Hi Jesse, We did in fact use Sharpie on the test wall. I made the mistake of writing the "start date" for the test wall in Sharpie, but I think it only lasted the first couple years. As others have pointed out, the ink will usually fade and become illegible within a few years - depending on the level of direct sunlight exposure. I've got plenty of photos from site re-visits showing labels with handwritten numbers that are no longer visible. As Martin pointed out, it's questionable whether labels can even include handwritten text based on NEC 110.21(B)(2)... So, I guess in response to your follow-up comment, feel free to show those folks this photo along with the message “here is your sharpie” (it's completely vanished).
We experimented with nylon labelmaker tape and found that to generally hold up better than Sharpie. We also tried out a handheld engraving tool (for plastic/phenolic labels), but that was kind of a non-starter. At one point we even invested in a full-fledged engraving machine. I believe it came with its own software, and we purchased sheets of blank placard material. Unfortunately, we could never get our machine operator to turn the corner on making the label creation process efficient & worthwhile--the last I looked, the machine was sitting in a dark corner of the lunchroom. I agree with Brian/Dan that the different components in a PV system have different expected lifespans, and we can't reasonably expect all components to last as long as the longest-lasting component (PV modules). Labels seem to be one of those components that we can anticipate replacing every 5-10 years. -- Corey On Sat, Jun 27, 2020 at 6:06 PM <[email protected]> wrote: > > Did you use a sharpie on the box? I wonder how a sharpie or PICA marker > would hold up for 10 years. > > It’s an awesome test though. I love it. > > Jesse >
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