<html><body><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:10pt"><div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; "><span>Mark</span></div><div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; "><span><br></span></div><div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; "><span>My sense is we will all see more and more of this, given in CA and other pioneering states, there will be orphaned systems looking for TLC.</span></div><div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; "><span><br></span></div><div><span><font class="Apple-style-span" size="2">The micro inverter scene helps, as it gives Analytics and the other benefit is the client doesn't loose their whole system or learn about it after a month or more of high utility bills.</font></span></div><div><span><font class="Apple-style-span"
size="2"><br></font></span></div><div><span><font class="Apple-style-span" size="2">Yes, rewiring can be cumbersome, but the value of granular information will help our industry and support the long term cause. I can only imagine how many solar panels are out there, basking in the sun, doing nothing, like sitting in a showroom.</font></span></div><div><span><font class="Apple-style-span" size="2"><br></font></span></div><div><span><font class="Apple-style-span" size="2">Creating a slush account for clients or a maintenance program is another solution. Things break/fail and that should be baked into the minds of the consumer.</font></span></div><div><span><font class="Apple-style-span" size="2"><br></font></span></div><div><span><font class="Apple-style-span" size="2">Just wrapped up a Satcon 75kW (made in China) on about 66kW system- encouraged the client to use smart combiners and string level monitoring- they declined. They said cost was a factor.
When I mentioned that they are essentially going to pay about a 1/3, after fed, state and depreciation expenses, it still wasn't something they were interested in. Here, the system makes over $2k a month in electricity and simple payback of less that 5 years, but they still didn't want to invest in the "absent employee" to "watch" the system. Seemed like a good investment to me, over the life of the system for a host of reasons. I analogized it to driving your car without a speedometer and gas gauge. Most would not, but some want to guess how fast they're going and how much fuel is in the tank.</font></span></div><div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; "> </div><div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; ">Aloha,<br><br></div><div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; ">Keith<br><div style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; "><div
style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; "><font size="2" face="Arial"><hr size="1"><b><span style="font-weight:bold;">From:</span></b> Mark Frye <markf@berkeleysolar.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> Friday, August 19, 2011 7:03 AM<br><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Subject:</span></b> [RE-wrenches] Out of Warranty Inverter Replacements<br></font><br><div id="yiv112898441">
<title>Out of Warranty Inverter Replacements</title>
<div><font size="2" face="Arial">Folks,</font>
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<div><font size="2" face="Arial">Yesterday I took a trip through my service area and initated 3 inverter replacement actions:</font>
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<div><font size="2" face="Arial">- A 6 year old Sunnyboy 1100W, 5 year warranty expired, $360 for a refurbished unit w/ 1 year warranty, new replacement not available</font></div>
<div><font size="2" face="Arial">- A 2 year old Fronius IG4000 refurbished, sent as warranty replacement for unit failed at 4 years under 5 year warranty, now out of warranty, est. $ 600 to refurbish with 1 year warranty</font></div>
<div><font size="2" face="Arial">- A 4 year old Fronius IG3000, under 10 year warranty, warranty replacement and service fee provided by Fronius</font>
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<div><font size="2" face="Arial">I have to decide, what is best for my out of warranty customers:</font>
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<div><font size="2" face="Arial">- Buy the refurbished units w/ 1 year warranty</font>
<br><font size="2" face="Arial">- Buy new replacement units with 10 or 20 year warrranties</font>
<br><font size="2" face="Arial">- Buy entirely new equipment such as Enphase or SolarEdge</font>
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<div><font size="2" face="Arial">What are other folks experiencing as we move well past the 5 year warranty horizon for many of our earlier customers?</font>
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<div><font size="2" face="Arial">Mark Frye</font>
<br><font size="2" face="Arial">Berkeley Solar Electric Systems</font>
<br><font size="2" face="Arial">303 Redbud Way</font>
<br><font size="2" face="Arial">Nevada City, CA 95959</font>
<br><font size="2" face="Arial">(530) 401-8024</font>
<br><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.berkeleysolar.com"><u><font color="#0000FF" size="2" face="Arial">www.berkeleysolar.com</font></u></a><font size="2" face="Arial"> </font>
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