<html><head><style type="text/css"><!-- DIV {margin:0px;} --></style></head><body><div style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt">Hi Matt:<br> I saw you chimed in after I had sent my posting. It appears that the fire was caused by just the one fault at the loose 2" EMT connector. If one of the module strings was faulted, then the fuse protecting that one string should open, and thus eliminating that string from the array. Why do you think that the module level wiring contributed?<br><div> </div>Nick Soleil<br>Project Manager<br>Advanced Alternative Energy Solutions, LLC<br>PO Box 657<br>Petaluma, CA 94953<br>Cell: 707-321-2937<br>Office: 707-789-9537<br>Fax: 707-769-9037<div><br></div><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br><div style="font-family: times new roman,new york,times,serif; font-size: 12pt;"><font face="Tahoma" size="2"><hr size="1"><b><span
style="font-weight: bold;">From:</span></b> Matt Lafferty <gilligan06@gmail.com><br><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">To:</span></b> RE-wrenches <re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org><br><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sent:</span></b> Mon, October 18, 2010 1:12:34 PM<br><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Subject:</span></b> Re: [RE-wrenches] Target fire<br></font><br>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><span class="687230519-18102010"><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2">Andrew,</font></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><span class="687230519-18102010"><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2"></font></span> </div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><span class="687230519-18102010"><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2">The General/Prime Contractor on the job was SunPower vis a vis
Powerlight. As per standard operating procedures there, the actual
installation was subbed out. I don't recall which subs they used on this job,
but there was more than one. Per their normal routine, one sub installs the
racking, modules, and wiring from the modules to the combiners. This sub can
have any one of several different license classifications. They use an
electrical sub to install the combiners, homeruns, inverters, interconnection.
The electrical sub is responsible for terminations.</font></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><span class="687230519-18102010"><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2"></font></span> </div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><span class="687230519-18102010"><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2">Although I wasn't onsite to inspect the charcoal, I believe
there were multiple shorts, not just the separated coupling in the homerun. I
suspect there was at least one ground-fault in the array prior to whatever
happened at the coupling. If this was the case, then BOTH SUBCONTRACTORS FAILED.
They are both at least partially responsible for what happened
there.</font></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><span class="687230519-18102010"><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2"></font></span> </div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><span class="687230519-18102010"></span><span class="687230519-18102010"></span><span class="687230519-18102010"><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2">I have seen the racking system that was used on
the Bakersfield project. The vintage used there had SEVERE problems with
wire management. Absolute crap! </font></span><span class="687230519-18102010"><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2">Ground faults are
common with that racking system. I have personally witnessed a system
running with 8 amps of current on the ground using the same racking system.
This was NOT on the Bakersfield site. Although I wasn't permitted to
troubleshoot the problem, I was told that they had been chasing the ghost for
several months. Ever since the initial installation. I have it from reliable
sources that this condition is common and a known flaw in the design. At that
time, their philosophy was that a ground fault is acceptable as long as there
isn't enough current to trip the inverter offline. Central inverters commonly
have up to a 10 amp GFP, so you can have one or more strings directly shorted
and keep running. </font></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><span class="687230519-18102010"></span><span class="687230519-18102010"><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2"></font></span> </div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><span class="687230519-18102010"></span><span class="687230519-18102010"><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2">The concept that
they kept installing systems with a known flaw like this is beyond
acceptable. SunPower ultimately bears the greatest share of responsibility here.
</font></span><span class="687230519-18102010"><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2">I do not know whether they have corrected the crappy wire management
in that racking system since then or not. I certainly hope they have either
corrected it or stopped using the system altogether. </font></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><span class="687230519-18102010"><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2"></font></span> </div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2"><span class="687230519-18102010">A comprehensive commissioning process would identify
these problems and prevent the system from being placed into service. A visual
inspection is the beginning of any commissioning process. As I said, I have seen
these systems and they ain't pretty. Any schmuck can easily see numerous wires
pulled across sharp-edges of sheet metal at various points throughout the array.
Fail #1. Megger output jumpers... Fail #2.</span></font></div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2"><span class="687230519-18102010"></span></font> </div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2"><span class="687230519-18102010">The concept that any building department has
signed one of these systems off at all is mind-boggling. Another thing I find
interesting... There was no mention of this condition in the fire investigation
report. Only a recommendation to megger the remaining wires. What's up with
that? How is it that so many of these systems have been installed and passed
inspection? How many have caught fire that we haven't heard about? You know...
