<html><body><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:HelveticaNeue, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif;font-size:10pt"><div><span>We had an array that reduced output on 12 of 18 SW240w modules due to a nearby lightning strike. Output dropped from 36v to 24v. Array was located at edge of farm field and inverter in barn 100' away was also trashed. <br></span></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 13.3333px; font-family: HelveticaNeue,Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,Arial,Lucida Grande,sans-serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;"><span>Modules were potted, but homeowner's Nationwide made good on everything. <br></span></div><div> </div><div>Bill Hennessy<br>Berks Solar, LLC<br>371 Centennial Rd<br>Mertztown, PA 19539<br><br>o 610 682 4300<br>c 484 560 4666<br>NABCEP certified installer<br>PA contractor #44411<br>www.berkssolar.com</div><div><br></div> <div style="font-family:
HelveticaNeue, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> <div style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <div dir="ltr"> <hr size="1"> <font face="Arial" size="2"> <b><span style="font-weight:bold;">From:</span></b> Jeff Irish <jeff@hudsonsolar.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> Tuesday, August 5, 2014 11:27 AM<br> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Subject:</span></b> Re: [RE-wrenches] [BULK] Diode Failure<br> </font> </div> <div class="y_msg_container"><br><div id="yiv4818166812">
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<div class="yiv4818166812MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#1F497D;">We experienced a similar lightning event two years ago that destroyed over a dozen modules. The system was a top of pole ground mount with four rows of four
poles each, sixteen in total, arranged in a square. The lightning strike occurred 150 feet off the southwest corner of the array, where it hit a utility pole. All the damaged modules were in the front or south most row, and concentrated toward the southwest.
The module J-boxes were melted and deformed, with burned or exploded diodes. That was the only sign of damage to the system. The utility lost at least one pole top transformer, and the customer some appliances in his nearby farmhouse. Fortunately the inverters
were in a barn several hundred feet away. Being a top of pole mount, the system was extensively grounded, with the steel poles at least 4 feet into the ground and lines of bare # 6 copper connecting them and multiple ground rods.
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<div class="yiv4818166812MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#1F497D;">Jeff Irish</span></div>
<div class="yiv4818166812MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#1F497D;">Hudson Solar</span></div>
<div class="yiv4818166812MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#1F497D;">Rhinebeck, NY</span></div>
<div class="yiv4818166812MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#1F497D;"> </span></div>
<div class="yiv4818166812MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;"> RE-wrenches [mailto:re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org]
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Corey Shalanski<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, August 05, 2014 10:03 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org<br>
<b>Subject:</b> [BULK] [RE-wrenches] Diode Failure</span></div>
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<div class="yiv4818166812MsoNormal">Wrenches,</div>
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<div class="yiv4818166812MsoNormal">We recently were contacted by a customer who reported a lightning strike close to his house. His online monitoring revealed that 30 of 35 microinverters simultaneously stopped producing power. On initial visit to the jobsite we measured
Voc on many modules - either 12V or 24V instead of rated 36V. On a second visit we discovered that bypass diodes - either 1 or 2 corresponding to observed voltage loss - had failed on each of the faulty modules.</div>
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<div class="yiv4818166812MsoNormal">My question is: Can anyone support the theory that a nearby lightning flash can cause mass bypass diode failure?</div>
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<div class="yiv4818166812MsoNormal">Corey Shalanski</div>
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<div class="yiv4818166812MsoNormal">Joule Energy</div>
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<div class="yiv4818166812MsoNormal">New Orleans, LA</div>
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