[RE-wrenches] Unusual Module

[Kent Osterberg]

Allan,

Your right about the modules from Carrizo being made by Arco. And 
weren't they mono-crystalline? Three of these modules in series would be 
30 cells and not enough voltage for charging a 12-volt battery. But I 
think that's the biggest similarity to a Quad-Lam.

Kent Osterberg
Blue Mountain Solar, Inc.
www.bluemountainsolar.com


On 3/24/2012 12:27 PM, Allan Sindelar wrote:
> Hilton,
> The only issue I take with your suggestion that these are Carrizo 
> modules is that as far as I know, all of the Carrizo modules (used at 
> the Carrisa Plains PV power plant near Paso Robles CA from 1984-1990) 
> were made by Arco, not Solarex.
>
> Also, the Carrizo Quad-Lams required four in series, not three. A few 
> of the better modules could reach 16V in hot weather in sets of three, 
> but the vast majority couldn't, especially after premature degradation 
> caused by the use of reflectors on most of the tracked arrays. They 
> were called Quad-Lams by Carrizo Solar (who bought the plant and cut 
> them up for resale) for this reason. Photocomm sold some as sets of 
> three (and called them Tri-Lams) in the early 90s, but after 
> haranguing by Richard Perez of Home Power and others, supplied a 
> fourth module to purchasers, as sets of three had insufficient MPP 
> voltage to EQ a 12V battery during summer heat.
> Allan
>
> *Allan Sindelar*
> _Allan at positiveenergysolar.com_ <mailto:Allan at positiveenergysolar.com>
> NABCEP Certified Photovoltaic Installer
> NABCEP Certified Technical Sales Professional
> New Mexico EE98J Journeyman Electrician
> *Positive Energy, Inc.*
> 3201 Calle Marie
> Santa Fe, New Mexico 87507
> *505 424-1112*
> _www.positiveenergysolar.com_ <http://www.positiveenergysolar.com/>
>
> *
> *
>
>
>
> On 3/24/2012 12:22 PM, Hilton Dier III wrote:
>> Kent,
>>
>> I had modules like those back in the early 1990s, when I first went 
>> off grid. They are designed to be wired in sets of three for 12V 
>> nominal, 18Voc. If the EVA encapsulant is a bit browned it is 
>> probably leftover from the Carrizo project, the largest of its time. 
>> The Carrizo project had reflectors to increase output but they cooked 
>> the adhesive. The owners eventually lost their beneficial rate and 
>> realized they would make more money selling off the modules than 
>> selling the electricity. Many homesteaders benefited.
>>
>> Hilton
>>
>> The label looks like a shiny piece of foil, but with light angled on it
>> just right way the name Solarex is visible as are many words on the
>> label template. None of the values are legible. It is a little smaller
>> than a MSX-60. It has 40 cells that are wired in four parallel strings
>> of ten. Open circuit voltage is about 6 volts. Shorted it put out 4 amps
>> in bright but very overcast conditions. I suspect that it would put out
>> 8 to 10 amps at STC. There are two j-boxes, one on each end, with very
>> substantial terminals. It still operates, but obviously it isn't much
>> use for charging a battery, even a six volt one. Anyone familiar with a
>> low-voltage high-current Solarex module.
>>
>>
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