Just a little fire.</span></font></div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2"><span class="687230519-18102010"></span></font> </div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2"><span class="687230519-18102010">I would LOVE to know how much downtime has been logged
because of this dangerous problem. And how much money has been spent
troubleshooting and "fixing" faults caused by this problem. And how many
"technicians" have been shocked during installation or service?
</span></font><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2"><span class="687230519-18102010">One thing I can guarantee you... Unless you work inside
the bowels of SunPower or this information comes out in a lawsuit
somewhere, we will never know. Maybe WikiLeaks will have something on this
someday. But I'm not holding my breath.</span></font></div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2"><span class="687230519-18102010"></span></font> </div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2"><span class="687230519-18102010">For the record, I'm not a SunPower hater.
</span></font><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2"><span class="687230519-18102010">I do hate crappy workmanship. I hate the practice of
covering up crappy workmanship even more. You see, when you cover it up, it's
just gonna keep happening. At least until somebody calls you on
it.</span></font></div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2"><span class="687230519-18102010"></span></font> </div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2"><span class="687230519-18102010">$0.02001</span></font></div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2"><span class="687230519-18102010"><br>Solar Janitor</span></font></div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2"><span class="687230519-18102010"></span></font> </div>
<div class="Section1">
<hr tabindex="-1">
<font face="Tahoma" size="2"><b>From:</b> re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org
[mailto:re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Andrew
Truitt<br><b>Sent:</b> Monday, October 18, 2010 12:04 PM<br><b>To:</b>
RE-wrenches<br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [RE-wrenches] Target
fire<br></font><br>Thanks William. That is the first place I looked but I
didn't see it in there. But I love all the resources on your
website!<br><br><br>- Andrew<br></div>
<div class="gmail_quote">On Mon, Oct 18, 2010 at 12:47 PM, William Miller <span dir="ltr"><<a rel="nofollow" ymailto="mailto:william@millersolar.com" target="_blank" href="mailto:william@millersolar.com">william@millersolar.com</a>></span>
wrote:<br>
<blockquote style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;" class="gmail_quote">
<div><font size="3">Andrew:<br><br><span>It may be in the report: <a target="_blank" href="http://mpandc.com/practices/Safety/safety_data.html">http://mpandc.com/practices/Safety/safety_data.html</a></span><br><br>William
<div>
<div></div>
<div class="h5"><br><br>At 11:30 AM 10/18/2010, you wrote:<br><br></div></div>
<blockquote type="cite">
<div>
<div></div>
<div class="h5">Does anyone know who installed the infamous Bakersfield Target
job?<br><br><br><br>Andrew Truitt<br>NABCEP Certified PV Installer™ (ID#
032407-66)<br>Truitt Renewable Energy Consulting<br>(202) 486-7507<br><span><a target="_blank" href="http://www.linkedin.com/pub/andrew-truitt/8/622/713">http://www.linkedin.com/pub/andrew-truitt/8/622/713</a></span><br><br><br><br>"Don't
get me wrong: I love nuclear energy! It's just that I prefer fusion to
fission. And it just so happens that there's an enormous fusion reactor
safely banked a few million miles from us. It delivers more than we could
ever use in just about 8 minutes. And it's wireless!"<br><br>~William
McDonough<br><br>No virus found in this incoming message.<br>Checked by AVG
- <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.avg.com/">www.avg.com</a> <br>Version:
8.5.448 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/3204 - Release Date: 10/18/10
06:34:00</div></div></blockquote>
<p><u>Please note new e-mail address and domain:<br><br></u>William Miller
<br>Miller Solar<br>Voice :805-438-5600<br>email: <a rel="nofollow" ymailto="mailto:william@millersolar.com" target="_blank" href="mailto:william@millersolar.com">william@millersolar.com</a><br><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://millersolar.com/">http://millersolar.com<br></a>License No.
C-10-773985<br></p></font></div>____________________________________<br clear="all"><br><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Andrew Truitt</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">NABCEP Certified
PV Installer<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">™</span> (ID#
032407-66)</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);"></span><br style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Truitt</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">
</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Renewable</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);"> </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Energy</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">
</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Consulting</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">(202)
486-7507</span><br><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.linkedin.com/pub/andrew-truitt/8/622/713">http://www.linkedin.com/pub/andrew-<span>truitt</span>/8/622/713</a><br><br>"Don't
get me wrong: I love nuclear energy! It's just that I prefer fusion to
fission. And it just so happens that there's an enormous fusion reactor safely
banked a few million miles from us. It delivers more than we could ever use in
just about 8 minutes. And it's wireless!"<br><br>~William
McDonough<br><br></blockquote></div></div></div>
</div><br>
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