[RE-wrenches] DPW Rack Problems

Thu Oct 8 00:13:38 PDT 2015

Howie:

At one time I shared your dream: that if only the manufacturer’s would
build wire management and shielding systems, consumers would flock to buy
them.  I asked DPW to help me develop some wire shielding hardware and
Steve Schumacher was willing to give it a try.  See this link
<http://www.millersolar.com/MillerSolar/practices/PV_wiring/Wire_shielding/_Wire%20Shielding_history.html>
for some pictures of the system Schu helped us develop.  Unfortunately, I
was one of the few people that ever asked for this product, and there was
no reason for DPW to put any more energy into the idea.

Over time I came to realize that what is hindering the development of
better wire management and wire shielding systems is not the lack of
manufacturers building the systems-- it is due to the lack of demand for
them in the market.  Wire management and shielding systems will add to the
cost of any installation.  If installers can get away without using these
systems, why should they bother?

They get by without them because building officials are all too often
ignorant and lazy.  I have tried and tried to convince the officials in the
county in which I live to read the black and white of the current NEC but
they refuse.  Most of the inspections of my work by building officials last
less than 2 minutes.  When I ask inspectors and plan checkers questions
about codes and practices I usually get quizzical stares.

The engineers at DPW know what the code requires for wire shielding: they
can read and I have highlighted the requirements many times.  DPW was
willing to experiment, but apparently no one asked to buy these systems so
there was no reason to put them in the catalog.

I have had my problems with the DPW painted parts for years.  It is not a
new problem.  Hopefully with the attention they are getting this will be
resolved.  I have also waited way too long for even the most minor parts
orders.  This needs to improve.  How hard can it be to put a few dozen
bolts in a box?  Why should it take almost two weeks?  They need to fix the
paint and get parts and assemblies out the door in a reasonable time.

I must say, however, that DPW has provided a very consistently good range
of products over the years and they have been more responsive than 99% of
the manufacturers out there.  I am still a fan of DPW.

Sincerely,

William Miller

[image: Gradient Cap_mini]
Lic 773985
millersolar.com <http://www.millersolar.com/>
805-438-5600

*From:* RE-wrenches [mailto:re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org] *On
Behalf Of *Howie Michaelson
*Sent:* Wednesday, October 07, 2015 6:15 PM
*To:* RE-wrenches
*Subject:* Re: [RE-wrenches] DPW Rack Problems

Thanks Michael for the communication conduit.

While I appreciate DP&W's effort to address the issues raised, I don't feel
their response really speaks to the issues - for us, these are long
standing problems, although they appear to possibly be getting worse more
recently.

More importantly, for me this is one of the most valuable aspects of this
list - the power of the group to garner a manufacturer's attention in order
to address a problem (think warranty replacement issues, or equipment
failure rates) or make an improvement.

For instance, if a ground mount racking manufacturer developed a
functional, code compliant wire management system, I would expect to hear
about it first on this list, get highly useful evaluations of the
innovation, and then watch the sales of that system take off due to the
"viral" nature of information shared on this list. If there are any racking
manu reps that still read this list, perhaps they could take the ball and
run with it. One can dream...

Howie

Howie Michaelson
NABCEP Certified Solar PV Installer™

Catamount Solar
Renewable Energy Systems Sales and Service
VT Solar Electric Incentive Partner
http://www.CatamountSolar.com
802-272-0004

On Oct 7, 2015 7:51 PM, "Michael Welch" <michael.welch at re-wrenches.org>
wrote:

I have had off-list contact with DPW, and I've been asked to post the
following for them. If you have questions about my posting this on their
behalf, contact me off list.

Thanks.

Thank you for alerting us to the problems you recently encountered with the
paint used in our TPMs.  It is our intent to respond to customers' concerns
to maintain your trust and support.  We recently had a problem when a
supplier discontinued a paint we've used since the inception of our TPM
product line.  After testing multiple formulations over the course of
several weeks we were able to source a silver paint comparable to the
original and now have that paint problem resolved.  As to lead time issues
we are working with our distributor partners to move orders more quickly
through their internal processes.  We extend our apologies for the
inconvenience this paint problem has caused.  Please contact me personally
with any questions or concerns.  I may be reached at
schumachers at directpower.com or at 505-889-3585.  Steve Schumacher, DPW
Solar, National Sales Manager

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