<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">That's very curious, indeed. Given that virtually all of the CS6Ps we installed were on micros, module interconnects would not have been an issue. Sounds like it could be a MC4 defect if the home run connection didn't exhibit the same issue. Strange. I'll be watching for other feedback.</div><div class="gmail_extra"><br clear="all"><div><div class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><span><br></span></div><div dir="ltr"><span><br></span></div><div dir="ltr"></div><div dir="ltr"><span></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>
<br><div class="gmail_quote">On Tue, Jun 7, 2016 at 10:15 AM, Kirk Herander <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:vtsolar@icloud.com" target="_blank">vtsolar@icloud.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div lang="EN-US" link="blue" vlink="purple"><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">Hi,<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">For clarity, corrosion was found on various module interconnects between panels, not where a string end mates to a field installed home-run connector. So I would hope Canadian Solar would use identical connectors on all their modules. They all certainly looked like MC4 connectors to me.<u></u><u></u></span></p><span class=""><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">Kirk Herander<u></u><u></u></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">Owner|Principal, VT Solar, LLC <u></u><u></u></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">Celebrating our 25^th Anniversary 1991-2016<u></u><u></u></span></i></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"><a href="http://www.vermontsolarnow.com" target="_blank">www.vermontsolarnow.com</a><u></u><u></u></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">dba Vermont Solar Engineering<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">NABCEP^TM2003 Inaugural Certificant<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d">VT RE Incentive Program Partner<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"><a href="tel:802.863.1202" value="+18028631202" target="_blank">802.863.1202</a></span><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1f497d"><u></u> <u></u></span></p></span><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""> RE-wrenches [mailto:<a href="mailto:re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org" target="_blank">re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org</a>] <b>On Behalf Of </b>jay<br><b>Sent:</b> Monday, June 06, 2016 11:15 PM<br><b>To:</b> RE-wrenches<br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [RE-wrenches] Canadian Solar / MC4 connectors in a marine environment<u></u><u></u></span></p></div></div><div><div class="h5"><p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal">Hi Kirk,<u></u><u></u></p><div><p class="MsoNormal">the connectors if done correctly are water tight.  <u></u><u></u></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal">There are few thoughts as to issues.<u></u><u></u></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal">wrong sized gland nut<u></u><u></u></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal">incorrectly tightened<u></u><u></u></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal">if double jacketed wire, the outer layer could have come lose allowing water in.<u></u><u></u></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal">are they real MC-4?<u></u><u></u></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal">debris during installation allowing damaged O rings<u></u><u></u></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal">Can’t think of much else. but way to many of them out there for it to be a OEM problem.<u></u><u></u></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal">jay<u></u><u></u></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal">peltz power<u></u><u></u></p></div><div><div><blockquote style="margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt"><div><p class="MsoNormal">On Jun 6, 2016, at 2:28 PM, Kirk Herander <<a href="mailto:vtsolar@icloud.com" target="_blank">vtsolar@icloud.com</a>> wrote:<u></u><u></u></p></div><p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p><div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Hello,</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""><u></u><u></u></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""> </span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""><u></u><u></u></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">I am debugging a Florida ocean-side 35 kw array using 4 year old Canadian Solar panels, which I’ve never had a high opinion of, installed by others.</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""><u></u><u></u></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">I’ve discovered several not-so-good problems, such as low insulation resistance through the panels, ONLY when raining, early to mid-morning condensation, or by using the last resort of spraying the panels with a garden house and watching the SMA inverters shut down due to failing their self “Riso” (that’s the IRT) test creating a ground fault error.</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""><u></u><u></u></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">That aside, what’s just as interesting is that about 8 or 9 of the module interconnections were basically oozing the aqua-blue copper tarnish. I’ve never seen this in any installation before. Either the MC4s weren’t crimped and tightened at the factory well, or the connectors were seated poorly, although that doesn’t seem to be the case. BTW, I replaced all these dubious MC4 connectors and the ground faults still occur when the panels are wet.</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""><u></u><u></u></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">The bigger issue is the panel warranty, but is there anything on the market which could seal these connections, perhaps a type of “clamshell” to provide an extra layer of protection, which is removable if need be? There’s always glue-filled heat shrink, but ideally I don’t want anything permanent surrounding the connectors.</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""><u></u><u></u></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Has anyone ever seen what I’m describing in a marine environment?</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""><u></u><u></u></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""> </span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""><u></u><u></u></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Kirk Herander</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""><u></u><u></u></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Owner|Principal, VT Solar, LLC<span> </span></span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""><u></u><u></u></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Celebrating our 25^th<span> </span>Anniversary 1991-2016</span></i></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""><u></u><u></u></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""><a>www.vermontsolarnow.com</a></span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""><u></u><u></u></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">dba Vermont Solar Engineering</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""><u></u><u></u></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">NABCEP^{TM <span> </span>}2003 Inaugural Certificant</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""><u></u><u></u></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">VT RE Incentive Program Partner</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""><u></u><u></u></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""><a href="tel:802.863.1202" value="+18028631202" target="_blank">802.863.1202</a></span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""><u></u><u></u></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""> </span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-s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