[RE-wrenches] Equipment shortages, long lead times?

[Lee Bristol]

I agree with Bob-O that we need to keep the off-grid system design in
NABCEP.  I recently installed a small off-grid system at a school in Haiti
and had it reconfirmed that off-grid systems in the third world are so very
important.  Small systems like those installed by SELF, Solar Electric Light
Fund, are the future not the past.  http://www.self.org/


Lee



Lee Bristol

NABCEP Certified Solar Designer/Installer

Chief Technology Officer



Standard Solar Inc.

202 Perry Parkway, #7

Gaithersburg, MD 20877

(301) 944-5105 Direct

(240) 479-1510 Cell

(301) 944-1202 Fax

leebristol at standardsolar.com


On Mon, Nov 23, 2009 at 2:57 PM, <penobscotsolar at midmaine.com> wrote:

> Here, here Bob-O.
>   We, too, have seen no decrease in our off grid market as well. It is
> rapidly becoming a specialized field here in Maine.(not talking about
> you, Tump) Even our largest competitor is now sending off grid business
> to us as they have had too many problems training competent installers
> who understand the minutea(?) of battery physiology, proper gen
> charging, etc. and just want to do the wam bam straight grid tie
> systems. I appreciate NABCEP's (and your) insistence on continuing to
> require off grid knowledge in order to be certified. Anything less
> would be like certifying a mechanic who only knows about standard
> transmissions in transmission repair. Your logic in continuing to
> insist on battery based knowledge is important to our field. Thanks.
>
> Daryl
>
>
>
> > Hiya Ray,
> > In my experience, off-grid is always as steady as it ever was except for
> > the Y2K burp. Those of us who know how to design and install for that
> > market will always have some work, even in a crappy economy. At NABCEP,
> we
> > take a lot of heat from all the new on-grid only installers who don't see
> > or understand the value in learning about battery-based systems. They
> > would like us to drop that part of the task analysis entirely from the
> > Certification. I, for one, am resisting that insisting that's part of the
> > overall trade. I'm concerned that if we certify installers without
> testing
> > for battery knowledge, they will go and install a battery based system
> > sooner or later anyway and NABCEP will look like fools if they muck it
> up.
> > Bob-O
> >
> >
> > On Nov 23, 2009, at 10:15 AM, R Ray Walters wrote:
> >
> >
> > Funny, because although Off grid has remained relatively slow compared to
> > the crazy GT market, its also been very steady.
> >
> > Ray
> >
> > On Nov 23, 2009, at 9:07 AM, Windsun at wind-sun.com wrote:
> >
> >> Nearly everything so far that we have been seeing shortages in is in
> >> off-grid equipment. We have not seen a huge increase or decrease in
> >> off-grid, but apparently some of the mfg's decided there would be a big
> >> drop. With the exception of a couple of particular models of inverters,
> >> we have seen no real shortages in grid tie.
> >>
> >>
> ..................................................................................................
> >> Northern Arizona Wind & Sun - Electricity From The Sun Since 1979
> >> Solar Discussion Forum: http://www.wind-sun.com/ForumVB/
> >>
> ..................................................................................................
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-- 
Lee Bristol
NABCEP Certified Solar Designer/Installer

Chief Technology Officer
Standard Solar, Inc.
202 Perry Parkway, #7
Gaithersburg, MD 20877
(301) 944-5105
(240) 479-1510 (c)
www.standardsolar.com
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