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<div>Thanks Matt! Just what I was looking for.</div>
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<div>I have a friend who does PV commissioning for a major government agency and he has caught numerous major installation errors that posed serious safety concerns. It seems to me that a comprehesive 3rd party inspection of all commercial/utility scale systems should be the norm throughout the industry, not just for governmental systems.</div>
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<div>- Andrew</div>
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<div class="gmail_quote">On Mon, Oct 18, 2010 at 2:12 PM, Matt Lafferty <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:gilligan06@gmail.com">gilligan06@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
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<div dir="ltr" align="left"><span><font face="Arial" color="#0000ff" size="2">Andrew,</font></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><span><font face="Arial" color="#0000ff" size="2"></font></span> </div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><span><font face="Arial" color="#0000ff" 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><font face="Arial" color="#0000ff" size="2"></font></span> </div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><span><font face="Arial" color="#0000ff" 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><font face="Arial" color="#0000ff" size="2"></font></span> </div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><span></span><span></span><span><font face="Arial" color="#0000ff" 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><font face="Arial" color="#0000ff" 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></span><span><font face="Arial" color="#0000ff" size="2"></font></span> </div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><span></span><span><font face="Arial" color="#0000ff" 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><font face="Arial" color="#0000ff" 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><font face="Arial" color="#0000ff" size="2"></font></span> </div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><font face="Arial" color="#0000ff" size="2"><span>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 face="Arial" color="#0000ff" size="2"><span></span></font> </div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><font face="Arial" color="#0000ff" size="2"><span>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 face="Arial" color="#0000ff" size="2"><span></span></font> </div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><font face="Arial" color="#0000ff" size="2"><span>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 face="Arial" color="#0000ff" size="2"><span>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 face="Arial" color="#0000ff" size="2"><span></span></font> </div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><font face="Arial" color="#0000ff" size="2"><span>For the record, I'm not a SunPower hater. </span></font><font face="Arial" color="#0000ff" size="2"><span>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 face="Arial" color="#0000ff" size="2"><span></span></font> </div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><font face="Arial" color="#0000ff" size="2"><span>$0.02001</span></font></div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><font face="Arial" color="#0000ff" size="2"><span><br>Solar Janitor</span></font></div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><font face="Arial" color="#0000ff" size="2"><span></span></font> </div>
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<font face="Tahoma" size="2"><b>From:</b> <a href="mailto:re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org" target="_blank">re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org</a> [mailto:<a href="mailto:re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org" target="_blank">re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org</a>] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Andrew Truitt<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Monday, October 18, 2010 12:04 PM<br><b>To:</b> RE-wrenches
<div class="im"><br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [RE-wrenches] Target fire<br></div></font>
<div class="im"><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>
<div class="gmail_quote">
<div class="im">On Mon, Oct 18, 2010 at 12:47 PM, William Miller <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:william@millersolar.com" target="_blank">william@millersolar.com</a>></span> wrote:<br></div>
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<div class="im">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
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<div><br><br>At 11:30 AM 10/18/2010, you wrote:<br><br></div></div></div>
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<div class="im">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></div>
<div class="im">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</div>
</div></div></blockquote>
<div class="im">
<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<br></p></div></font></div>____________________________________<br clear="all"><br>
<div class="im"><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-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">™</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 href="http://www.linkedin.com/pub/andrew-truitt/8/622/713" target="_blank">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></div></blockquote></div></div><br>_______________________________________________<br>List sponsored by Home Power magazine<br><br>List Address: <a href="mailto:RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org">RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org</a><br>
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<br><br></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br><br><br style="COLOR: rgb(0,153,0)"><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-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">™</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 href="http://www.linkedin.com/pub/andrew-truitt/8/622/713" target="_blank">http://www.linkedin.com/pub/andrew-<span>truitt</span>/8/622/713</a><br><br><span style="COLOR: rgb(0,153,0)"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: rgb(31,73,125); FONT-FAMILY: Calibri"></span></span><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>