[RE-wrenches] 2 PV utility interconnect disconnects?

[Joel Davidson]

Hello Dick - Thank you for the information. It looks like VT requires just 1 
net-metered generator disconnect.

Wrenches - I would like to get more feedback as we are forming a taskforce 
to deal with this and other LADWP obstructionist issues. Please email me for 
a copy of the contractor's drawing that shows LADWP wants a 2nd disconnect 
plus the PV system locking disconnect and system meter that the contractor 
included. The X on the drawing between the service panel and revenue meter 
is where LADWP's interconnection department wants a new disconnect and 
circuit breaker.

This issue is important because LADWP is the largest municipal utility in 
the U.S. and is promoting its dysfunctional solar program as a model for 
other utilities. In addition, the City of Los Angeles has an arbitrary and 
restrictive solar permitting and inspection process (the whole fire marshal 
setbacks issue started in LA).

You may recall that this is the same utility that locked out homeowners' and 
businesses' PV systems for most of a summer from April until August 2002. 
The lockout delayed projects, caused PV businesses to lose income, put an 
unwarranted shadow of doubt and fear in customers' minds and undermines 
decades of PV industry work providing safe solar power systems. The PV 
system hostage situation ended when LADWP workers got their union contract. 
In the end, nothing was wrong with the PV systems and none were found to be 
unsafe.

This is the same utility that in 1979 committed 100,000 rooftop photovoltaic 
systems by 2010 to the Million Solar Roofs Program. In 1998 I trained LADWP 
technicians and managers how to install PV systems, showed them how to copy 
the successful Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) PV Volunteer 
program and how to set up a rebate program to encourage homeowners and 
businesses to go solar. 18 months later there were less than 100 solar 
rooftops.

The same backsliding happened with LADWP's local manufacturing solar credit 
to encourage solar factories to set up in LA. In 2003, I was Solar 
Integrated Technologies' general manager, a solar factory in South LA. As 
soon as we got into production, LADWP suspended the local manufacturing 
solar credit. Instead of leaving Los Angeles like Shell Solar, SIT decided 
to hang in there and sell its products to Europeans who had better 
incentives.

LADWP over and over since the early 1980s has failed to live up to it solar 
commitments. Now LADWP has put Measure B on the March ballot. Measure B is a
union grab for 400 MW of PV work and another failure waiting to happen. See 
today's LA Times "Vote No on B" editorial at
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-measureb26-2009feb26,0,2365192.story

Joel Davidson

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Richard L Ratico" <Richard.L.Ratico at VALLEY.NET>
To: <re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org>
Sent: Wednesday, February 25, 2009 4:26 PM
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] 2 PV utility interconnect disconnects?


> Hi Joel,
>
> Here's a link to utility requirements in VT as of 1/8/08.
> See drawings #405 & #406 at the end of the document.
> Looks like a PITA for existing structures where a backfed breaker won't 
> work.
>
> http://www.cvps.com/CustomerService/Book01-08.pdf
>
> Dick
>
> Dick Ratico
> Solarwind Electric
> Bradford, VT 05033
> VT #EM-4156
> NH #10483 M
>