I discovered last year that there is a process for formal and informal interpretations from Florida's Building Officials Association (BOAF) and BOs are obligated and strongly encouraged, respectively, to follow their opinions. The process takes a little time but has proven to be very effective. If your state has one, I would encourage you to get familiar with the process.
We recently had a ruling in our favor in less than 30 days for use of Romex in the attic for AC microinverter circuits and also to omit labeling on these circuits. Essentially it asked if 690.31(E) (2011) applied to inverter output circuits. An "overzealous" plans review and inspector was causing us headaches. The BO, who happened to be on the association board but for a different discipline, gladly accepted the informal interpretation in our favor before it was even published and directed his reviewers and inspectors to approve our request! Jason Szumlanski Florida Solar Design Group On Sat, Apr 21, 2018 at 12:41 PM, Dana <[email protected]> wrote: > Hey Ray, > > I completely agree with you. I had an inspector in CO that was know in the > early days of solar among the manufacturers as that SOB in CO. > > I finally called his supervisor after several failed meetings where I felt > fairly sure that I was interpreting on the side of safety and the code. His > supervisor agreed with me & I got a call from the inspector asking why I > called his boss & why couldn’t we have discussed this? > > > > I replied that I had tried. We had a completely positive relationship > after that call. It turns out his home life was hell, he had a drinking > problem, and his teenage daughter was pregnant. He turned a corner after > that and a few years later retired. He is a happier man today. > > > > People can change, and it is one of the hardest things we all endure. > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------ > ---------------- > > Dana Orzel Great Solar Works, Inc. > > *C - 208.721.7003 [email protected] > <[email protected]>* > > Idaho Contractor - # 028765 Idaho PV # 028374 > > NABCEP # 051112-136 www.solarwork.biz > <https://mailtrack.io/trace/link/8e40919494dd2d3ed48041d79e91f484bca3dc51?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.solarwork.biz&userId=1613865&signature=27f30cd414feba02> > > *"Responsible Technologies for Responsible People since 1988" * > > *P* Please consider the environment before printing this email. > > > > > > *From:* RE-wrenches <[email protected]> *On > Behalf Of *Ray > *Sent:* Friday, April 20, 2018 1:01 PM > > *To:* [email protected] > *Subject:* Re: [RE-wrenches] Looking for insulated #6 bare standoff > > > > I've dealt with tough inspectors in many jurisdictions. I seem to spend > 50% of my time doing education. I do not just take the AHJs word as gospel > and blindly follow. I meet with them, sit down with the code and we work > it out. I am not afraid to question or protest a decision. After a few > years, the inspectors know I'm not trying to get away with sub standard > work, and that we all want the installation to be done right. > > -Ray > > > > On 4/20/18 12:38 PM, cwarfel wrote: > > It's just not Idaho. I was just asked about NEC PV interpretation for a > large city on the East coast. Same problem. Narrowly (and incorrectly) > interpreting the grounding requirements. > > It's probably nervous inspectors who feel their neck is on the line, and > are interpreting defensively thinking that is the safest thing for them to > do. We have taught a lot of Code officials and they really feel exposed > when it comes to PV. > > The key to me is just taking time, if the Building Official has it, to go > over the NEC sections and their relevance. It has to be made understandable > and easy. These people are suppose to approve everything from house wiring > to appliances to pools, to anything that requires a permit. It is just too > much for almost everyone to understand completely. Look at all the > questions we have with 690 and 705 alone > Chris. > > On 4/20/2018 1:28 PM, Dana wrote: > > Reasonable inspector, here? You have no idea. > > The plans examiner is the first link in the process here in Idaho, he is; > by the book, crossing t’s & dotting I’s and has a very strict & narrow > interpretation of the code. That said he is very helpful and a nice guy. > It’s an Idaho thing. > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------ > ---------------- > > Dana Orzel Great Solar Works, Inc. > > *C - 208.721.7003 [email protected] > <[email protected]>* > > Idaho Contractor - # 028765 Idaho PV # 028374 > > NABCEP # 051112-136 www.solarwork.biz > <https://mailtrack.io/trace/link/8e40919494dd2d3ed48041d79e91f484bca3dc51?