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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body bgcolor=white lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic","sans-serif";color:black'>At a 13,200’ elevation installation in W CO we had an anemometer lose its cups at 135MPH. The SWWP Air lost its blades at some point, but the Solarex modules stayed on their rack. The NWS said that this was typical of the jet stream touching down to ground level [if you consider 13.2K Ft ground level]. It seems that at a high elevation this could be a much greater possibility than say sea level.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic","sans-serif";color:black'>How high an elevation install was this? and was it subject to a ventury effect between 2 opposing canyon or valley walls, like on a canyon side wall or something similar?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic","sans-serif";color:#002060'>----------------------------------------------------------------------------<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic","sans-serif";color:black'>Dana Orzel - Great Solar Works, Inc - C - <b>208.721.7003</b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic","sans-serif";color:black'>NABCEP # 051112-136 : Idaho PV Licence # 028374<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic","sans-serif";color:black'>E - <b>dana@solarwork.com</b> - Web - www.solarwork.biz<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic","sans-serif";color:black'>"Responsible Technologies for Responsible People since 1988" </span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><b><span style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:Webdings;color:green'>P</span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:navy'> </span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:green'>Please consider the environment before printing this email.</span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic","sans-serif";color:black'><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 style='margin-left:.5in'><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 [mailto:re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Ray Walters<br><b>Sent:</b> Thursday, January 12, 2017 2:16 PM<br><b>To:</b> RE-wrenches<br><b>Cc:</b> Sefchick, Steve<br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [RE-wrenches] Solar World Wind Damage<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'>Hi Bill;<br><br>Solar World customer support did come through yesterday with flying colors. They got hit by a big storm in the North West. Right now though, they are saying that we exceeded the 64 PSF rated loading to the back of the module. I've pointed out that that would correspond to over 170 mph winds, so I'm not quite ready to concede the warranty. Their engineering team is reviewing my information. <br>As always, the Wrench list experience is invaluable. Are 170 mph winds possible, outside of a tornado or hurricane?<br><br><b>Whether or not Solar World stands by their product in this extreme situation, I definitely stand by my installations.</b> I'm taking a snow cat up to replace and reinforce the modules next week, then hopefully get a little help from my supply chain after. My repair costs will be many times the cost of one replacement module anyway. <br><br>Yes, the 33 mm vs 31 mm refers to the module thickness. I don't have a version 2.5 frame to check the flange metal thickness, and it is conspicuously absent from the specs. I have a good micrometer, and I will compare metal thicknesses of several module brands, because with all the cost cutting, many module manus seems to be using thinner metal lately. As Jay pointed out, we're bolting much bigger modules down with much weaker flanges, and the same hardware we used on a 75 w module, so its not entirely surprising to start seeing high wind failures.<br><br><o:p></o:p></p><pre style='margin-left:.5in'>R.Ray Walters<o:p></o:p></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in'>CTO, Solarray, Inc<o:p></o:p></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in'>BSME 1988, <o:p></o:p></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in'>Licensed Master Electrician<o:p></o:p></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in'>Solar Design Engineer<o:p></o:p></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in'>303 505-8760<o:p></o:p></pre><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'>On 1/11/2017 9:07 PM, frenergy wrote:<o:p></o:p></p></div><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p style='margin-left:.5in'>Let's see, we're all on the same page here, right? The 33 vs 31 mm refers to the frame height not the thickness of the frame material where fastener pulled through. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:.5in'>Also, hang in there with getting help from Solarworld. They have given me exceptional help in the past...not sure if they can/will in this case, but.....<br>Bill<br><br><o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'>On 1/11/2017 12:08 PM, Ray Walters wrote:<o:p></o:p></p></div><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'>HI Steven;<br><br>Do you mean the bolts were over torqued and then later broke? Here's some pics that just came in of the damage. Hardware looks good, just ripped the module's framing. The old Solarworld 2.5 frame not only was thinner (31mm) and so could possibly flex more, but it had less metal to bolt to. Their newer 4.0 frame is 33 mm thick, but also appears to have a wider flange to bolt to. I still have not had any contact from Solar World. Not good. I've been installing their stuff since the ARCO days, so I need some support for the first time in decades. Solar World Reps are you out there?<br><img id="_x0000_i1025" src="cid:image001.jpg@01D26CE6.92817040"><br><img id="_x0000_i1026" src="cid:image002.jpg@01D26CE6.92817040"><br><br><br><o:p></o:p></p><pre style='margin-left:.5in'>R.Ray Walters<o:p></o:p></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in'>CTO, Solarray, Inc<o:p></o:p></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in'>Nabcep Certified PV Installer, <o:p></o:p></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in'>Licensed Master Electrician<o:p></o:p></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in'>Solar Design Engineer<o:p></o:p></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in'>303 505-8760<o:p></o:p></pre><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'>On 1/11/2017 12:42 PM, Steven Lawrence wrote:<o:p></o:p></p></div><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:.5in'>Hi Ray,<o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:.5in'>Have you checked the torquing on all the other bolts? My company's had a few projects where some modules blew off - it's always been due to over-torquing of the bolts.<o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'>Steven Lawrence<o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><br><br><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><pre style='margin-left:.5in'><o:p> </o:p></pre></blockquote></blockquote><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>