<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div><span></span></div><div><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><div>Interesting Allan. My understanding has been that its good practice to shield even Sunlight Resistant conductors from UV, but maybe that is not as important as I thought. Are you confident that your exposed USE-2 insulation will hold up for the full lifespan of the systems? What about compounding UV damage with other environmental conditions like hail, wind vibration, ice... There is also the question of damage from wildlife. I am all for reducing installation costs and learning from other trades and countries, however our systems do have certain unique energy production characteristics and should last 30+ years so there are cases when we do need to take additional steps to maximize long-term safety. </div><div><br></div><div>Which reminds me: is anyone aware of any work being done to develop standardized O&M protocols for commercial PV systems?</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>- Andrew Truitt</div><div><br><br>Sent from my iPhone</div><div><br>On Mar 27, 2013, at 9:50 AM, Allan Sindelar <<a href="mailto:allan@positiveenergysolar.com">allan@positiveenergysolar.com</a>> wrote:<br><br></div><blockquote type="cite"><div>
<meta content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1" http-equiv="Content-Type">
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">Andrew,<br>
We have used #10 USE-2 for about 16 years, and our high-elevation
New Mexico sun is quite intense. I have yet to see any degradation
exceeding fading discoloration on any conductors from that far
back, even when directly exposed to sunlight. No cracking,
peeling, delaminating, or hardening.<br>
Allan<br>
<br>
<div class="moz-signature">
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html;
charset=ISO-8859-1">
<title></title>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times, serif"><b>Allan Sindelar</b></font><br>
<small><a href="mailto:Allan@positiveenergysolar.com"><font face="Times New Roman, Times, serif" color="#000099"><u>Allan@positiveenergysolar.com</u></font></a></small><font face="Times New Roman, Times, serif"><br>
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">NABCEP Certified Photovoltaic
Installer<br>
NABCEP Certified Technical Sales Professional<br>
New Mexico EE98J Journeyman Electrician<br>
Founder and Chief Technology Officer<br>
<b>Positive Energy, Inc.</b><br>
3209 Richards Lane (note new address)<br>
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87507<br>
<b>505 424-1112</b><br>
<a href="http://www.positiveenergysolar.com/" target="_blank"><u>www.positiveenergysolar.com</u></a><o:p></o:p></span></font>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 722.25pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><font face="Times New Roman, Times,
serif"><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on"></st1:city><st1:state w:st="on"></st1:state><st1:postalcode w:st="on"></st1:postalcode></st1:place></font><b style=""><br>
</b></span></p>
<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><br>
</span> </div>
On 3/27/2013 8:41 AM, Andrew Truitt wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote cite="mid:BA3C64AC-BFAD-4928-98FA-8493A7A21579@gmail.com" type="cite">
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html;
charset=ISO-8859-1">
<div>Bill - What is your take in conductor insulation degradation
over time when exposed to UV? Regardless of the "sunlight
resistant" labeling, USE-2 (and I assume PV wire though I
haven't seen it yet) does show wear after years of exposure to
direct sunlight. Maybe best practice would be to use cable
trays where conductors are shaded and [properly installed]
conduit when exposed to direct UV?</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>- Andrew Truitt</div>
<div><br>
<br>
Sent from my iPad</div>
<div><br>
On Mar 26, 2013, at 11:55 PM, "Bill Brooks" <<a moz-do-not-send="true" href="mailto:billbrooks7@yahoo.com">billbrooks7@yahoo.com</a>>
wrote:<br>
<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite">
<div>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;
charset=ISO-8859-1">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12 (filtered
medium)">
<style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Tahoma;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
p
{mso-style-priority:99;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";}
span.EmailStyle18
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
<div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">William,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">I
have all the respect in the world for you, but I’m not
referring to “basket tray”, which is only appropriate
for small conductors. I’m talking about legitimate cable
tray that can be up to 12” wide and that has a top and
rungs every 12”. The main facilities that use it in the
United States are large industrial facilities. Most
electricians don’t get to work with it. It is clearly
superior to EMT and is at least as good as IMC without
all the hassle of threaded fittings and setting up
expansion joints and worrying about 20 years of
conductors thermal cycling. Even the best electricians
have problems with this stuff.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">I
am talking about projects with 800 foot long feeder
runs. We can bring them in the building and build a rack
for the conduit or run covered tray outside. As the 2014
NEC will require, you will have to use contactor
combiners or some other means to shut down the
conductors inside a building. It’s all doable. My
recommendation after seeing the aftermath of rooftop
conduit by good electricians is to put cable tray on
roofs and use conduit if you bring the feeders indoors.