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.solarwork.biz&userId=1613865&signature=27f30cd414feba02> > > *"Responsible Technologies for Responsible People since 1988" * > > *P* Please consider the environment before printing this email. > > > > > > *From:* RE-wrenches <[email protected]> > <[email protected]> *On Behalf Of *cwarfel > *Sent:* Friday, April 20, 2018 9:23 AM > *To:* [email protected] > *Subject:* Re: [RE-wrenches] Looking for insulated #6 bare standoff > > > > I just got back from being out of the office for a week+ and just read a > few of these. I hope this is not redundant. > > 6AWG is the size that meets several tests for exposed installations. By > that I mean that it is not protected. If you are running the array EGC > exposed, you would use at least 6AWG depending upon the size of the > overcurrent protection device towards the charge controller/array > disconnect. 250.120(C) and T250.122. > > We have run into the conductor covering rating problem too. #4 can be > color coded so you can use black conductor. A reasonable inspector should > allow this for 6 since a lot of the non black coverings are not holding up > as well to sunlight as black. I think NEC2017 takes this into > consideration and allows you to color code because of the superior > performance of black coverings. > > Chris > > > > On 4/20/2018 9:00 AM, Dana wrote: > > That makes two of us that would like to understand, why #6? I think it dates > to early grounding with grid tie systems. > > I remember back to 20+ years ago when the code required that the EGC was the > size of the largest conductor which with 24 volt inverters was OOOO. > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Dana Orzel Great Solar Works, Inc. > > C - 208.721.7003 [email protected] > > Idaho Contractor - # 028765 Idaho PV # 028374 > > NABCEP # 051112-136 www.solarwork.biz > <https://mailtrack.io/trace/link/cb28b75d2f632c4d61db3db4e8ccfd1ccd6bcdd4?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.solarwork.biz&userId=1613865&signature=b0c67a19abb5163e> > > "Responsible Technologies for Responsible People since 1988" > > P Please consider the environment before printing this email. > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: RE-wrenches <[email protected]> > <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Dave Angelini > Offgrid Solar > > Sent: Thursday, April 19, 2018 3:57 PM > > To: RE-wrenches <[email protected]> > <[email protected]> > > Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Looking for insulated #6 bare standoff > > > > Dana, I understand the need to use #6 in exposed places on the earth. I have > had inspectors require the same wire size that is used to the battery. I have > had them require the same size as the array wiring. I have never seen them do > what they are doing to you so thanks for the info.... Be well! --Dave > > The bare #8 is an EGC for #10 USE PV wire on the tracker to the array > > mounted combiner box. > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Dana Orzel Great Solar Works, Inc. > > C - 208.721.7003 [email protected] > > Idaho Contractor - # 028765 Idaho PV # 028374 > > NABCEP # 051112-136 www.solarwork.biz > <https://mailtrack.io/trace/link/cb28b75d2f632c4d61db3db4e8ccfd1ccd6bcdd4?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.solarwork.biz&userId=1613865&signature=b0c67a19abb5163e> > > "Responsible Technologies for Responsible People since 1988" > > ï Please consider the environment before printing this email. > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: RE-wrenches <[email protected]> > <[email protected]> On > > Behalf Of Hilton Dier > > Sent: Thursday, April 19, 2018 3:39 PM > > To: [email protected] > > Subject: [RE-wrenches] Looking for insulated #6 bare standoff > > > > Would #8 meet code? I thought that exposed ground wire had to be #6 > > minimum. > > > > Hilton Dier III > > Renewable Energy Design > > Missisquoi River Hydro LLC > > _______________________________________________ > > List sponsored by Redwood Alliance > > > > List Address: [email protected] > > > > Change listserver email address & settings: > > http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org > <https://mailtrack.io/trace/link/f6991d40e3c282a30efb12610401b55d0db5fb82?url=http%3A%2F%2Flists.re-wrenches.org%2Foptions.cgi%2Fre-wrenches-re-wrenches.org&userId=1613865&signature=a5529d26f5580afd> > > > > List-Archive: > > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist > <https://mailtrack.io/trace/link/e960ed5b87fdb48367d9c53bbfa027e2208248eb?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mail-archive.com%2Fre-wrenches%40lists.re-wrenches.org%2Fmaillist&userId=1613865&signature=a3cff065b59f24ea> > > .html > > > > List rules & etiquette: > > www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm > 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