<html><head></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">We have been working on a similar project - we picked up 10,000 solar pathway lights on the cheap and have removed the little modules..... been a bit tedious, but should be well worth the savings....<div><br><div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">John McNicholas<br>NABCEP Certified Solar PV Installer ™<br>Key Power Services, Inc.<br></div></span></div></span></div></span></span></div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div><div>Begin forwarded message:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;"><span style="font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1);"><b>From: </b></span><span style="font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium;"><a href="mailto:Richard.L.Ratico@VALLEY.NET">Richard.L.Ratico@VALLEY.NET</a> (Richard L Ratico)<br></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;"><span style="font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1);"><b>Date: </b></span><span style="font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium;">April 27, 2010 9:30:05 AM EDT<br></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;"><span style="font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1);"><b>To: </b></span><span style="font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium;"><a href="mailto:re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org">re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org</a><br></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;"><span style="font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1);"><b>Subject: </b></span><span style="font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium;"><b>Re: [RE-wrenches] low voltage modules in high voltage applications</b><br></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;"><span style="font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1);"><b>Reply-To: </b></span><span style="font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium;">RE-wrenches <<a href="mailto:re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org">re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org</a>><br></span></div><br><div>I second Mike's suggestion for sunglasses on startup. Wait, ........better go<br>for welding helmets. Those DC arcs are bright. And I bet they didn't use listed<br>electrical tape either! :-) Thanks for sharing this one.<br><br>Dick Ratico<br>Solarwind Electric <br><br>--- You wrote:<br>Typically those types of modules are rated for 30V. Most 12v amorphous modules<br>under 40 watts are rated for that. I would recommend sunglasses for startup.<br><br><br><br><br><br>Mike<br><br><a href="mailto:mike@powerupco.com">mike@powerupco.com</a><br><br><br><br>From: re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org<br>[mailto:re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of Jeff Yago<br>Sent: Tuesday, April 27, 2010 9:04 AM<br>To: RE-wrenches<br>Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] low voltage modules in high voltage applications<br><br><br><br>First let me say that we almost never work on failed systems, especially when<br>its for somebody that picked our brains on pretense of buying a system, then<br>they went out and bought everything on the internet, and when nothing worked<br>they call us!<br><br>Also, let me say that the following project has nothing to do with us other than<br>a call from an electrician who is installing a grid-tie system for somebody I<br>don't know who had a few general install questions and was hoping I would<br>provide some guidance. My advice was to run as fast as he can! Here is the<br>story-<br><br>This commercial building owner went to Harbor Freight and purchased a trailer<br>truck load of 12 watt battery charging modules. You know the ones you see<br>advertised to trickle charge a car or boat battery. I have not actually seen<br>the modules this guy purchased, but based on others I have seen they typically<br>have a potted junction on the back with 3 feet of very limited insulation wire<br>pair out with bare wire ends. A few more questions and answers indicated these<br>were made in China, had no label listing their ratings except indicating 12 watt<br>at 14 volts. The very large physical dimensions he gave for such a small<br>wattage tells me they are those thin frame amorphous you see being sold to keep<br>your truck or tractor battery charged.<br><br>To make a long story short, this electrician said they had already mounted<br>"hundreds" of these modules on the roof of a warehouse, and were wiring them in<br>series for connection to a Fronius grid-tie inverter. Also, he said the wires<br>from each module was routed through a separate hole in the roof and then tied<br>together. I assume this was by the ol ball of electrical tape wiring method.<br><br>Not counting the obvious code related problems with what they are doing, and the<br>almost sure need to have a fire truck nearby when they start this thing up, does<br>anybody know what a typical high voltage rating would be for this type of module<br>and the small wire pair? My guess is the small wire and/or the modules will<br>quickly break down and start arcing, then the entire array will melt down which<br>is what I told this electrician could happen. However, since there is no label<br>on the module, I am only going on gut feeling as to the voltage rating of these<br>cheap modules which I am sure were clearly never designed for series wiring to<br>achieve high voltage.<br><br>Anybody know these ratings? Should I sell tickets for the fireworks show?<br><br>Thanks,<br><br>Jeff Yago<br><br><br><br>--- end of quote ---<br>_______________________________________________<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></div></div><br></div></body></html>