Jeff<br><br>I also have been shopping for a Curve tracer. I ran across an interesting product through <a href="http://www.huksefluxusa.com/pv-testing.php">Hukseflux usa</a>. They make a Solar IV tracer that also can data log dc and ac to and has an attachment to be able to expand to 3 DC and 3 ac outputs as in a larger system that has multiple mppt circuits and 3 phase output. The curve tracer is less than the Solmetric and has more versatility. The Solar IV tracer is not listed onthe website , but I was told by the rep that it was available. I believe that it is made in Italy, but the engineering firm is located in Denmark. New to US market, but apparantly has been around the European market awhile.<br>
<br>Anyone else have experience with this company or it's products?<br><br>Bill<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Sat, Nov 26, 2011 at 3:41 PM, Glenn Burt <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:glenn.burt@glbcc.com">glenn.burt@glbcc.com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex;">We recently began using the PVA-600 Solmetric with its wireless options.<br>
I have found it to be a real timesaver for commercial commissioning. Testing<br>
can be done from the rooftop, both V & I without making a run to the<br>
inverter(s) and waiting for generation (to measure each string's Imp).<br>
<br>
Running down the normal Voc, manual irradiance and module temperature is<br>
better than nothing, but really does not compare with the immediacy and<br>
accuracy you get when all the measurements are performed within the same few<br>
seconds.<br>
<br>
Does require a Windows based computer to operate the analyzer and I bought<br>
an Acer tablet that works great for this. It needs a couple of USB ports to<br>
run the wireless dongles as well.<br>
<br>
-Glenn<br>
<br>
-----Original Message-----<br>
From: <a href="mailto:re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org">re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org</a><br>
[mailto:<a href="mailto:re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org">re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org</a>] On Behalf Of Jeff Yago<br>
Sent: Saturday, November 26, 2011 10:44 AM<br>
To: 'RE-wrenches'<br>
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] array commissionning<br>
<br>
In addition to designing and installing solar systems for all kinds of<br>
clients since to 1980's, I am starting to receive requests from owners to<br>
commissioning new solar installations that were designed and installed by<br>
other firms. In many cases these may have been installed by a large<br>
commercial electrical contractor with no prior experience with solar<br>
installations but installed the rest of the wiring on the new facility, by<br>
just follow the construction documents provided by the electrical engineer.<br>
It is also possible that the engineer who designed all of the electrical<br>
work on the new facility had no prior experience with solar design, and just<br>
did a "cut and paste" outline spec using guidance from suppliers wanting to<br>
provide the modules and inverters on the project.<br>
<br>
Since I am also a consulting engineer I am sometimes asked to commission new<br>
schools and hospitals, so I am very familiar with the "normal" LEED type<br>
building commissioning process. However, although I typically use a<br>
voltmeter, ampmeter, and ground fault meter for checking my own<br>
installations, I am thinking that if I am being asked to commission solar<br>
systems installed by other firms (in some cases my competition) I better use<br>
one of the new recording IV curve tracer test meters that would be easier to<br>
use and would provide data recording for documentation.<br>
<br>
My concern is I probably will not need this level of system verification<br>
more than one or two times per year, and the IV analyzers by Solmetric,<br>
Daystar, and Seaward are very costly. Of course this would also be useful<br>
for checking my own system installations, but so far my manual testing has<br>
been acceptable to all involved.<br>
<br>
Is anyone doing commissioning on larger solar arrays using these "do-it-all"<br>
testing devices, and which meter was the easiest to use and best performance<br>
for the $$. I don't not need some very high-end high $$ system, just<br>
something that can provide separate and combined IV curves for multiple<br>
string arrays with data files that I can convert to print back in the<br>
office. I am also not a computer expert, so would want a meter that is very<br>
easy to download the data and print custom graphs without going through all<br>
kinds of data conversion issues.<br>
<br>
Thanks for any advice,<br>
<br>
Jeff Yago<br>
<br>
<br>
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</blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Bill Hoffer PE<br><span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;word-spacing:0px;white-space:normal;border-collapse:separate"><span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;word-spacing:0px;white-space:normal;border-collapse:separate"><span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;word-spacing:0px;white-space:normal;border-collapse:separate"><span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;word-spacing:0px;white-space:normal;border-collapse:separate"><span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;word-spacing:0px;white-space:normal;border-collapse:separate"><span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;word-spacing:0px;white-space:normal;border-collapse:separate"><span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;word-spacing:0px;white-space:normal;border-collapse:separate"><span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;word-spacing:0px;white-space:normal;border-collapse:separate"><span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;word-spacing:0px;white-space:normal;border-collapse:separate"><span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;word-spacing:0px;white-space:normal;border-collapse:separate"><span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;word-spacing:0px;white-space:normal;border-collapse:separate"><span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;word-spacing:0px;white-space:normal;border-collapse:separate;font-size-adjust:none;font-stretch:normal"><span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;word-spacing:0px;white-space:normal;border-collapse:separate;font-size-adjust:none;font-stretch:normal"><span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;word-spacing:0px;white-space:normal;border-collapse:separate;font-size-adjust:none;font-stretch:normal"><span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;word-spacing:0px;white-space:normal;border-collapse:separate;font-size-adjust:none;font-stretch:normal"><span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;word-spacing:0px;white-space:normal;border-collapse:separate;font-size-adjust:none;font-stretch:normal"><span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;word-spacing:0px;white-space:normal;border-collapse:separate;font-size-adjust:none;font-stretch:normal"><span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;word-spacing:0px;white-space:normal;border-collapse:separate;font-size-adjust:none;font-stretch:normal"><span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;word-spacing:0px;white-space:normal;border-collapse:separate;font-size-adjust:none;font-stretch:normal"><span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;word-spacing:0px;white-space:normal;border-collapse:separate;font-size-adjust:none;font-stretch:normal"><span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;word-spacing:0px;white-space:normal;border-collapse:separate;font-size-adjust:none;font-stretch:normal"><font face="Garamond">NABCEP Certified Solar PV Installer™</font></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br>
Sunergy Engineering Services PLLC<br>2504 Columbia Ave NW<br>East Wenatchee WA 98802-3941<br><a href="mailto:SunEngSer@gmail.com" target="_blank">SunEngSer@gmail.com</a> Cell:(509)679-6165<br><br>