[RE-wrenches] RE-wrenches Digest, Vol 7, Issue 29

[Ray Walters]

I'm definitely interested in being involved too.  I really respect how 
difficult the language crafting can be, and the frustration to have 
certain intent be misconstrued by an AHJ some where else later.

R.Ray Walters
CTO, Solarray, Inc
Nabcep Certified PV Installer,
Licensed Master Electrician
Solar Design Engineer
303 505-8760

On 1/23/2014 4:17 PM, Dan Fink wrote:
> Thanks for the correction on that sedona fire Bill; I had only seen 
> the incorrect fire dept report.
> I wish there was a clearinghouse for information on RE incidents and 
> close calls as they are all teachable moments for both RE 
> professionals and firefighters.
>
> I ditto the need for more NEC guidance on battery banks. In my 
> firefighting career, I've been at about a dozen structure fires 
> involving RE equipment. Only 4 were actually caused by the RE 
> equipment. *All* of those originated in or near the battery bank. 1 
> internal battery short circuit, 1 mouse chew inside battery box, and 2 
> bad connection when charging with a generator.
>
> I'd like to get involved, Bill....I have lots to say about wooden 
> battery boxes, parallel fusing, signage, and more. What are the first 
> steps for getting involved?
>
>
> Dan Fink,
> Executive Director;
> Otherpower
> Buckville Energy Consulting
> Buckville Publications LLC
> NABCEP / IREC accredited Continuing Education Providers
> 970.672.4342
>
>
>
> On Thu, Jan 23, 2014 at 12:23 PM, Bill Brooks <billbrooks7 at yahoo.com 
> <mailto:billbrooks7 at yahoo.com>> wrote:
>
>     Jeffrey and Ray,
>
>     Batteries can off-gas hydrogen-sulfide gas when under heavy charge
>     or overcharge. It is the nasty rotten egg smelling gas. Definitely
>     not to be inhaled since when it hits your lungs it turns back into
>     sulfuric acid.
>
>     To address Ray's point, the new 690.12 regulation that has been
>     getting a lot of air time on this list does, in fact, address
>     battery circuits for PV systems. Any circuit that is part of a PV
>     system inside a building within 5' must be controlled to 30V,
>     240VA within 10 seconds. This includes all the ac output
>     conductors from a backup PV inverter and the battery inverter
>     input circuit as well. This provision matches the new requirement
>     for battery systems in 690.71(H) that requires "A disconnecting
>     means and overcurrent protection shall be provided at the energy
>     storage device end of the circuit. Fused disconnecting means or
>     circuit breakers shall be permitted to be used." Ideally we try to
>     keep our battery conductors to 5' or less and that means that no
>     additional disconnecting means would be necessary according to the
>     new 690.71(H). If we have to go longer than 5' and the conductors
>     are inside the building, a rapid shutdown capability would need to
>     be on that circuit and it would need to have a disconnecting means
>     and overcurrent protection. The best way to meet this requirement
>     would probably be to have a shunt-trip breaker, similar to what
>     Midnite Solar provides with their birdhouse setup.
>
>     There are definitely much more discussion going on in the NEC
>     about energy storage now than ever before. This next code cycle
>     will be very busy on the subject. It is likely that article 480
>     will soon be turned into "Energy Storage" or a new article in
>     Chapter 6 or 7 will cover "Energy Storage Systems." It was
>     proposed last cycle and failed, but this time there is much more
>     interest in the subject. The solar industry needs to be involved,
>     so it sounds like this is your year for both of you to get involved.
>
>     Bill.
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> List sponsored by Home Power magazine
>
> List Address: RE-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org
>
> Change email address & settings:
> http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org
>
> List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org
>
> List rules & etiquette:
> www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm
>
> Check out participant bios:
> www.members.re-wrenches.org
>

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org/attachments/20140123/79b021c7/attachment-0004.html>