarexpert.com>; <jberdner at sma-america.com>; <solarone at charter.net>
Sent: Sunday, August 01, 2004 8:17 AM
Subject: Re: KWh subsidies (was PVUSA rating vs. CEC rating)

> If this is a no-no I apologize but I am incredibly
> frustrated by big oil vs RE.
> I am not trying to spam you but i don't know where to
> start and you folks were discussing this and
> non-wrenches like me can't comment to the list which i
> read regularly.
>
> how does a citizen get involved in changing their
> politicians minds and laws and incentives
> and get tie-in tariffs such as more and more of Europe
> has?
>
> I have a tiny 1.376kw system and would like a 6-10kw
> system but big buck$ payback is > 20 years on my
> present system if it lasts
> .
> I made a LOT of mistakes with my initial 6 year old
> system
> I bought the wrong system even though I got a $3,200
> rebate.
> I got Amorphous Silicon thin film panels which were at
> best 5% efficient and now are about 4%
>  (>>20% degradation in 6 years!!!!)
> [(1054/1376)*100]
> and they are no longer manufactured due to unspecified
> problems. They are hi voltage, 81v each, in strings of
> 4.
> (Only one company still manufactures Amorphous thin
> film for reasons obvious to me)
> If I got another inverter to use for them, I could
> only use something like a Sunny Boy (no
> battery)inverter but in the low 90's efficiency as it
> is high voltage but I hate even the idea of fiddling
> with up to 4-500v DC)
> I would rather yank them off the roof and put in
> higher efficiency such as the Sharp 185 single
> crystals or move them to a east or west facing roof
> (I bought my house specifically in 1981 with
> photovoltaics in mind as it faces 10 degrees west of
> south.) but they were way too pricy then.
>  I got an Omnion Inverter and I have to maintain it
> due to the company going out of  inverter business.
> (again, What warranty?!)
> I do have several positive things to say. I like Solar
> power and would like a lot more of it, and would do it
> again and use batteries with a 48 or 72vDC system
> I am slowly acquiring single crystal panels
> My installers were great, friendly competent dudes.
> I am in Rockville, Maryland
>
> MSX43 Millenium Solarex,32 panels A-Si
> (Solarex quit making them so the warranty is very
> moot) 26" x 48" 43 watts each (appx 5% efficient at
> best) total 1376 watts (.8sq Meter) 1/2 amp!!!
> first 2 weeks (May 1998) put out 1550+ watts Now max
> is 1054 watts, clear cool day (65degrees) in mid
> June,  degradation over 23% in 6 years, close to 4%
> per
> year. roof mounted, 22.5degrees (5 in 12 slope) I am
> around 36 degrees north (more or less)
> I put a separate meter on the output after about a
> year and the array/inverter was down for 5-7 months
> while I was fixing the inverter (Omnion went out of
> business)
> net reading of 3,798KWh on my meter, and lose ½
> KWh/day  (180/year)1,000Kwh over life span so far
> I recently started doing daily readings.at 7am
> the inverter uses 480watts per day (20/hour) which is
> a huge hit for my small system
> Personally I would never again use Amorphous Silicon
> ever again after 6 years experience with it. too weak
> and dies too fast
>
> I would get single or poly crystal panels only.
> Solar panels to me are essentially commodities and I
> would go for lowest cost per watt but make sure they
> have at least 12-14% efficiencies min
> I would get a battery capable Inverter due to my
> increasing grid instability.
> (I live 8 miles NW of Wash DC beltway on I-270)
>
> I firmly believe the grid is going to go down a lot
> more often simply by driving about my neighborhood and
> looking at the NON-maintenance of the electric lines
> and all the trees growing up through the lines that
> lean at various angles up to 30 degrees right over
> lines
> Hurricane Isabel was an eye opener.
>
> You can always email me at winfield100 at yahoo.com
> (I enjoy reading your list, RE-Wrenches but there are
> 1 or 2 times I really want to comment as an end user)
>
> Robert
>
>

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