tolerating 10% tolerance? [RE-wrenches]

[John Berdner]

Your free subscription is supported by today's sponsor:
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Personals at Meeting Friends Online.
Find your perfect partner...We’re here to help. 
Click below to register for FREE and start connecting!
http://click.topica.com/caadmZ5bz8Qcsbz9JC9a/MeetingFriendsOnline
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Bob / Wrenches:
 
I have to respectfully disagree with Bob here.
I think the nameplate system without independent verification of the
major input variables was a flawed policy but...
We have to remember that production based credits were a political
impossibility when we developed the CA rebate program.
Now we are hearing about a trial production program in CA and a real
one in WA.
We are getting there but it takes time.
 

Regardless of how we got here today CA (and most other States) have a
nameplate rebate system.
Until very recently none of the inputs to the equation were
independently verified.
Now we have completed a first attempt at independent verification of
inverter performance but still nothing for modules.
Is the system perfect ? - No, far from it.
Is it a step in the right direction ? - Absolutely!
 
Ultimately, a production based credits are the ONLY way to go.
Production based credits let the market do it's job by providing proper
market driving signals.
Good real world system performance = good financial performance.
Good system performance covers inverters, modules, design, and
installation practices.
Performance guarantees would logically follow (already happening in
larger systems) to help protect the consumer.
 
Best REgards,
 
John Berdner


Bob,

It's not the government rebates that are at fault. This is a good case
(has
happened many times with several manufacturers) where a manufacture
has
tried to do what Joel said and be more honest in their ratings, but all
it
did was hurt profits--it did not improve sales (because $/STC Watt
reported
by the manufacturere is still king--the CEC rating is simply an
adjustment
made on the manufacturers STC data). It has become painfully obvious
that if
you want the truth about module ratings, this will require an outside
influence to force the issue--all attempts by individual manufacturers
over
the past 25 years have failed miserably. I'm not a big fan of
government
regulation, but I am a big fan of truth--if it requires some regulation
to
force truth I say bring it on. And all the neophytes out their that
don't
know all the nuances of our crazy rating system will be better off--but
so
will everyone else in the process.

Bill.


-----Original Message-----
From: Bob Maynard, Energy Outfitters [mailto:bob at energyoutfitters.com]

Sent: Wednesday, April 06, 2005 8:42 AM
To: RE-wrenches at topica.com 
Subject: RE: tolerating 10% tolerance? [RE-wrenches]

Todd,

In all fairness to BP, they tried to take the US PV industry to a truth
in
rating with their 160's but rebate programs penalized them for it and
rewarded those that stayed with higher ratings with wider tolerances.
Another fine example of how government rebates can keep this industry
from
getting to where we need to be. I didn't expect to see PV get this far
in
my lifetime, I wonder now if I might see wide spread production
incentives!

Regards,
Bob Maynard
Energy Outfitters






--
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Your free subscription is supported by today's sponsor:
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Get both the PlayStation2 and Game Cube for Free! Click here to 
find out how.
http://click.topica.com/caadlVCbz8Qcsbz9JC9f/Consumer Research
-------------------------------------------------------------------

- - - -
To send a message: RE-wrenches at topica.com

Archive of previous messages: http://lists.topica.com/lists/RE-wrenches/read

List rules & etiquette: www.mrsharkey.com/wrenches/etiquette.php

Check out participant bios: www.mrsharkey.com/wrenches/

Hosted by Home Power magazine

Moderator: michael.welch at homepower.com
--^----------------------------------------------------------------
This email was sent to: michael.welch at homepower.com

EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?bz8Qcs.bz9JC9.bWljaGFl
Or send an email to: RE-wrenches-unsubscribe at topica.com

For Topica's complete suite of email marketing solutions visit:
http://www.topica.com/?p=TEXFOOTER
--^----------------------------------------------------------------