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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Thanks Matt for the education on this.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>So what type of Megger’s are you or others using or
recommending? We mainly do smaller sized systems, not the size here that’s
for sure. Some small commercial and residential. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Any preferences and why would be nice to know. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Thanks in advance!<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<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:navy'>Solar Wind Works<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>Matt
Lafferty<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Monday, October 18, 2010 1:13 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> 'RE-wrenches'<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [RE-wrenches] Target fire<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:blue'>Andrew,</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:blue'>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.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:blue'>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.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:blue'>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! 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. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:blue'>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. 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. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:blue'>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><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:blue'>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><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:blue'>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? 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><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:blue'>For the record, I'm not a SunPower hater. 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><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:blue'>$0.02001</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:blue'><br>
Solar Janitor</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></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>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>
</span><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<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal>On Mon, Oct 18, 2010 at 12:47 PM, William Miller <<a
href="mailto:william@millersolar.com">william@millersolar.com</a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal>Andrew:<br>
<br>
It may be in the report: <a
href="http://mpandc.com/practices/Safety/safety_data.html" target="_blank">http://mpandc.com/practices/Safety/safety_data.html</a><br>
<br>
William <o:p></o:p></p>
<div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><br>
<br>
At 11:30 AM 10/18/2010, you wrote:<o:p></o:p></p>
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</div>
<blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'>
<div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal>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>
<a href="http://www.linkedin.com/pub/andrew-truitt/8/622/713" target="_blank">http://www.linkedin.com/pub/andrew-truitt/8/622/713</a><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 href="http://www.avg.com/" target="_blank">www.avg.com</a> <br>
Version: 8.5.448 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/3204 - Release Date: 10/18/10
06:34:00<o:p></o:p></p>
</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 href="mailto:william@millersolar.com" target="_blank">william@millersolar.com</a><br>
<a href="http://millersolar.com/" target="_blank">http://millersolar.com<br>
</a>License No. C-10-773985<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>____________________________________<br
clear=all>
<br>
<span style='color:#006600'>Andrew Truitt<br>
NABCEP Certified PV Installer</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif";color:#006600'>™</span><span style='color:#006600'>
(ID# 032407-66)<br>
Truitt Renewable Energy Consulting<br>
(202) 486-7507</span><br>
<a href="http://www.linkedin.com/pub/andrew-truitt/8/622/713" target="_blank">http://www.linkedin.com/pub/andrew-truitt/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<o:p></o:p></p>
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