[RE-wrenches] Volcanos and reduced solar production

[Joel Davidson]

Wrenches,

With the Iceland volcano in the news and winter over, I thought it would be 
a good time ask wrenches convince their customers that their reduced solar 
production was caused by atmospheric conditions and not their PV system. I'm 
not talking about short-term conditions like a few cloudy days. I mean when 
you install a PV system in October and have to explain in gloomy February 
why their PV system is not performing like you predicted.

Missing the mark can be bad for business. For example, reduced insolation 
caused by the El Chichon Mexico volcano was reportedly one of the reasons 
that the Luz solar power plants went bankrupt in the 1980s. See 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_Energy_Generating_Systems and 
http://www.unige.ch/cuepe/html/biblio/pdf/michalsky-ineichen%201993%20-%20mount%20pinatubo%20and%20solar%20power%20plants%20(solar%20today).pdf

Joel Davidson