It will become common practice soon. Hopefully sooner
than later.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">Bill.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-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 moz-do-not-send="true" href="mailto:re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org">re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org</a>
[<a moz-do-not-send="true" href="mailto:re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org">mailto:re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org</a>]
<b>On Behalf Of </b>William Miller<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, March 26, 2013 9:49 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> RE-wrenches<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [RE-wrenches] Cable tray<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Bill:<br>
<br>
I have to disagree with you on this one. We can not
abandoned a tried and true practice just because some
practitioners don't do it right. I don't know how one can
justify saying that encapsulating high voltage conductors
in a conduit is less safe than exposed in a flimsy
basket. Consider snow and ice and falling objects.<br>
<br>
Too many installers entered the PV field without first
acquiring the necessary skills as journeymen or women
electricians. I don't see the benefit of rewriting the
code to accommodate a lack of skills in the industry.<br>
<br>
Respectfully,<br>
<br>
William Miller<br>
<br>
PS: The temperature adders always encourage us to enter
the building envelope at the first appropriate location to
avoid adding them. Thoughtful installers will do the
same.<br>
<br>
Wm<br>
<br>
<br>
At 10:15 PM 3/25/2013, you wrote:<br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Content-Type: multipart/alternative;<br>
boundary="----=_NextPart_000_00E3_01CE29A6.37CC5110"<br>
Content-Language: en-us<br>
<br>
William,<br>
<br>
I would strongly disagree that conduit is tried and true
on rooftops. I have rarely seen good conduit runs on
rooftops. Most electricians have no clue how to work with
expansion joints. Conduit on rooftops is a bad idea in
general. Most conduit runs in big buildings are all done
indoors for good reason. We are the crazy people doing
things on the roof. <br>
<br>
The sooner we get away from conduitparticularly for long
feeder runsthe better.<br>
<br>
In Europe they don’t have problems with their rooftop
wiring systems because everything is in tray.<br>
<br>
For those that don’t allow cable tray for anything less
than 1/0, just remember that if it isn’t called cable
tray, then 392 doesn’t apply. The NEC would allow us to
use treated lumber in place of cable tray. This makes no
sense.<br>
<br>
We did some research on the origin of the 1/0 requirement,
and it is ancient and no longer relevant. Just because it
is in the code, does not mean it is correct. That’s why we
try to fix it every three years.<br>
<br>
Bill.<br>
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
</div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">
<div><span>_______________________________________________</span><br>
<span>List sponsored by Home Power magazine</span><br>
<span></span><br>
<span>List Address: <a moz-do-not-send="true" href="mailto:RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org">RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org</a></span><br>
<span></span><br>
<span>Change email address & settings:</span><br>
<span><a moz-do-not-send="true" href="http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org">http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org</a></span><br>
<span></span><br>
<span>List-Archive: <a moz-do-not-send="true" href="http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org">http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org</a></span><br>
<span></span><br>
<span>List rules & etiquette:</span><br>
<span><a moz-do-not-send="true" href="http://www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm">www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm</a></span><br>
<span></span><br>
<span>Check out participant bios:</span><br>
<span><a moz-do-not-send="true" href="http://www.members.re-wrenches.org">www.members.re-wrenches.org</a></span><br>
<span></span><br>
</div>
</blockquote>
<br>
<fieldset class="mimeAttachmentHeader"></fieldset>
<br>
<pre wrap="">_______________________________________________
List sponsored by Home Power magazine
List Address: <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org">RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org</a>
Change email address & settings:
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org">http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org</a>
List-Archive: <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org">http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org</a>
List rules & etiquette:
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm">www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm</a>
Check out participant bios:
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.members.re-wrenches.org">www.members.re-wrenches.org</a>
</pre>
</blockquote>
<br>
</div></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><div><span>_______________________________________________</span><br><span>List sponsored by Home Power magazine</span><br><span></span><br><span>List Address: <a href="mailto:RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org">RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org</a></span><br><span></span><br><span>Change email address & settings:</span><br><span><a href="http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org">http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org</a></span><br><span></span><br><span>List-Archive: <a href="http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org">http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org</a></span><br><span></span><br><span>List rules & etiquette:</span><br><span><a href="http://www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm">www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm</a></span><br><span></span><br><span>Check out participant bios:</span><br><span><a href="http://www.members.re-wrenches.org">www.members.re-wrenches.org</a></span><br><span></span><br></div></blockquote></div></body></html>