<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<TITLE>Message</TITLE>
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.5726" name=GENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=#ffffff>
<DIV><SPAN class=765064914-13022009><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Joel,
Living IN MAINE & interacting w/ Richard Komp I have to disagree on your
statement below. RC is very smart & has worked in solar MANY years but he is
NOT very helpful to those of us trying to make a living doing PV here in
Maine.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=765064914-13022009><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>I was
asked to size an inverter( probably the 4th person he contacted) for a
local radio talk host that was buying "60 Watt solar modules" from
Richard's guys that were building them in NY at a prison.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=765064914-13022009><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>These
modules were costing this guy $300.00 I looked at a couple to try &
establish Isc & Voc to match them w/ a grid tie inverter, needless to say
their power characteristics were all over the place. The modules were found to
have ~46-54Wts, NO outdoor rated wire for that matter there was NO listing
on the wire.A tube of caulk per module. I brought this to the attention of
both this guy & RK only to hear something like we need to address our QC a
bit better. I suggested that using an Enphase Invt + Sanyo modules I could
sell him UL listed products w/ a warrantee for ~$6.90/wt.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=765064914-13022009><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Please
understand that I do know rk & there IS a place for his work in 3rd
world countries BUT not here in the USA where we are trying to
establish a profession that you too Joel have worked long & hard to
develop.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=765064914-13022009><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>As for
the Maine sun there is very little that address the real PROFESSIONAL world of
solar nor has their been any discussion about the need for limited license or
certified installers. Its a rag that promotes DIY & his work in Central
A.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=765064914-13022009><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=765064914-13022009><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader lang=en-us dir=ltr align=left><FONT
face=Tahoma size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B>
re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org
[mailto:re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org] <B>On Behalf Of </B>Joel
Davidson<BR><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, February 12, 2009 11:01 PM<BR><B>To:</B>
RE-wrenches<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re: [RE-wrenches] Panel
Fire<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>There are good people who make and
teach other people how to make solar modules.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Richard Komp, co-author of the 1983 edition of
The New Solar Electric Home, author of Practical Photovoltaics, President of
the Maine Solar Energy Society, etc. See <A
href="http://www.mainesolar.org/">http://www.mainesolar.org/</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Tor Allen, founder of the Rahus Institute, etc.
See <A href="http://www.rahus.org/">http://www.rahus.org/</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>and many more well-informed, good people
around the world.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=gilligan06@gmail.com href="mailto:gilligan06@gmail.com">Matt
Lafferty</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=jryago@netscape.com
href="mailto:jryago@netscape.com">jryago@netscape.com</A> ; <A
title=re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org
href="mailto:re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org">'RE-wrenches'</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, February 12, 2009 7:41
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [RE-wrenches] Panel
Fire</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=453191503-13022009><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>Hi Jeff,</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=453191503-13022009><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=453191503-13022009><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>Somebody should keep an eye on that neighbor of your
friend. There have been any number of "DIY" publications and scams out
there. Here's just one of many that basically lead to the same thing.... <A
href="http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/hsh/1031018343.html">http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/hsh/1031018343.html</A>
The C-list ad has a link to this place: <A
href="http://www.solar-panel-kit.net/">http://www.solar-panel-kit.net/</A>
</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=453191503-13022009><EM><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></EM></SPAN><SPAN class=453191503-13022009><FONT
face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=453191503-13022009><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>What this one is is a $50 book that tells you how to
build your own windmill, PV module.... Yada Yada... This particular one is a
guy named Michael Harvey. Anybody know him? </FONT></SPAN><SPAN
class=453191503-13022009><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>This is only
1 bright idea away from the guy who rented the shop next to your friend. As
in, that guy bought this book thinking he was gonna "beat the utility". When
he went to Ebay to buy his 1st batch of cells, he saw that they weren't all
that scarce. He beat Travis C out on an auction and built a couple
for himself. Then he had the bright idea! What if he did this for a bunch of
people and sold them? </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=453191503-13022009><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=453191503-13022009><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>It's not necessarily that the guy with the bright idea
was evil... Not necessarily. He could just happen to be a guy who isn't
fully informed and thinks that there's just no reason for why everybody else
charges so much and wants to do right by everybody. But, as the old saying
goes, ignorance is no excuse for the law.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=453191503-13022009></SPAN><SPAN
class=453191503-13022009><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=453191503-13022009><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>I'm wondering if this is really the brainchild and
"factory" for CitizenRE... Independent dealers all over the country buying
surplus cells on Ebay... </FONT></SPAN><SPAN class=453191503-13022009><FONT
face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>That would be a mahvelous concept... Until
they burn, of course. That kinda puts a kink in the residential PPA model.
But hey, if all you gotta do is buy $30 worth of slotted angle, 64 each
1/4-20 x 1" bolts & nuts, 20 lags, a tube of caulk, and some wire for
BOS and the modules cost you $0.50 a watt and you don't bother faking a
label on them, you probably don't have to even apply for a rebate. You could
have your kids just slapping cells onto plexiglass and putting clear
shrink-wrap over the front and sticking them onto 1-1/2" aluminum angle for
a frame. </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=453191503-13022009><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=453191503-13022009><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>Just a thought.... </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV align=left><EM><FONT face="Monotype Corsiva" size=4><STRONG>Matt
Lafferty</STRONG></FONT></EM></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2><A
href="mailto:gilligan06@gmail.com">gilligan06@gmail.com</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader lang=en-us dir=ltr align=left><SPAN
class=453191503-13022009><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader lang=en-us dir=ltr align=left><SPAN
class=453191503-13022009></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader lang=en-us dir=ltr align=left>
<HR tabIndex=-1>
</DIV>
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader lang=en-us dir=ltr align=left><FONT
face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=453191503-13022009> Jeff Y
wrote: </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, sans-serif">
<DIV><BR>The other day a guy rented a warehouse near a business friend of
mine and he went over to say Hi. My friend later told me this guy told
him he was planning to "build" solar pv modules that he was
going to sell and install. Although my friend was no engineer and
didn't really know what to look for, when I described some of the typical
equipment that is required he said it was mostly just work benches
and hand tools. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I am betting your first reaction was the same as mine which was
- how could he expect to hand build solar module's to compete with
commercially made and certified solar modules?</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Anyway, after reading this thread I am wondering is this more common
than I thought? Is this some kind of trend? Are there others out
there trying to build solar modules? And finally, with all the
different commercially made and certified solar modules out there in any
size, wattage, and shape you want, how can they expect to be competitive,
assuming their home-made modules don't catch fire?</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></DIV>
<P>
<HR>
<P></P>_______________________________________________<BR>List sponsored by
Home Power magazine<BR><BR>List Address:
RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org<BR><BR>Options &
settings:<BR>http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org<BR><BR>List-Archive:
http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org<BR><BR>List
rules & etiquette:<BR>www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm<BR><BR>Check out
participant
bios:<BR>www.members.re-wrenches.org<BR><BR></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>