<html><head></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">HI Bob;<div><br></div><div>I've done a bunch of that rewire stuff. Reusing the modules? I would, if they were on a decent mount. </div><div>Since a) they're not on a good mount, and </div><div>b) none of those are top shelf panels, </div><div>I'd probably trade them in or have the customer resell them. Many folks just starting out could use those modules on 12 v systems.</div><div>I can say I've reracked mixed arrays like that, rewired everything, worked very hard, and then, when it was all over, I was kind of embarrassed at the final result. (both looks and performance)</div><div>You might save a bit of money on PV, but all the labor is going to be ridiculous. It will take longer to "customize" a new rack and deal with all the different types of wiring, than just install a new rack with fresh modules, and an MPPT controller. Cost more? yea, but when you go back in 5 years both you and the customer will be happier. I promise.</div><div>Jurisdictions vary, but you're usually required just to meet the requirements of the code that was in place, when the original work was done, not the latest NEC version; so that gives you a bit more latitude.</div><div>Also, in situations like that, I start looking at other options: supply parts and advice, and let them do some of the work, pass it to an employee as a side job, so it's not on your watch,</div><div>etc. </div><div>We wrenches just can't fix every system on the planet; at least not in one life time.</div><div><br></div><div>Good Luck, </div><div><br><div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><div>R. Walters</div><div><a href="mailto:ray@solarray.com">ray@solarray.com</a></div><div>Solar Engineer</div><div><br class="khtml-block-placeholder"></div><div><br class="khtml-block-placeholder"></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></span>
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<br><div><div>On May 2, 2010, at 2:29 PM, Bob Clark wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: Helvetica; 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 lang="EN-US" link="blue" vlink="purple"><div class="Section1"><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.3pt; ">Wrenches:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.3pt; "><o:p> </o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.3pt; ">We were called to assess the status of an off-grid system that is not the worst I have seen, but it comes close.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.3pt; "><o:p> </o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.3pt; ">I have some preliminary thoughts about system redesign, but would like to hear from the Wrenches about the array.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.3pt; "><o:p> </o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><b><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.3pt; ">Givens:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.3pt; ">We will not install anything unless it is to code. It is obvious that none of the existing system was installed to code.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.3pt; ">We will use the existing 24V battery bank consisting of 8, Trojan L16s. The batteries are still “relatively fresh.”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.3pt; ">Pump is a Franklin pump ˝ hp 115VAC. The CFs dim when the pump starts.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.3pt; ">New load will be a GRINDER PUMP FOR SEPTIC = 2HP, 15amp (240 or 120VAC – more than likely it will be 240V pump) – Another light dimmer!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.3pt; ">Modest daily electrical load (estimate no more than 600 WHr/day; 25AHr) – they are<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><i><u>very good</u></i><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>at managing their electrical use.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.3pt; "><o:p> </o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><b><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.3pt; ">Solar array – to keep or replace?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.3pt; ">8 solar modules – a Heinz 57 mix of older modules - 2 Photowatt PMX500 (Are these modules UL listed? There did not appear to be a rating label on the back.) wired in series, 2 Kyocera KC120-1 wired in series, 2 Golden Genesis PV-75 wired in series, 2 Photowatt PW 1000 12V-24V internally wired for 24V wired in parallel with the other modules strings – all of these modules are wired in 5 parallel strings for approximately 34.2Vmp and 20.4Imp, ~695W (STC). Oh, and they need a new mounting structures for the modules.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.3pt; "><o:p> </o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.3pt; ">Should I try to work with these modules or advise the customer to start over (any modules that are not UL listed will have to go)?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.3pt; "><o:p> </o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.3pt; ">What is a good “rule of thumb” for a ratio of PV watts to battery bank capacity per day of autonomy?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.3pt; "><o:p> </o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.3pt; ">Thanks for your ideas.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.3pt; "><o:p> </o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><b><span style="font-family: Papyrus; color: rgb(227, 108, 10); ">Bob Clark<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><b><i><span style="font-family: Papyrus; color: rgb(227, 108, 10); ">SolarWind Energy Systems, LLC<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.3pt; "><o:p> </o:p></span></div></div>_______________________________________________<br>List sponsored by Home Power magazine<br><br>List Address:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="mailto:RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; ">RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org</a><br><br>Options & settings:<br><a href="http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; ">http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org</a><br><br>List-Archive:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; ">http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org</a><br><br>List rules & etiquette:<br><a href="http://www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; ">www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm</a><br><br>Check out participant bios:<br><a href="http://www.members.re-wrenches.org/" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; ">www.members.re-wrenches.org</a><br><br></div></span></blockquote></div><br></div></body></html>