Kyocera [RE-wrenches]

[Peter Duchon]

Yep, just now.  

My complaints run the gamut of distributor level errata.  Typifying the
decline, seemingly still in progress, an especially stupid series of
customer service, ordering, and delivery errors occurred recently with our
company's oldest direct manufacturer relationship, at each level of the
organization, top down execs/regional/accounting to shipping/warehouse and
last but not least, the formerly-known-as-consistent Industrial Division.
It's sad really.  

Practically revered for their precisely-rendered long-term support and
handling of 1000's of poorly soldered KC-120's, now that most of that is
over, and the KC-120's, 125's, 130's have come and gone and it's on to the
135, it seems they're much busier now with creating spec sheets than making
any of them.   Not sure if that's fair but...maybe they should just focus on
that, and stop trying to be a distributor of everything else?

I don't know what's going on, but the ironic thing (for me) - or perhaps in
the end - beneficial thing (for them) and for all of us, was that the recent
3-month long serial huh?'s finally concluded without Kyocera involved at
all.  The distributed part's manufacturer helped out and a contractor
figured out a work-around.  Kyocera folks were literally - absent - in
helping me/us, or our end-user, a city in LA basin area.   But they had a
corporate doctors excuse, and were all at customer service training camp,
holed-in, upstairs in Scottsdale.  

Unfortunately, nothing Kyocera can do on the customer service front will
change their modules performance numbers.  I'm seeing on the Kyocera side of
monitored systems at the office here today, 2203 w DC and 1970 w AC (SB2500)
with 1005 w/m2 on the DayStar.  Nameplate is 2672w DC, so that's 82% after 4
years on the DC side, but that's pretty much what it was out of the box.  (
I don't <think> these 167's were refurbs...?)

If Mr. Crutcher could provide a link for the CEC ranking list, that would be
great.  I know I haven't seen that, but totally agree with his
recommendations for customers and installers regarding the right module
choice.   As the industry grows and creates its history over time, and as
annual performance numbers are accumulated, so too will we see those
manufacturers at the top of the list succeed and become even more desired,
and those towards the bottom of the list will be prone to declining interest
in their products.

Sincerely,
Peter Duchon
PV-Wind Systems Integrator/Estimator/Procurement Specialist
Renewables Sustainables Solutions/Providers/Partners
ASAP POWER! is "As Solar As Possible"
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O 760-724-3777
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-----Original Message-----
From: Allan Sindelar [mailto:allan at positiveenergysolar.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, June 18, 2008 9:30 PM
To: RE-wrenches at topica.com
Subject: RE: Kyocera [RE-wrenches]


Is anyone forwarding this thread to Kyocera management? I would, but we
don't carry Kyocera. We had one KC120 repair a couple of years ago, which
they handled very well. 
Allan at Positive Energy

-----Original Message-----
From: Jeff Oldham [mailto:starpower4u at juno.com]
Sent: Wednesday, June 18, 2008 10:41 AM
To: RE-wrenches at topica.com
Subject: Re: Kyocera [RE-wrenches]




Kyocera seems to have had too many bites in the butt and we are seeing their
"support" declining. I did a 40kW array about 5 years ago with KC-120's and
a year ago it was noticed that power was dropping off. After close
inspection of all strings 6 modules were found to be producing very low
voltage. Kyocera stepped up with a 1st class offer to replace the ENTIRE
array and pay labor! I became an instant fan of Kyocera. Now however in
about a year they have lost me for good. We are faced with the experience
that Joel detailed - substandard "refurbs" but they are asking for a labor
quote implying they will pay, time will tell on that one. 
PV manu's have so few failures that it gives them the golden opportunity to
offer world class customer service and support that should shame most
industries making our industry shine above all increasing consumer
confidence and desire to invest significantly. This should be a no-brainer
for ANY company that enjoys a failure rate well below 1%. We are plagued by
manu's in all sectors of our industry not standing behind their products as
well as they can and should. 
-jeff o


>From the Solar, Wind and Hydro powered office of Jeff Oldham/Regenerative
SOLutions
____________________________________________________________
Live the good life! Click now for great retirement planning assistance!
http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL2131/fc/Ioyw6iieke7Ld4MsgCigJwGlUJNzS9tW
lueyXzDpIZjq9IO7aIFJEK/
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]


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