Dear Wiliam and all, I am a strong proponent for MLSD.
Smiles, Andrew Koyaanisqatsi President Solar Energy Solutions, Inc. The BRIGHT CHOICE Since 1987, helping you and your Portland neighbors move towards an environmentally sustainable future. 503-238-4502 www.SolarEnergyOregon.com On Feb 6, 2021, at 8:38 PM, William Miller <[email protected]> wrote: > Dear Friendly Neighborhood Solar Man: > > I read this email below several times and looked carefully through all of the > photographs. I could not let this message go without comment. See below: > > The pictures make exactly the case you are arguing against. Extinguishing > this fire in the daytime without MLSD would be much more dangerous than with > MLSD. > > Your logic that you don’t like squirrel guards also makes no sense because > squirrel guards, if installed properly, would have prevented this event > absolutely. > > Furthermore, I don’t accept the argument that roofs can be dangerous so let’s > not bother doing anything to try and make them a bit less dangerous. > > What also makes no sense is the adoption of MLSD requirements is some kind of > conspiracy. You offer that as a rumor without any evidence to the contrary. > Letting that go without comment serves to infer that some of us on this forum > might agree with the assertion. That is how conspiracy theories thrive. I > need facts, not conjecture. I imagine others here might agree. > > Seatbelts are a hassle. Fall protection harnesses are a hassle. Safety > procedures in general are a hassle. That is no reason to blow them off. I > try to adapt and get proficient at the procedures so they are a bit less of a > hassle and then enjoy the reduction in workplace hazards that those > procedures provide. > > All in all, the entire logic you present makes no sense. No disrespect > intended. > > Most Sincerely, > > William Miller > > Miller Solar > 17395 Oak Road, Atascadero, CA 93422 > 805-438-5600 > www.millersolar.com > CA Lic. 773985 > > > From: RE-wrenches [mailto:[email protected]] On > Behalf Of Solar Energy Solutions > Sent: Thursday, February 4, 2021 11:49 AM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] MLSD module level shutdown > > Dear All, > > I apologize for letting this conversation get a little stale before being > able to comment further. > > Before I reply, I would like to say I don't believe MLSD has anything to do > with firefighter safety. If being on dangerous roofs was really a concern, > steep roofs, slate roofs, metal roof, wet metal or shake roofs and snow on > roofs would get the same kind of scrutiny as solar on roofs. I can only > guess and think that some HUGE solar hating utility company devised this > whole firefighter safety thing. It is also my understanding none of the > string inverter folk turned up to the code development meetings where MLSD > was determined and you can guess who was. But much of this is only rumor > and the dark thoughts of a solar bozo. > > I HATE the hassle and maintenance issues of MLSD. I loved string inverters > and hated to see them go. So far as I can tell the US is the only place on > planet Earth to make String inverters all but illegal. This said... a > picture is worth a thousand words. All of the attached photos of systems had > the wire management done very well. If you look at the metal roof photo you > can see a small hole in it from the arc. I have many more photos of > different squirrel damaged systems. Ground Fault protection has saved the > inverters, but not the roofs. > > I don't really like the idea of squirrel guards. It seems like I may be > creating another problem down the road that I can't really imagine. Debris > build up could be an issue. Rainwater could back up from a damn and get > under shingles and into the cavity of the house. For me the easiest thing > that could be done is for some kind of a bittering agent to be part of the > wires so that one little lick would send a critter looking for a better food > source. > > Your Friendly Neighborhood Solar Man, > > https://www.dropbox.com/s/3g5c57nqke9x7b2/Fire%201.JPG?dl=0 > Fire 2.JPG > > <image001.jpg> > > > <image002.png> > > Fire 2.JPG > Shared with Dropbox > https://www.dropbox.com/s/3g5c57nqke9x7b2/Fire%201.JPG?dl=0 > Fire 3.JPG > > <image003.jpg> > > > <image002.png> > > Fire 3.JPG > Shared with Dropbox > Fire 4.JPG > > <image004.jpg> > > > <image005.png> > > Fire 4.JPG > Shared with Dropbox > Fire 5 Voltair the culprit.jpg > > <image006.jpg> > > > <image005.png> > > Fire 5 Voltair the culprit.jpg > Shared with Dropbox > Metal Roof Squirrel damage.JPG > > <image007.jpg> > > > <image002.png> > > Metal Roof Squirrel damage.JPG > Shared with Dropbox > Shadow of scorched squirrel on metal roof.JPG > > <image008.jpg> > > > <image005.png> > > Shadow of scorched squirrel on metal roof.JPG > Shared with Dropbox > > > Andrew Koyaanisqatsi > President > Solar Energy Solutions, Inc. > The BRIGHT CHOICE > Since 1987, helping you and your Portland neighbors > move towards an environmentally sustainable future. > 503-238-4502 > www.SolarEnergyOregon.com > > > On Friday, January 29, 2021, 8:15:28 PM PST, Ray <[email protected]> wrote: > > > I totally agree; where else does the NEC allow loose single conductor cables > to run unprotected? outdoors? All because the module manus and industry in > general has made no effort, zero, to accommodate any type of electrical > industry standard K/Os for conduit, or TEK 90 (great stuff BTW). If we > hadn't gone this wacky direction, starting about 15 years ago, we probably > wouldn't be having this conversation, because there would be much less reason > for MLSD. > > I could see whips of TEK 90 that plugged into polarized 2 pole quick connects > mounted integrally to a J box on the back of each module. > > > > Ray Walters > Remote Solar > 303 505-8760 > On 1/29/21 8:10 PM, Hilton Dier wrote: > There’s a buried-in-plain-sight issue here that has bugged me for years. > > In the bad old days we had to hard wire into J-boxes on the backs of modules. > A pain, but it meant that, if necessary, we could install conduit from the > module to the combiner box. Now we have convenient pigtails. > > However, we are stuck with #10 PV wire hanging under the module from the box > to the nearest attachment point. There are all sorts of trays and wire > management systems, but there’s always that one loop of wire hanging in the > open. > > I know that the module industry has near zero margins as a commodity market. > Perhaps one manufacturer could differentiate themselves by making a module > with either 1) armored pigtails, or 2) provision for some kind of conduit > starting at the J box. > > I’m thinking of all the various back covers installers have to improvise on > ground mounts. I’m thinking of squirrels and ice dams. > > Why can’t there be a module with the equivalent of Teck 90 cable on it? > > Maybe I’m just being naive. > > Hilton > > 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 > > There are two list archives for searching. When one doesn't work, try the > other: > https://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org > > List rules & etiquette: > http://www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm > > Check out or update participant bios: > http://www.members.re-wrenches.org
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