[RE-wrenches] Solar World shattered module

Tue Apr 22 20:18:54 PDT 2014

John,

        It's hard to imagine how the bolt could work it's way out with all that weight on it but obviously it did.  I have ~40-50 DPW TPMs in the field (since late '90s) and have not had a failure of any kind other than snow and that was pretty easily repairable.

        I just finished installing 2, 16 SW270's  TPMs and if you don't already know, they are now being shipped with a jamnut.  Maybe jamnut with loctite is the way.

Bill
Feather River Solar Electric
4291 Nelson St.
Taylorsville, CA  95983
530.284.7849 / 6544 fax

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: john 
  To: re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org 
  Sent: Tuesday, April 22, 2014 6:52 PM
  Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] wrenches] Solar World shattered module

  Dave, 
      I just had my first ever failure of a DPW TPM-8 with 8 SolarWorld 260's on it.  I installed it late last fall and the customer called last week to say that it is on the ground.  It turned out that the nut on the main pivot bolt worked its way off, the bolt then worked its way out of one of the ears and then the other ear bent 90 degrees and let the bolt slide out.  The whole rack then fell to the ground snapping the adjusting bar off.  The rack landed face down and the corner panel broke from hitting the ground first and two more both hit the concrete base and broke.  The other five panels were OK and the rack parts are all OK except for the adjusting arm and the cap.  The main bolt holes in the strong-back are a little roughed up.   We had  torqued the main bolt when we installed it and then the customer adjusted it to spring angle a few weeks ago.  He said he didn't touch the main bolt.  The only thing we noticed on these current racks was the appearance of never-seize on the main bolt.  I would suggest that everyone in windy areas should check the bolt torque often.  I have been told by notable mechanical engineers that the only way to assure that the nut does not loosen is to use lock-tite. We used nyloks on all the racks we built in 2009 - 2011.  We started buying DPW racks again when we discovered that shipping was cheaper than renting space for a rack shop.

  PS   Dave,   Plan on coming to SolarFest 2014.  It's the 20th anniversary year and we are going to celebrate the good old days of solar. (as well as the latest and greatest.  I still remember when I was the Newbee. Any other wrenches, I can get you free tickets (worth $75) contact me off-list.

  John Blittersdorf
  Central Vermont Solar & Wind.
  email  CVSOLAR at AOL.COM

  -----Original Message-----
  From: Dave Palumbo <dave at independentpowerllc.com>
  To: 'RE-wrenches' <re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org>
  Sent: Mon, Apr 21, 2014 6:32 pm
  Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Solar World shattered module

  Wrenches,

  I have a customer with one SW 230 poly V2.0 frame (top mount) module that has shattered glass. It is on a DPW TPM10 pole mount. She noticed it the other day and does not think that it was hit by anything. I agree that is unlikely based on the site conditions.

  Other than by a falling tree, thrown rock, or twisted frame – is there another way that glass shatters on a 65 degree tilted pole mount like this?  We installed the system 2 years ago. The module was on the lower corner of the array. 
  ·         Is it likely that this modules frame was being pressured by the module(s) above it? TPM has two rows of 5 modules in landscape, so this bottom module has 4 modules mounted above it. Again it is a top mounted DPW pole array.
  ·         Or, is there another way that glass shatters on this type of module?
  I have not visited the site yet, just received the phone call today.

  David Palumbo
  Independent Power LLC 
  462 Solar Way Drive
  Hyde Park, VT 05655
  (802) 888-7194 

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