Dan,
I recently installed a 4.6 KW system with TIGO "maximizers"
http://www.tigoenergy.com/index.html at each PV, wired in with MC4's. A
Gateway (mounted centrally amidst the PVs) communicates wirelessly with each
maximizer, then relays (via cat5) status, info to the Maximizer Management
Unit, mounted adjacent to the inverter in this case.
Besides displaying current DC outputs at string level, it has a
larger red button that can be pushed to stop the output at the individual
PVs. All DC wires after the maximizer (wired in at each PV) are
dead....besides making firefighting safer, it's a really handy feature
during wiring also (I don't need my hair straightened anymore, again!).
The main reason I installed the TIGO system was to mitigate shading
issues and PV/string imbalances. Also though, they have monitoring, down to
the PV level. Enter Username and password from anywhere and there you are,
minute to minute output, history, etc. I've heard of output gains of
anything from 6% to 20% (this probably the ocassional max) due to MPPTing
and reducing mismatch.
Bill
Feather River Solar Electric
4291 Nelson St.
Taylorsville, CA 95983
530-284-7849/6544 fax
Solar powered since 1982
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dan Fink" <dan...@hughes.net>
To: "RE-wrenches" <re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org>
Sent: Tuesday, December 14, 2010 5:29 PM
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Fire Fighters
Andrew;
I think that in the future, the solution to the dilemma of entire roof
aspects fully covered in PV vs. firefighter safety is going to be
module-level control. Some shade mitigation systems already have it,
including an "all stop" button at the system control center. I hope some
electronic nerd somewhere is working on an inexpensive automated module
safety cutout. If the unit cost were low enough, the economics might work
out.
My fire department had to cut through a roof for ventilation in high winds
just last week. It's horrible, dangerous work, and having access to the
right location on the lee side, and a quick and safe escape route, are
essential.
DAN FINK
Buckville Energy Consulting LLC
IREC/ISPQ accredited Continuing Education Provider
and...@solarenergyoregon.com wrote:
While the Content of the CalFire info is amazingly extensive, and the
intentions behind it unequivocally laudable, where it limits rooftop
availability of PVs, it is not so great and a needless catastrophic blow
to the advancement of the photovoltaic industry in the United States of
America. If the industry does not get its thoughts together around
firefighter safety and rooftop availability for solar from a more
solarcentric perspective, we will see more bad code like that recently
passed in Oregon spread throughout the nation, well... like fire, that
all but outlaws the installation of far too many residential systems.
Respectfully,
Andrew Koyaanisqatsi
President
Solar Energy Solutions, Inc.
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