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<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New
Roman","serif";color:#1F497D">"Delta SS’s at the
tracker discos and in the inverter room were unaffected which I
thought was odd."</span><br>
<br>
This is not surprising at all since those don't start clamping
until around 7000+ volts.<br>
Check out the comparison video about this very subject on the
MidNite Solar web site.<br>
<br>
BTW, there are disconnecting PV combiners starting to ship now
with built in SPD 600's..<br>
<br>
boB<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
On 9/7/2012 5:58 PM, Solarguy wrote:<br>
</div>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New
Roman","serif";color:#1F497D">In 2006 we
installed a dozen Spire 85W modules w/clear backing in pairs
as skylights. Shortly after, the building attached to the
electrical equipment room, took a direct lightning strike to
the wind anemometer 10 feet above the roof. Of the 12
modules four suffered damage to their diodes. Several were
completely vaporized, there was nothing remaining except
powder and the leads. Others had burnt diodes with leads
that had clearly been very hot. Other modules were just
fine, the damage seemed to be random with all 12 in series.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New
Roman","serif";color:#1F497D">The 4 trackers,
the closest ~70 ft. away, are grounded with two spools of
buried #8 bare copper and Uffer grounds in the concrete
piers were untouched. Delta SS’s at the tracker discos and
in the inverter room were unaffected which I thought was
odd. 5 Sunny boys & 2 Sunny Islands in the same room
were toasted. Our only experience with lightning. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New
Roman","serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:#1F497D">Jim
Duncan<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:#1F497D">North
Texas Renewable Energy Inc<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:#1F497D"><a
moz-do-not-send="true" href="http://www.ntrei.com/">www.ntrei.com</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:#1F497D">NABCEP
PV 031310-57<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:#1F497D">TECL-27398<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:#1F497D"><a
moz-do-not-send="true" href="mailto:ntrei@1scom.net">ntrei@1scom.net</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:#1F497D">817.917.0527<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New
Roman","serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:26.0pt;font-family:"Times New
Roman","serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:26.0pt;font-family:"Times New
Roman","serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:26.0pt;font-family:"Times New
Roman","serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New
Roman","serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<div>
<div style="border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF
1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in">
<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"">
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org">re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org</a>
[<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="mailto:re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org">mailto:re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org</a>] <b>On
Behalf Of </b>Jeff Irish<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Friday, September 07, 2012 9:41 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org">RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org</a><br>
<b>Subject:</b> [RE-wrenches] Extensive Lightning Damage
to Modules<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">A
customer of ours has recently suffered lightning damage to
31 out of 160 top of pole mounted modules. This is the
first time in 10 years that I’ve seen modules damaged by
lightning. Lots of inverter GF fuses and a few inverters,
but never modules. We’re trying to determine if it was
caused by the lightning flash irradiating the modules or
ground currents. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The
array consists of 16 DP&W top of pole mounts with 10
modules each, arranged in a square of 4 poles E-W and 4 rows
N-S. The poles are 13 feet center to center E-W and the N-S
row spacing is about 50 feet. The poles are 6 inch
galvanized Technoposts, augured 5 – 7 feet into the firm
ground, connected with a network of about 160 feet of bare
#6 copper and at least 8 copper plated ground rods.
Altogether we have about 130 square feet of bare metal
surface area connected and buried in the ground at and
around the array. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The
customer saw lightning strike just after dawn a few weeks
ago a couple hundred feet to the southwest where it also
destroyed two utility pole mount distribution transformers
and ran along the utility wires 100 feet south of the
array. The inverters are 200 feet NW and suffered no
damage. The array and modules look totally fine, except
some of the J-boxes are deformed from heat. Opening the
J-boxes shows varying levels of damage to one or more
diodes, from discoloration to being broken and cracked
open. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The
odd thing is the pattern of damage (we’ve tested all the
modules individually for Voc and Isc). Only modules in the
south row of 4 poles are damaged, and the damage is
concentrated on the modules closest to the ground; modules
higher up in the air appear OK. Also, damage is less
frequent as you move east, away from the direction of the
strike. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">If
it was caused by ground currents, why would the current want
to go up the poles, why only the southern row of poles, and
why damage more modules closer to the ground and not those
at the top? Is it possible a flash near the ground
irradiated the modules causing a current spike and the
southern row shielded the other rows from most of the
flash? Anyone have experience with this?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Jeff
Irish, PE</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">President</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Hudson
Solar</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">13
Hook Road</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Rhinebeck,
NY 12572</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">T.845.876.3767x110</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">F.845.876.3912</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
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moz-do-not-send="true" href="mailto:jeff@hudsonsolar.com">jeff@hudsonsolar.com</a></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Solar
Electric Systems</span></i><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">NYSERDA
Eligible PV Installer</span></i><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">NABCEP
Certified Solar PV Installer<span style="color:purple"> </span></span><span
style="color:purple"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">NABCEP
Certified PV Technical Sales</span></i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span
style="color:#919191"><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="applewebdata://B5F2562A-2B67-4161-84E4-42F12DC28720/www.hudsonsolar.com">HudsonSolar.com</a></span><span
style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span
style="font-size:9.0pt;color:#6D6D6D">2011 NYSERDA
Excellence in Quality Award | 2011 NYSEIA Award Winner |
2009 Best of the Hudson Valley | 2008 SunPower Dealer of the
Year | EDC Business Excellence Award for Innovation</span><span
style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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