[RE-wrenches] Delta LAs

Tue Sep 14 16:02:26 PDT 2010

CE is a self-certification that requires no 3rd party testing. In other words, 
if you think your product meets a standard and take the time to write a letter 
stating such, then you are CE certified. There are companies who you can pay to 
give you the letter, but it is easy to go on-line, learn the CE mark 
requirements and DIY.

________________________________
From: Mick Abraham <mick at abrahamsolar.com>
To: RE-wrenches <re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org>
Sent: Tue, September 14, 2010 12:17:34 PM
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Delta LAs

Citel products do have a listing mark but this is European style CE, not 
American style UL/ETL. Citel is reputedly working on American certification but 
one would be advised to not hold one's breath.  

The Citel products which mount to a DIN rail have an LED indicator which goes 
dark once the surge elements have been sacrificed. Also some of their units have 
an auxiliary switch which can remotely indicate a blown condition. This is in 
the form of dry contacts..a normally open and a normally closed one, so various 
indicator circuits can be designed around that. The contacts have a low amp AC 
rating and also a (lower amp) DC rating but I do not remember the numbers at 
present. 

Jolliness,

Mick Abraham, Proprietor
www.abrahamsolar.com

Voice: 970-731-4675

On Tue, Sep 14, 2010 at 12:43 PM, R Ray Walters <ray at solarray.com> wrote:

You could buy several ground rods for the cost of one Delta. 
>Ground Impedance is the real issue. Both the Delta and the Polyphasor need a 
>good ground to work. 
>
>While I haven't seen much of a correlation between Deltas and reduced lightning 
>damage, (lots of system damage with and without)
>I have found that well grounded systems (tied to a steel cased well) have never 
>had a problem, even with direct strikes to a wind turbine (did lose the $40 
>turbine rectifier, but nothing else)
>
>
>I now own a clamp-on ground impedance tester, and the results were miserable. 
>Some electrodes were over 800 ohms to ground! (code requires under 25 ohms)
>I'd spend more time and money reducing ground impedance, and then if it makes 
>you feel good inside, throw the little "lightning faeries" in, if the AHJ isn't 
>looking.......
>
>
>If its really lightning country, and a really expensive off grid system, I use 
>Polyphasor, but they have their own issues. (very expensive, no UL listing, 
>loose internal connections, nuisance tripping, need a large J-box to mount them 
>inside, etc.)
>I haven't tried the Citel stuff, but it looks to be listed, and mounts on a DIN 
>rail. After installing a couple hundred Deltas, I'd try something else at this 
>point.
>
>
>
>
>R. Walters
>ray at solarray.com
>Solar Engineer
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>On Sep 14, 2010, at 10:22 AM, Kristopher Schmid wrote:
>
>My thought here is that nothing will protect the equipment from a direct strike, 
>but a near strike that may induce a significant surge may be absorbed by the LA 
>and protect the equipment.  I like the feedback so far.  It would not break my 
>heart to stop using them altogether.:-}
>> 
>>Kris
>>Legacy Solar
>>864 Clam Falls Trail
>>Frederic, WI 54837
>>715-653-4295
>>solman at legacysolar.com
>>www.legacysolar.com 
>>-----Original Message-----
>>>From: re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org 
>>>[mailto:re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of August Goers
>>>Sent: Tuesday, September 14, 2010 10:39 AM
>>>To: RE-wrenches
>>>Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Delta LAs
>>>
>>>
>>>All -
>>>
>>>I guess my thought is a little off topic, but are lightning arrestors even worth 
>>>using at all? My logic has always been that if lightning does indeed strike that 
>>>it's likely going to blow the arrestor and and inverter. We don't have much of a 
>>>lightning issue issue in the Bay Area so I don't have any direct experience.
>>>
>>>Best,
>>>
>>>August
>>>
>>>
>>>On Tue, Sep 14, 2010 at 6:29 AM, Kristopher Schmid <solman at legacysolar.com> 
>>>wrote:
>>>
>>>It is quite ironic that just a week after I posted a question to the group
>>>>on testing the integrity of lightning arrestors, I had one apparently faulty
>>>>out of the box.  The manifest of this was interesting: when the AC LA
>>>>(LA302R) was connected in parallel on the AC input to a SB3000 inverter,
>>>>there was 125vac neutral to L1, 125vac neutral to L2, and 1Vac L1 to L2.
>>>>SMA tech support suggested the LA as the issue and sure enough, it was.
>>>>Attempting to test good and faulty arrestors with an ohmmeter gave the same
>>>>result - off scale open.
>>>>
>>>>Any thoughts or comments from the group?
>>>>
>>>>Kris Schmid
>>>>
>>>>Legacy Solar
>>>>864 Clam Falls Trail
>>>>Frederic, WI 54837
>>>>715-653-4295
>>>>solman at legacysolar.com
>>>>www.legacysolar.com
>>>>
>>>>_______________________________________________
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>>>
>>>
>>>-- 
>>>August Goers
>>>VP, Engineering
>>>
>>>Luminalt Energy Corporation
>>>1320 Potrero Avenue
>>>San Francisco, CA 94110
>>>O: 415.641.4000
>>>M: 415.559.1525
>>>august at luminalt.com
>>>_______________________________________________
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>
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