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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">Kent,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">Surge protection is at the inverters, 200 feet away, on both the AC and DC sides. Nothing at the array; never thought we’d need it there. There’s a 4 string
fused DC combiner on the west pole of each row; no damage visible on any of them and their fuses were all ok. And yes, each pole of 10 modules is a separate DC string, 4 are combined into a DC output circuit to each of four SB7000US inverters.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">Jeff<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">Hudson Solar<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:windowtext">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:windowtext"> re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org [mailto:re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org]
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Kent Osterberg<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Friday, September 07, 2012 11:56 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> RE-wrenches<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [RE-wrenches] Extensive Lightning Damage to Modules<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Jeff,<br>
<br>
Is there any surge protection in the combiner boxes? Any damage visible in the combiner boxes? Any fuses or breakers open in the combiner boxes? Is each pole a single string of modules or multiple strings of modules?<br>
<br>
While there where undoubtedly ground currents flowing they probably didn't cause the damage in the module junction boxes. The PV module and wiring to it form a loop - often a loop with a large area in the vicinity of the module. The current from the lightning
strike has a tremendous dI/dt and the changing magnetic field from it will induce voltages in any wire loop.
<br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></p>
<pre>Kent Osterberg<o:p></o:p></pre>
<pre>Blue Mountain Solar, Inc.<o:p></o:p></pre>
<pre><a href="http://www.bluemountainsolar.com">www.bluemountainsolar.com</a><o:p></o:p></pre>
<pre>t: 541-568-4882<o:p></o:p></pre>
<pre><o:p> </o:p></pre>
<p class="MsoNormal">On 9/7/2012 7:40 AM, Jeff Irish wrote:<o:p></o:p></p>
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<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.
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> </span><o:p></o:p></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.
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> </span><o:p></o:p></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. </span>
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> </span><o:p></o:p></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.
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> </span><o:p></o:p></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?</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt"> </span><o:p></o:p></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 style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><a 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><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">NYSERDA Eligible PV Installer</span></i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">NABCEP Certified Solar PV Installer</span></i><o:p></o:p></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 href="applewebdata://B5F2562A-2B67-4161-84E4-42F12DC28720/www.hudsonsolar.com"><b><span style="color:red">MailScanner has detected a possible fraud
attempt from "applewebdata:" claiming to be</span></b> HudsonSolar.com</a></span><o:p></o:p></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><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><br>
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<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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