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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Hi Kirk,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>We have gone to the 9” standoffs as they give us about 12”
to bottom of modules with the Unirac rails and L feet to the flat top
standoffs. We haven’t, knock on wood, had any squirrel damage to date on
our systems with the tall standoffs. I like the extra cooling for the modules
and the building below the array this provides, along with enough room to
actually crawl under the array to do any maintenance if that becomes necessary.
Unirac makes the standoffs up to 12” tall. I wonder if the squirrels like
a tight space to crawl into and the more open 12” space helps keep them
away. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>This won’t help on the arrays in question but it might be
the ticket moving forward. Using ¼” hardware cloth around the perimeter
of the array ought to keep them out although we haven’t had to resort to
this.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:navy'>Sincerely,<br>
<br>
Chris Worcester<br>
NABCEP Certified PV Installer<br>
Phone: 530-582-4503<br>
Fax: 530-582-4603<br>
<a href="http://www.solarwindworks.com/">www.solarwindworks.com</a><br>
<a href="mailto:chris@solarwindworks.com">chris@solarwindworks.com</a><br>
"Proven Energy Solutions"</span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>
re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org
[mailto:re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Kirk
Herander, VSE<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Friday, May 15, 2009 10:20 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> 'RE-wrenches'<br>
<b>Subject:</b> [RE-wrenches] squirrel problems<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>I
just had to rewire an array because of squirrel damage. They chewed the
insulation off of the use-2 on almost every panel within 2 inches of the j-box.
This was discovered because the inverter GFI kept intermittently tripping, so
one of the uninsulated positive leads must have shorted to the grounded array
frame, verified by measurements and arcing. At least the GFI did its
job…... We found a massive nest underneath the array. And I just got
another call from a customer with the same issue, although we don’t know
yet if damage has happened. Both these arrays are mounted on Unirac Solarmount,
parallel to and stood off from the roof about 6 inches. I’m thinking of
skirting the perimeter of the array with a metal mesh of some sort. Any other
ideas? Thanks. Most likely they will come back if I do nothing.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Kirk
Herander</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Vermont
Solar Engineering</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>802.863.1202</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>NABCEP(tm)
Certified Solar Installer</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>NYSERDA-eligible
Installer</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>VT
Solar Incentive Program Partner</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
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