[RE-wrenches] Lead placment and length on new PV Panels

[William Miller]

Friends:



I have been designing a large-ish off-grid system over the last few weeks.
This will be our first off-grid system to require MLRSS.  We chose the Tigo
TS4-A-F system.



In order to make certain the Tigo will work with modules that we can get
our hands on, we brought in a few samples to try and connect with the
Tigos.  What we found is that with many of the new PV panels, the leads
connect to the two long sides of the panels and are often too short to
practically route to the frame-mounted Tigos.



This got me to thinking:  Many panels are now configured with leads
connected to the two long sides.  Many new panels are coming out with
shorter leads.  Virtually all new roof-mounted installation will need some
form of MLPE.  These new panels will be ill-suited to connect to those MLPE
devices.



This has to do with the fact that instead of in the old days, when each
panel connected to a neighbor on either side, each panel now connects to a
single device, the MLPE.  The leads must able to reach that MLPE without
being pulled, banjo-string-tight across a void.  If PV leads cannot be
supported, they will end of laying on the roof.  Can we agree that is a bad
thing?



Have any of you consider this situation?  It is kind of complicated and
hard to explain.  I attempted to do so by writing a web page dedicated to
the subject.  I finished the site today but I am not sure it communicates
the dilemma adequately.  You can find it here
<https://millersolar.com/MillerSolar/case_studies/31-Module_leads/Module_leads.html>
.



I would be most grateful if some of you more experienced installers could
look this over and let me know if this problem has come across your radar
and what you are doing about this issue.



Thanks in advance.



William Miller



Miller Solar

17395 Oak Road, Atascadero, CA 93422

805-438-5600

www.millersolar.com

CA Lic. 773985
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