Throw a week's worth of Discover battery logs (data recorded every 5 seconds) at Claude, and it creates amazing reports.
With Claude doing most of the work, I created a small Python script in 2 hours that displays my PV system information—just the data I want, in the format I want. Easy personalized programming that's incredibly easy and I am just an electrician. I read about the stuff actual programmers are doing; it is mind blowing. The world is changing quickly, hold on. Lou Russo Owner [email protected] Office - 808 345 6762 Direct Line - 808 731 1907 Spree Solar Systems LLC CT-34322 On Sun, Mar 8, 2026 at 12:59 PM Howie Michaelson via RE-wrenches < [email protected]> wrote: > Jason, > This is amazingly and scarily impressive. Very useful, and in my luddite > oriented mind, very worrisome at the same time. Thanks for the > demonstration. > Howie > > On Sun, Mar 8, 2026, 10:11 AM Jason Szumlanski via RE-wrenches < > [email protected]> wrote: > >> I wanted to share a tip for using AI to extract from the amazing >> knowledge base we have accumulated over time. I haven't deleted a single >> wrench email in over a decade. They are all in my Gmail account as archived >> emails. If you are like me and never delete emails, there is a great way to >> dig up old information. >> >> I recently became enamored with Anthropics's Claude Co-Work, which >> requires the paid version, but I feel it's well worth it. You can connect >> it to your Gmail account (not available in the free version). When you do >> that, you can ask it in plain language to search and extract data for you. >> >> When I get some time I am going to see how I can expand this method to >> the online archives rather than using my personal Gmail data. Regardless, >> whether using the archives or Gmail, the results are very helpful. I have >> used this to find historical discussions with great success. >> >> I will give you an example of what I asked and what the response was. It >> was exactly what I was looking for. >> >> *Claude Prompt:* >> >> Go into my email and find the RE wrenches list email list server address >> and then search for all emails to or from that list server regarding NEC >> section 690.12 and summarize the content of recent discussions at a high >> level >> >> *Response:* >> >> First, let me find the RE wrenches list server address. >> >> Got it. The list server address is `[email protected]`. >> Now let me search for 690.12 discussions. >> >> Good, I can see several distinct threads touching 690.12. Let me read the >> key threads to get enough detail for a solid summary. >> >> I now have solid coverage across four distinct threads. Here's your >> summary. >> >> --- >> >> The list server address is `[email protected]`. >> >> --- >> >> ### 690.12 Discussions on RE-wrenches: High-Level Summary >> >> Four threads surfaced with meaningful 690.12 discussion, covering the >> period from roughly August 2025 through January 2026. >> >> **Thread 1: "Battery RSD" (August 2025)** >> >> This thread clarified an important terminology distinction: Rapid >> Shutdown is a term that belongs specifically to PV systems under 690.12 and >> should not be conflated with battery or ESS disconnecting means, which are >> covered under NEC 480 and 706 respectively. The discussion resolved a real >> inspection dispute where a building inspector was demanding a disconnect >> between the battery and the inverter. The installer eventually got the >> supervisor to agree that what was actually needed was an AC disconnect >> within sight of the ESS, not a DC disconnect between battery and inverter. >> >> **Thread 2: "Help understanding 690.12/UL 3741 and Ironridge" (October >> 2025)** >> >> A wrench working on a new home with a Sol-Ark/battery system was confused >> about whether Ironridge's UL 3741-listed XR Flush Mount racking eliminated >> the need for MLPEs. The group clarified that UL 3741 compliance is a >> system-level listing that requires specific matched combinations of >> racking, inverters, and (in some cases) RSD devices. Ironridge's listing at >> the time only covered Tesla inverters with MCIs or Solis with MidNite MNSSR >> units, so Sol-Ark was not a covered option. One variation of the UL 3741 >> path requires the inverter to be mounted within roughly one to three feet >> of the array, making it impractical for most residential installs, while >> the other variation uses RSD devices and allows a remotely located inverter. >> >> **Thread 3: "Tigo TS4-A-F" (November 2025)** >> >> This was the most technically substantive thread. It started with RSD >> device reliability concerns and evolved into a broader interpretation >> debate about when 690.12 actually applies. >> >> On applicability: Zeke Yewdall argued that 690.12 module-level RSD is >> only required on inhabited structures and that even unoccupied detached >> garages might not require it. He read Exception #2 of the 2023 NEC as >> clearly exempting nonenclosed detached structures such as parking shade >> structures, carports, solar trellises, and similar, which he argued extends >> to ground-mounted arrays. William Miller pushed back, paraphrasing the rule >> as: if PV circuits are located on or in any structure, RSS is required, >> with the only exception being a structure whose sole purpose is to house >> solar equipment. His colorful summary was that if your inverter is in a >> shed with one rake in it, RSD is required. Howie Michaelson raised the >> additional open question of whether RSD is still required when the array is >> on a nonenclosed structure but DC conductors are routed into a dwelling >> where the inverter is located, noting this is a particularly important >> consideration for cold-climate battery installations. >> >> On device reliability: William Miller argued that the RSS requirement >> outpaced the availability of reliable hardware to implement it, noting that >> interrupting high-voltage DC under load requires serious arc suppression >> that a small plastic RSD nodule is not well suited to provide. He also >> flagged a nationwide RSD device shortage at the time. >> >> **Thread 4: "MidNite MNSSR-600-SS" (January 2026)** >> >> MidNite Solar confirmed directly on the list that the MNSSR-600-SS >> string-level RSD product has been discontinued and there is no replacement >> on their roadmap, citing new UL double-redundancy failsafe requirements >> that would have demanded a substantial redesign. The original question was >> whether string-level shutdown alone could satisfy 690.12 under NEC 2023 or >> 2026 without UL 3741 involvement. William Miller's practical takeaway was >> that the most viable design path to avoid 690.12 compliance headaches >> altogether is to keep all electronics in a dedicated structure used for >> nothing other than the PV system. >> >> --- >> >> **Bottom line across threads:** The list has been working through 690.12 >> from multiple angles simultaneously -- what structures trigger it, what >> exceptions actually hold up with AHJs, whether UL 3741 is a realistic >> residential compliance path given equipment compatibility constraints, and >> the shrinking market for string-level RSD devices. The ground-mount >> applicability question in particular had no clean consensus answer, with >> experienced wrenches reading the code exceptions differently. >> >> >> Jason Szumlanski >> Florida Solar Design Group >> >> _______________________________________________ >> List sponsored by Redwood Alliance >> >> Pay optional member dues here: http://re-wrenches.org >> >> 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 >> >> _______________________________________________ > List sponsored by Redwood Alliance > > Pay optional member dues here: http://re-wrenches.org > > 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 > >
_______________________________________________ List sponsored by Redwood Alliance Pay optional member dues here: http://re-wrenches.org 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
