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<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=687361700-01072009><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=687361700-01072009><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>Thanks for posting this,
Marco.</FONT></SPAN></FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=687361700-01072009><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=687361700-01072009><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=687361700-01072009><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=687361700-01072009><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>Somehow I missed this story last week. </FONT></SPAN>Funny
in an ironic, twisted way. A friend of ours was in town visiting this afternoon.
He mentioned that he was considering buying some REC modules out of
Norway... Good deal on them, etc. <EM>(Can't tell ya the price he
mentioned, 'cause, well, you know...)</EM> </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=687361700-01072009><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>My other half and I kinda looked at each other in that,
<EM>"gee... I didn't know they made modules" </EM>sort of way. We got to
talking about pricing and which manufacturers or country of origin you
can trust for quality, reliability, etc. We collectively figure that a Norway
product has got to be better than a China product. </FONT></SPAN><SPAN
class=687361700-01072009><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>At least with
this situation, the mfr has issued a formal recall and is intending to remedy.
Can't say I believe the same will be true of a growing number of companies out
there. Did I say, will? Yep.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=687361700-01072009><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN><SPAN class=687361700-01072009><FONT
face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=687361700-01072009><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>So, Marco, in answer to your question... I'm not as
horrified by this kind of news from REC as I will be when it's <EM>"not
news"</EM> and the system owner is holding the whole bag because the mfr is in
serious denial or can't be found at all. Hope it all turns out for the best for
REC's customers. Once that happens, I'll be happy to wish REC all the
best!</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=687361700-01072009><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=687361700-01072009><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>I read on a European site that the modules
supposedly can be repaired. <A
href="http://www.totalrecallinfo.com/freerecalls.php?id=12200">http://www.totalrecallinfo.com/freerecalls.php?id=12200</A> That's
not "official news", but the translation is at least entertaining... I like the
deputy CEO quote, <EM>"This is boring thing for us".</EM> Nothing is said about
whether or not the defect is a potential safety hazard, but you can rest assured
that they wouldn't issue a full recall if it wasn't scary or failure wasn't
imminent.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=687361700-01072009><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=687361700-01072009></SPAN><SPAN
class=687361700-01072009><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Don't know if
it's really boring for REC or not. <SPAN class=687361700-01072009><FONT
face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>I do hope that these defective modules don't
migrate and get resold or redeployed... At least not in their defective
condition. If they are salvageable, I would hope they would be perrmanently
marked as refurbished and perhaps redeployed in limited situations... Such as
ground-mounted, utility-scale PPA projects where REC is a financial stakeholder.
If the matter is internal to the module, I don't want previously recalled
products back on rooftops. No sense in that. </FONT></SPAN></FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=687361700-01072009><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=687361700-01072009><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=687361700-01072009><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=687361700-01072009><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>I recall <EM>(pun intended)</EM> a big shipment of
relabeled reject Sharp modules back in about 2001 or 2002 that caught a
boat out of Japan and invaded us. Right about the time module prices took their
first decent drop. </FONT></SPAN></FONT></SPAN><SPAN
class=687361700-01072009><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=687361700-01072009><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>They couldn't
sell them in Japan after the whole Sanyo Solar Ark monument, but guess who would
buy them in a jiffy? These were NOT marked as seconds, or rejects. They were
labeled as if they were perfect... Same volts, amps, and watts as the modules
they weren't. </FONT></SPAN></FONT></SPAN><SPAN class=687361700-01072009><FONT
face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=687361700-01072009><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>These modules, Schott-Applied Power Corporation
SAPC-165's, never got close to making their nameplate numbers, by the way.
Haven't heard of any systemic failures though. That's a plus. Now to go make the
rounds doing performance testing to make sure they are within warranteed
specs!</FONT></SPAN></FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=687361700-01072009><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=687361700-01072009></SPAN></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=687361700-01072009><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=687361700-01072009>The market is dynamic right
now. Oversupply, or in REC's case, a 420,000 module shortage, combined with
fast-changing pricing, combined with more new manufacturers than you can count
is likely to result in more opportunities for scheisters. Never been a better
time to take care of those who have taken care of you. Don't sell your loyalty
and better judgement for a nickel a watt! </SPAN></FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=687361700-01072009><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=687361700-01072009></SPAN></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=687361700-01072009><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=687361700-01072009></SPAN></FONT></SPAN><SPAN
class=687361700-01072009><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=687361700-01072009></SPAN></FONT></SPAN><SPAN
class=687361700-01072009><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=687361700-01072009>Pray for Sun and Relible
Glass!</SPAN></FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=687361700-01072009><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=687361700-01072009><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>-Matt Lafferty</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN
class=687361700-01072009> </SPAN></DIV></BODY></HTML>