[RE-wrenches] Inverter back feed liability

[Drake]

Is there any any recorded case to date of a UL 1741 inverter 
backfeeding the grid and causing harm?

At 05:27 PM 11/23/2015, you wrote:
>Gary:
>
>Here in the North Texas area, for the Oncor TDSP (Transmission and 
>Distribution Service Provider), an 8-page Interconnection Agreement 
>(IA) is required before a DG (distributed generation) system can 
>become grid-interactive.
>
>The Oncor IA is a legal agreement signed by the DG system owner and 
>Oncor. It is very specific about the owner's liabilities and 
>responsibilities for their DG system.
>
>If an IA is required in Ohio between your customer and the serving 
>TDSP, the customer's liabilities and responsibilities should be 
>described in that document.
>
>Whether or not there is a TDSP IA requirement in Ohio, I suggest 
>that your customer discuss their liability concerns with their home 
>owner or business insurance provider. It's possible that additional 
>liability coverage may be appropriate to protect your customer, or 
>possibly required by the insurance provider.
>
>Regards,
>
>Gary Willett PE
>Icarus Engineering & Solar Services
>
>Here's the liability section excerpt from the Oncor Interconnection Agreement:
>4. Limitation of Liability and indemnification
>
>4a. Notwithstanding any other provision in this Agreement, with 
>respect to Company's provision of electric service to Customer, 
>Company's liability to Customer shall be limited as set forth in 
>Section 4.2.1 of Company's PUC-approved tariffs and terms and 
>conditions for electric service which is incorporated herein by reference.
>
>4b. Neither Company nor Customer shall be liable to the other for 
>damages for any act that is beyond such party's control, including 
>any event that is a result of an act of God, labor disturbance, act 
>of the public enemy, war, insurrection, riot, fire, storm or flood, 
>explosion, breakage or accident to machinery or equipment, a 
>curtailment, order, or regulation or restriction imposed by 
>governmental, military, or lawfully established civilian 
>authorities, or by the making of necessary repairs upon the property 
>or equipment of either party.
>
>4c. Notwithstanding Paragraph 4.b of this Agreement, Company shall 
>assume a/I liability for and shall indemnify Customer for any 
>claims, losses, costs, and expenses of any kind or character to the 
>extent that they result from Company's negligence in connection with 
>the design, construction, or operation of its facilities as 
>described on Exhibit A; provided, however, that Company shall have 
>no obligation to indemnify Customer for claims brought by claimants 
>who cannot recover directly from Company. Such indemnity shall 
>include, but is not limited to, financial responsibility for: (a) 
>Customer's monetary losses; (b) reasonable costs and expenses of 
>defending an action or claim made by a third person; (c) damages 
>related to the death or injury of a third person; (d) damages to the 
>property of Customer; (e) damages to the property of a third person; 
>(f) damages for the disruption of the business of a third person. In 
>no event shall Company be liable for consequential, special, 
>incidental or punitive damages, including, without limitation, loss 
>of profits, loss of revenue, or loss of production. The Company does 
>not assume liability for any costs for damages arising from the 
>disruption of the business of the Customer or for the Customer's 
>costs and expenses of prosecuting or defending an action or claim 
>against the Company. This paragraph does not create a liability on 
>the part of the Company to the Customer or a third person, but 
>requires indemnification where such liability exists. The 
>limitations of liability provided in this paragraph do not apply in 
>cases of gross negligence or intentional wrongdoing.
>
>4d. Notwithstanding Paragraph 4.b of this Agreement, Customer shall 
>assume all liability for and shall indemnify Company for any claims, 
>losses, costs, and expenses of any kind or character to the extent 
>that they result from Customer's negligence in connection with the 
>design, construction or operation of its facilities as described on 
>Exhibit A; provided, however, that Customer shall have no obligation 
>to indemnify Company for claims brought by claimants who cannot 
>recover directly from Customer. Such indemnity shall include, but is 
>not limited to, financial responsibility for: (a) Company's monetary 
>losses; (b) reasonable costs and expenses of defending an action or 
>claim made by a third person; (c) damages related to the death or 
>injury of a third person; (d) damages to the property of Company; 
>(e) damages to the property of a third person; (f) damages for the 
>disruption of the business of a third person. In no event shall 
>Customer be liable for consequential, special, incidental or 
>punitive damages, including, without limitation, loss of profits, 
>loss of revenue, or loss of production. The Customer does not assume 
>liability for any costs for damages arising from the disruption of 
>the business of the Company or for the Company's costs and expenses 
>of prosecuting or defending an action or claim against the Customer. 
>This paragraph does not create a liability on the part of the 
>Customer to the Company or a third person, but requires 
>indemnification where such liability exists. The limitations of 
>liability provided in this paragraph do not apply in cases of gross 
>negligence or intentional wrongdoing.
>
>4e. Company and Customer shall each be responsible for the safe 
>installation, maintenance, repair and condition of their respective 
>lines and appurtenances on their respective sides of the point of 
>delivery. The Company does not assume any duty of inspecting the 
>Customer's lines, wires, switches, or other equipment and will not 
>be responsible therefore. Customer assumes all responsibility for 
>the electric service supplied hereunder and the facilities used in 
>connection therewith at or beyond the point of delivery, the point 
>of delivery being the point where the electric energy first leaves 
>the wire or facilities provided and owned by Company and enters the 
>wire or facilities provided by Customer.
>
>
>On 11/22/15 3:19 PM, gary easton wrote:
>>Hello Wrenches,
>>I have an electrical engineer customer that asked me a "what if" 
>>that I had not heard before. If an inverter somehow back feeds the 
>>grid during an outage and damages something or hurts someone who is liable?
>>
>>--
>>Gary Easton
>>Appalachian Renewable Power
>>Stewart, Ohio 45778
>>NABCEP Certified Solar 
>>PV
>>T: 740-277-8498
>>  <http://www.arp-solar.com>www.arp-solar.com
>>
>>
>>
>>"First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight 
>>you. Then you win."
>>
>>
>>
>>~Ghandi
>>
>>
>>
>>
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