So much for market demand [RE-wrenches]

William Miller wrmiller at charter.net
Tue Jan 15 11:43:30 PST 2008


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Jeff:

I have been wondering for some time: "Where is the indignation?"  It is 
refreshing to hear some.  Anyone else?

I was beginning to feel like Don Quixote.  I do believe some of our 
industry gurus such as those behind code review share some of your and my 
concern here and that is why we are seeing the new language.  I just think 
we need to keep the pressure up on all fronts (code, market, industry 
discussion groups, etc) and in the meantime, make what we have as safe as 
we can.

As for making exposed wiring safe, we aim to cover it as much as we 
can.   Here is our company policy:

1. Ground mounts:  Commercial ground mounts need to be in a fenced 
area.  Residential ground mounts will receive our Volt Guard wire covers 
which will cover wire and connectors.  There is a link to a photo of our 
first prototype (you may have seen this link recently).  The next 
generation will be a little bit wider:
http://mpandc.com/practices/Procedures/PV_wiring/PV_wiring.html

2. Roof mount PV:  Commercial installations: We will require the customers 
maintain restricted access.  For residential installations, we are 
developing a connector box with panel mount connectors.  This box will be 
installed near enough to the modules to allow the factory module leads to 
reach.  We will not be installing multiple splices in our PV leads.  We 
will use the Wiley clips and stainless steel cable ties to ensure cable are 
kept up under the modules completely and permanently.

And a last thought:  Reliability suffers with the new quick connect 
trend.  When we had J-boxes, all of our PV leads were without one 
splice.  Ever.  With quick connects, there is a splice between each 
module.  There is a splice on the negative lead where it meets the field 
supplied USE lead.  There is a splice where the field supplied USE cable 
meets the building wire in a J-box.  Same two spices are in the positive 
lead.  This proliferation of splices lead to failures.  These spices are 
often times hidden under modules.  It generally takes two persons to pull 
modules hunting for a bad splice.  I feel splices should be readily 
accessible to technicians but not to children.  We have that part backwards.

Thanks for your commitment to safety.

William Miller



At 10:35 AM 1/15/2008, you wrote:

>We have been begging for modules with J-boxes to use on ground-mounted 
>arrays to reduce shock risk to clients kids and the public, but module 
>manufacturers refuse to make anything except pig-tails. I know many of you 
>have been asking for the same thing ever since they were dis-continued, as 
>each manufacturer started to used their own version of a 
>quick-dis-connect. We have gone from using simple cut-to-length rolled-up 
>conduit, to separate boxes of all kinds of special connectors, expensive 
>crimpers, and custom-made cables that do not match from one module 
>manufacturer to another.
>
>I always thought when there was a big market demand for a product, the 
>market would respond with the product needed - so much for market forces 
>in this industry where manufacturers make whatever they want and you have 
>to take what you can get.  I am guessing everyone is marketing now to 
>Europe and their needs and we are left with "make-do" hardware trying to 
>meet constantly changing codes that are far more demending than any other 
>non-solar power systems.
>
>With modules now only available with wiring connectors that are dangerous 
>where accessible, and with code officials demanding wiring procedures that 
>we cannot meet with current products, and when only very costly "make-do" 
>wiring arrangements must be used to provide some level of wiring access 
>safety, I see a perfect storm on the horizon and its called the 2008 NEC 
>codebook.
>
>Jeff Yago


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