[RE-wrenches] Target fire

Mon Oct 18 14:08:36 PDT 2010

Hi Matt:
    I saw you chimed in after I had sent my posting.  It appears that the fire 
was caused by just the one fault at the loose 2" EMT connector.  If one of the 
module strings was faulted, then the fuse protecting that one string should 
open, and thus eliminating that string from the array.  Why do you think that 
the module level wiring contributed?

 Nick Soleil
Project Manager
Advanced Alternative Energy Solutions, LLC
PO Box 657
Petaluma, CA 94953
Cell:   707-321-2937
Office: 707-789-9537
Fax:    707-769-9037

________________________________
From: Matt Lafferty <gilligan06 at gmail.com>
To: RE-wrenches <re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org>
Sent: Mon, October 18, 2010 1:12:34 PM
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Target fire

Andrew,

The General/Prime Contractor on the job was SunPower vis a vis  Powerlight. As 
per standard operating procedures there, the actual  installation was subbed 
out. I don't recall which subs they used on this job,  but there was more than 
one. Per their normal routine, one sub installs the  racking, modules, and 
wiring from the modules to the combiners. This sub can  have any one of several 
different license classifications. They use an  electrical sub to install the 
combiners, homeruns, inverters, interconnection.  The electrical sub is 
responsible for terminations.

Although I wasn't onsite to inspect the charcoal, I believe  there were multiple 
shorts, not just the separated coupling in the homerun. I  suspect there was at 
least one ground-fault in the array prior to whatever  happened at the coupling. 
If this was the case, then BOTH SUBCONTRACTORS FAILED.  They are both at least 
partially responsible for what happened  there.

I have seen the racking system that was used on  the Bakersfield project. The 
vintage used there had SEVERE problems with  wire management. Absolute crap! 
Ground faults are  common with that racking system. I have personally witnessed 
a system  running with 8 amps of current on the ground using the same racking 
system.  This was NOT on the Bakersfield site. Although I wasn't permitted to  
troubleshoot the problem, I was told that they had been chasing the ghost for  
several months. Ever since the initial installation. I have it from reliable  
sources that this condition is common and a known flaw in the design. At that  
time, their philosophy was that a ground fault is acceptable as long as there  
isn't enough current to trip the inverter offline. Central inverters commonly  
have up to a 10 amp GFP, so you can have one or more strings directly shorted  
and keep running. 

The concept that  they kept installing systems with a known flaw like this is 
beyond  acceptable. SunPower ultimately bears the greatest share of 
responsibility here. I do not know whether they have corrected the crappy wire 
management  in that racking system since then or not. I certainly hope they have 
either  corrected it or stopped using the system altogether. 

A comprehensive commissioning process would identify  these problems and prevent 
the system from being placed into service. A visual  inspection is the beginning 
of any commissioning process. As I said, I have seen  these systems and they 
ain't pretty. Any schmuck can easily see numerous wires  pulled across 
sharp-edges of sheet metal at various points throughout the array.  Fail #1. 
Megger output jumpers... Fail #2.

The concept that any building department has  signed one of these systems off at 
all is mind-boggling. Another thing I find  interesting... There was no mention 
of this condition in the fire investigation  report. Only a recommendation to 
megger the remaining wires. What's up with  that? How is it that so many of 
these systems have been installed and passed  inspection? How many have caught 
fire that we haven't heard about? You know...  Just a little fire.

I would LOVE to know how much downtime has been logged  because of this 
dangerous problem. And how much money has been spent  troubleshooting and 
"fixing" faults caused by this problem. And how many  "technicians" have been 
shocked during installation or service? One thing I can guarantee you... Unless 
you work inside  the bowels of SunPower or this information comes out in a 
lawsuit  somewhere, we will never know. Maybe WikiLeaks will have something on 
this  someday. But I'm not holding my breath.

For the record, I'm not a SunPower hater. I do hate crappy workmanship. I hate 
the practice of  covering up crappy workmanship even more. You see, when you 
cover it up, it's  just gonna keep happening. At least until somebody calls you 
on  it.

$0.02001

Solar Janitor

________________________________
 From: re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org  
[mailto:re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of Andrew  Truitt
Sent: Monday, October 18, 2010 12:04 PM
To: RE-wrenches
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Target  fire

Thanks William.  That is the first place I looked but I  didn't see it in 
there.  But I love all the resources on your  website!

- Andrew

On Mon, Oct 18, 2010 at 12:47 PM, William Miller <william at millersolar.com> 
wrote:

Andrew:
>
>It may be in the report:  http://mpandc.com/practices/Safety/safety_data.html
>
>William 
>
>
>At 11:30 AM 10/18/2010, you wrote:
>
>
>Does anyone know who installed the infamous Bakersfield Target      job?
>>
>>
>>
>>Andrew Truitt
>>NABCEP Certified PV Installer™ (ID#      032407-66)
>>Truitt Renewable Energy Consulting
>>(202) 486-7507
>>http://www.linkedin.com/pub/andrew-truitt/8/622/713
>>
>>
>>
>>"Don't      get me wrong: I love nuclear energy! It's just that I prefer fusion 
>>to      fission. And it just so happens that there's an enormous fusion reactor      
>>safely banked a few million miles from us. It delivers more than we could      
>>ever use in just about 8 minutes. And it's wireless!"
>>
>>~William      McDonough
>>
>>No virus found in this incoming message.
>>Checked by AVG      - www.avg.com 
>>Version:      8.5.448 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/3204 - Release Date: 10/18/10      
>>06:34:00
Please note new e-mail address and domain:

William Miller 
Miller Solar
Voice :805-438-5600
email: william at millersolar.com
http://millersolar.com
License No.    C-10-773985
____________________________________
>
>Andrew Truitt
>NABCEP Certified    PV Installer™ (ID#    032407-66)
>TruittRenewableEnergyConsulting
>(202)    486-7507
>http://www.linkedin.com/pub/andrew-truitt/8/622/713
>
>"Don't    get me wrong: I love nuclear energy! It's just that I prefer fusion to    
>fission. And it just so happens that there's an enormous fusion reactor safely    
>banked a few million miles from us. It delivers more than we could ever use in    
>just about 8 minutes. And it's wireless!"
>
>~William  McDonough
>
>

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