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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'>Word of caution… don’t wire the
bigger SunPower modules with the negative conductor grounded. With the
metal frame grounded, as it should be, this combination causes a strange
surface polarization effect that will discolor the cells and cause the power
output to drop by about half. Fortunately the polarization and discoloring
are totally reversible if the system is re-wired with the positive conductor
grounded (as we found out, even after 6 months of being wired incorrectly), but
it takes a few days to correct. For this same reason, SunPower modules
can’t be used with bipolar inverters.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'>Jeff Irish<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on"><font size=3
color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'>Hudson</span></font></st1:PlaceName><font
color=navy><span style='color:navy'> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Valley</st1:PlaceType></span></font></st1:place><font
color=navy><span style='color:navy'> Clean Energy</span></font><font
color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>From:</span></font></b><font size=2
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>
re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org
[mailto:re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org] <b><span style='font-weight:
bold'>On Behalf Of </span></b>jay peltz<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Friday, March 20, 2009 9:39
AM<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> RE-wrenches<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> Re: [RE-wrenches]
Sunpower modules</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Hi Larry,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> I was under the impression that Sunpower were only for on grid?<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>And for off grid with the low voltages that we use, they are still
requiring you to use positive ground? I've seen the white paper they did
and it showed at lower voltages there is no need to positive ground, thats why
for example those 90 watt panels using Sunpower cells are used with Negative
ground.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>curious,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>jay<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>peltz power<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>On Mar 19, 2009, at 9:14 PM, Larry Crutcher, Starlight Solar wrote:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<div style='word-wrap: break-word;-webkit-nbsp-mode: space;-webkit-line-break: after-white-space'>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>William,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>I know you asked Jeff but thought I would respond as all we do are off
grid, battery based systems. I typically see that the Vmp voltage of Sunpower
modules is closer to spec with than with Kyocera, Sharp or Mitsubishi. In my
opinion Sunpower modules are only surpassed by Sanyo. I realize this is
anecdotal but after hundreds of installs you begin to notice these things.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Larry Crutcher<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>On Mar 19, 2009, at 5:46 PM, William Miller wrote:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Jeff:<br>
<br>
Have these modules worked for you in battery based systems?<br>
<br>
William Mill<br>
<br>
<br>
At 01:27 PM 3/19/2009, you wrote:<br>
<br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Hiya Jeff,<br>
You are correct that the sunpower modules are positively grounded. You
are<br>
also correct that sunpower only deals with dedicated "dealers".
That means<br>
that if you are not one of their dealers you cannot get their panels. It
is<br>
my understanding that sunpower is always looking for new dealers, so you may<br>
want to check in with them. As far as architectural review committees and<br>
such, we have never had a problem using SPR modules in the areas where<br>
review is an issue. The positive ground really does not affect aanything.<br>
Instead of your negative wire being the grounded (white) conductor it is<br>
your positive conductor that is grounded. This means you are switching
the<br>
negative instead of the positive in the DC disco. Sunpower sells packaged<br>
systems, so they provide positive ground inverters from different<br>
manufacturers.<br>
<br>
Evergreen now has a black framed module, and I believe Sharp does too. I<br>
hope this helps, any other questions feel free to contact me. <br>
Jeff Blick<br>
Lead PV Installer<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
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