<html><head><style type="text/css"><!-- DIV {margin:0px;} --></style></head><body><div style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt"> Was that fire isolated to the array, or did it spread to the building too?<br> I have seen so many j-boxes were a connection has come loose, then arcs. This is particularly true of systems with wirenuts. If enough sunlight is present, and the wires begin to arc, then the arc could travel out of the box, and start a fire. <br> I have serviced many modules that have failed, and found melted j-boxes and cables melted off the backs of panels. Recently, I pulled a module off of a roof, and nearly half the module's backing was blackened and charred. Many of those failures could have lead to a fire. <br> We are all at risk of this happening. <br> <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> Bill Brooks <billbrooks7@yahoo.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> Thu, November 11, 2010 10:06:10 AM<br><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Subject:</span></b> Re: [RE-wrenches] Another PV fire<br></font><br><style><!--
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--></style><div class="WordSection1"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "sans-serif"; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);">William,</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "sans-serif"; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "sans-serif"; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);">Apparently this fire was started by miswiring a combiner box. Most likely reverse polarity of a string or whole combiner box feeder at the inverter. Details to come.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "sans-serif"; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "sans-serif"; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);">Bill.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "sans-serif"; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);">
</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "sans-serif"; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);"> </span></p><div><div style="border-width: 1pt medium medium; border-style: solid none none; border-color: rgb(181, 196, 223) -moz-use-text-color -moz-use-text-color; padding: 3pt 0in 0in;"><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "sans-serif";">From:</span></b><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "sans-serif";"> re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org [mailto:re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>William Miller<br><b>Sent:</b> Thursday, November 11, 2010 8:21 AM<br><b>To:</b> RE-wrenches<br><b>Subject:</b> [RE-wrenches] Another PV fire</span></p></div></div><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Colleagues:<br><br>This is starting be more common. Below from our local paper:<br><br><br><b>Rooftop solar panels catch fire
at Meridian Winery east of Paso Robles<br><br></b>Solar panels on a building at Meridian Winery east of Paso Robles caught fire Wednesday morning, according to Cal Fire.The panels were on the roof of the building where red wine is fermented. Firefighters are trying to see if the flames spread to other solar panels, but have to wait for the electricity to be turned off.<br>Meridian Winery is located at 7000 Highway 46 East. The fire was reported at 10:25 a.m. <br><br><br>William Miller<br><br><br></p><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: william@millersolar.com<br><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://millersolar.com/">http://millersolar.com<br></a>License No. C-10-773985</p></div></div></div>
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