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--></style></head><body lang="EN-US" link="blue" vlink="purple"><div class="WordSection1"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">Colleagues:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif""> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">I have finally finished off the half carload of Mission Solar MSE SX5T panels I invested in a few years ago. I am now shopping for panels for my next projects.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif""> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">I am a bit of a stickler for proper PV wire management. I have spent years developing <a href="https://millersolar.com/MillerSolar/practices/PV_wiring/_PV_Wiring2.html">reliable wire management techniques</a>. These practices require the leads emanate from the short side of the panels. <a href="https://millersolar.com/MillerSolar/case_studies/31-Module_leads/Module_leads.html">This</a> web site illustrates the difference between what I call “short-side” and “long-side” lead placement.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif""> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">Upon inquiring with my local Greentech I find they no longer stock panels with short-side leads. I looked further afield but it appears short-side lead panels are being phased out. Even worse, the long-side leads are becoming very short. See photo below of a common example.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif""> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif""><img border="0" width="600" height="450" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.jpg@01DB5EA3.18333190"></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif""></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif""> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">I am dedicated to industry education so I am doing some academic research on this issue. Here are my questions:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif""> </span></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif""><span style="mso-list:Ignore">1.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">How do y’all that use these long-side, short-lead panels manage the wire connections? I assume most of your projects require some type of MLPE so you can’t just daisy chain the modules via their own leads. Could you provide a photo or two of this practice? </span></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif""><span style="mso-list:Ignore">2.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">Do you have to make jumpers for each lead? Do you worry about reliability of these extra connections?</span></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif""><span style="mso-list:Ignore">3.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">Have any of you found currently available modules that have short-side leads?</span></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif""><span style="mso-list:Ignore">4.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">Do any of you use the <a href="https://www.ironridge.com/component/accessories/">wire management clips</a> that some rail manufacturers provide? How far apart do you space these clips? Do they seem to hold the leads without them drooping? Could you provide photos of these clips in use, please? </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif""> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">Thanks in advance for contributing to this study.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif""> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">William Miller</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif""> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Miller Solar</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">17395 Oak Road, Atascadero, CA 93422</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">805-438-5600</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><a href="http://www.millersolar.com/">www.millersolar.com</a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">CA Lic. 773985</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p></div></body></html>