[RE-wrenches] FSEC Approval Required for Permit?

[Joel Davidson]

Hello Jason,

I got the first FSEC BIPV certification. The paperwork was time-consuming, 
but the FSEC people were reasonable. Getting FSEC certification is like 
getting UL, IEC, CSI, etc. certification. It's the price of admission to get 
you and your product in the game. Superior Solar, Solartek, etc. already 
have certified Enphase in combination with various solar modules. Sun 
Electronics has paid its dues and has multiple system certifications. Also 
Enphase has worked with FSEC. See 
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/solar/pdfs/segis_winners_2008.pdf
I encourage you to get Enphase to support your effort to expand the use of 
their product.

Joel Davidson

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jason Szumlanski" <Jason at fafcosolar.com>
To: <re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org>
Sent: Thursday, June 03, 2010 6:57 AM
Subject: [RE-wrenches] FSEC Approval Required for Permit?


> Hi Wrenches,
>
> Has anyone dealt with a jurisdiction that requires FSEC or similar
> system approval as a prerequisite for obtaining a PV permit? Although we
> have installed many systems in a particular jurisdiction in our area,
> they just rejected a permit application because we do not have an FSEC
> system certification on this system (24 Enphase microinverters). We are
> having a hard time getting them to explain from where the requirement
> came. It seems like a nonsense roadblock to me. I can't imagine what
> purpose an FSEC certification would serve in the case of microinverters.
> As long as you are using a module on Enphase's compatibility list and
> the module itself has FSEC certification, can you think of any logical
> reason to jump through this hoop?
>
> On that note, I contacted FSEC to see what it would require to certify
> Enphase microinverter systems. They are telling me that we would have to
> apply for one system, and then apply for "similar" systems if the number
> of inverters changes. That doesn't make any sense to me. Are we supposed
> to submit applications for 1, 2, 3...50...150 module systems? I doubt
> they have time to deal with the paperwork for hundreds of similar system
> applications. Imagine dropping 200 similar system applications in their
> inbox to cover all quantities of microinverters.
>
> Jason Szumlanski
> Fafco Solar
> Cape Coral, FL
>
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