<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" ><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;">The major diy difficulty I see is in anchoring the systems to the roof. They are plug and play, with DC voltage limited to that of only one module, not a series string. A home owner could get into trouble crossing conductors in the array j-box (duct-taped interior), or installing the breaker in the panel, using wiring with the wrong insulation...without conduit.... nailed to the roof...... <br><br>But AC modules put solar into the skill set of any minor-league electric shop in the country.<br><br>Bill <span>Dorsett</span> <br>
SunwrightS<br>
1715 Leavenworth<br>
Manhattan, KS 66502<br>
Home/Office 785/539=1956<br>
Cell 785/564-2583<br>
wmdorsett@sbcglobal.net<br><br>--- On <b>Sat, 4/3/10, penobscotsolar@midmaine.com <i><penobscotsolar@midmaine.com></i></b> wrote:<br><blockquote style="border-left: 2px solid rgb(16, 16, 255); margin-left: 5px; padding-left: 5px;"><br>From: penobscotsolar@midmaine.com <penobscotsolar@midmaine.com><br>Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] AC modules verses codes and safety<br>To: jryago@netscape.com, "RE-wrenches" <re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org><br>Date: Saturday, April 3, 2010, 5:16 AM<br><br><div class="plainMail">Hi Jeff,<br> We were contacted the other day by Lowes, who asked if we would be<br>interested in installing their (highly overpriced) "plug and play"<br>systems. They are selling Andalay Solar's 3kw package (they us<br>Enphase). I told them we would at an installed price much higher than<br>we usually charge. They agreed on a price. I'd rather do this than have<br>solar get a bad name with owner installed
systems.<br> Throughout my 20+ years installing PV, the majority of our service<br>calls in any year is on owner installed systems. New England in<br>particular seems to be particularly prone to resident DIY's. With grid<br>tie, the ante is upped dealing with high voltage ground faults and just<br>high voltage DC in general.<br> I expect these service calls only to grow.<br><br>Daryl<br><br><br><br><br>> <DIV style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif; font-size:10pt;">Since the new<br>> micro-inverters can be easily wired into the nearest 240 VAC circuit, odds<br>> are this will be the new do-it-yourself project for homeowners.&nbsp;<br>> However, odds also favor new round of outlaw solar systems that are not<br>> inspected, do not have properly sized wires and breakers, and do not have<br>> exterior utility dis-connects (although many states are no longer<br>> enforcing this
requirement).<BR><BR>So, it appears to me all the codes<br>> still apply regardless of where the inverter or inverters are located, so<br>> are any of you seeing an increase of these micro inverter systems<br>> installed by the homeowner?<BR><BR>Jeff Yago<BR>DTI<br>> Solar<BR><BR>&nbsp;<BR><HR>Netscape.&nbsp; Just the Net You Need.</DIV><br>> _______________________________________________<br>> List sponsored by Home Power magazine<br>><br>> List Address: <a ymailto="mailto:RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org" href="/mc/compose?to=RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org">RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org</a><br>><br>> Options & settings:<br>> <a href="http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org" target="_blank">http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org</a><br>><br>> List-Archive:<br>> <a
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target="_blank">http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org</a><br><br>List rules & etiquette:<br>www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm<br><br>Check out participant bios:<br>www.members.re-wrenches.org<br><br></div></blockquote></td></tr></table>