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<TITLE>Re: [RE-wrenches] module / panel</TITLE>
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<FONT FACE="Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:11pt'>It tells me their marketing people have never read the NEC—no big surprise there—and maybe they are new to the PV industry. <BR>
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But the term PV panel is also used so ubiquitously in place of the term PV module—both in common parlance and in the industry—that it’s probably going to supersede the terms in the NEC over time. Since the NEC terms were defined when modules were 50W each, one could make the case that a 250W module bears some resemblance to a panel, as originally conceived.<BR>
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One new company that does know the difference is Solyndra. Each cylinder in Solyndra-speak is a module. They refer to the field-installable assembly is a panel. Technically perfect use of the terms.<BR>
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My personal pet peeve is not keeping power and energy straight. We can all distinguish between between miles-per-hour and miles. So how come some people in this industry can’t keep kW and kWh straight? That smells fishy to me, especially in “technical sales” literature. <BR>
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On 2/8/11 5:20 PM, "benn kilburn" <<a href="benn@daystarsolar.ca">benn@daystarsolar.ca</a>> wrote:<BR>
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</SPAN></FONT><BLOCKQUOTE><FONT SIZE="2"><FONT FACE="Tahoma, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:10pt'>Dave, thanks for the reply.<BR>
What are your thoughts when you see (in various publications and/or websites) solar PV distributers and even "module" manufacturers using the term 'panel' to describe a 'module'? <BR>
benn<BR>
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</SPAN></FONT><SPAN STYLE='font-size:10pt'><FONT FACE="Franklin Gothic Medium">DayStar Renewable Energy Inc. <BR>
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<HR ALIGN=CENTER SIZE="3" WIDTH="100%">Date: Tue, 8 Feb 2011 17:02:32 -0600<BR>
From: <a href="david.brearley@solarprofessional.com">david.brearley@solarprofessional.com</a><BR>
To: <a href="re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org">re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org</a><BR>
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] module / panel<BR>
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Message body </FONT></SPAN></FONT><FONT FACE="Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:11pt'>People in and out of the industry misuse the term PV panel all the time. The NEC is pretty clear that the basic building block for a PV system is a module, the complete unit. Assemble some of these together & now you have a panel. (This is less common now that we have 250 watt modules and not 50 watt modules.) An array is defined in the NEC as a mechanically integrated unit; I tend to think of an array as all of the modules on site. They added a definition for a subarray in the 2011 NEC; this is an electrical subset of an array. <BR>
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On 2/8/11 4:49 PM, "benn kilburn" <<a href="benn@daystarsolar.ca">benn@daystarsolar.ca</a> <<a href="http://benn@daystarsolar.ca">http://benn@daystarsolar.ca</a>> > wrote:<BR>
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</SPAN></FONT><BLOCKQUOTE><FONT SIZE="2"><FONT FACE="Tahoma, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:10pt'>Wrenchers,<BR>
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Which term do you to describe a single framed unit with either a j-box or two wire leads on the back, module or panel? <BR>
Which term do you believe to be correct and why?<BR>
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My interpretation is that a single framed unit is a module. Any number of modules attached to a single detached 'rack' is a panel, and a group of panels with the same orientation or mounting location/type is an array.<BR>
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If you agree with my interpretation, what are your thoughts on the widespread use of the term 'panel' to describe a module.<BR>
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thanks,<BR>
benn<BR>
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</SPAN></FONT><SPAN STYLE='font-size:10pt'><FONT FACE="Franklin Gothic Medium">DayStar Renewable Energy Inc. <BR>
<a href="benn@daystarsolar.ca">benn@daystarsolar.ca</a> <<a href="http://benn@daystarsolar.ca">http://benn@daystarsolar.ca</a>> <BR>
780-906-7807 <BR>
HAVE A SUNNY DAY <BR>
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