Re: [RE-wrenches] Plaques

[Chris Schaefer via RE-wrenches]

After years of having a local vendor do my engraving and using a couple of
different thermal printers, I settled on a Brady BMP 51 label printer. All
kinds of colors and UV protective labels. The machine remembers your labels
in a file and has battery backup. Definitely best to keep the labels out of
the sun when possible, but even so they are holding up very well. I've had
the unit for almost 10 years now. I don't recall the cost but it wasn't a
deal breaker for me.

Christopher

On Sun, Mar 31, 2024 at 9:43 AM Kirk Herander via RE-wrenches <
re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:

> Hellermann Tyton seems to be big into labels. They also sell a thermal
> printer which is branded as theirs, but it can also be found at
> www.creativesafetysupply.com, branded as a Labeltac 4.0, at half the
> price of Hellerman. $699 at present vs. the $1,500 Hellerman. That's where
> I bought mine about 10 years ago. I used their MS Word label software to
> customize templates. They also sell blank label rolls including white on
> red reflective tape, UV resistant.
>
> I only used Hellerman generic write-on labels once. They were terrible,
> indelible pen bleached out within a year.
>
> On Sun, Mar 31, 2024 at 7:58 AM Kirpal Khalsa via RE-wrenches <
> re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:
>
>> Lou. .
>> We got the Express engraver.  All in it was around 5 grand.
>> We were spending over $ 1500 per year ar our local trophy engraving store
>> plus coordinating and they would go on vacation right when we needed
>> placards.  For us it made sense to bring this process in house.
>>
>> On Sun, Mar 31, 2024, 1:14 AM Lou Russo via RE-wrenches <
>> re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:
>>
>>> Aloha Wrenches,
>>>
>>> Kirpal, I was looking at the Vision product line. What model did you
>>> purchase?
>>>
>>> We work out in the boonies and driving 35 minutes to town to pick up a
>>> $75 directory from the trophy shop is getting old.
>>>
>>> On Sat, Mar 30, 2024, 5:48 PM Kirpal Khalsa via RE-wrenches <
>>> re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:
>>>
 Hi Lou and all.
 We dove all in and got a Vision Engraving machine. They offer several
 models and the most basic version works just fine.  It was a big investment
 but we can make our own placatds in the same day.
 We have a dedicated cheap laptop and a vacuum attachment they sell
 which keeps the work area clean.  There was a learning curve but we won
 after a bit.
 Its really nice to have and to have the flexibility makes that an
 aspect of job management  much less complicated. My guess is that it will
 take 3-4 years to pay for itself.
 We like having it and my only regret us that  we didnt get one sooner.

 On Sat, Mar 30, 2024, 11:57 AM Lou Russo via RE-wrenches <
 re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:

> Aloha Wrenches,
>
> Anyone out there making their own engraved plaques and labels?
> If so, is it worth it and what machine are you using?
> Thanks for your time and insight, it is always appreciated.
>
> Aloha,
>
> Lou Russo
> Owner
> l...@spreesolarsystems.com
> 808 345 6762
> Spree Solar Systems LLC
> CT-34322
>
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Re: [RE-wrenches] In search of better generator start relay for Outback system

[Chris Schaefer via RE-wrenches]

G'day Dan,

I've been using the Dorman 5 pin, 30A 12v relay, p/n 88069 for several
years. I've found them at Auto Zone or sometimes I just buy them online.

Good Luck,
Christopher

On Fri, Feb 9, 2024 at 12:28 PM Dan Fink via RE-wrenches <
re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:

> Esteemed Wrenches - Finally successfully troubleshot an intermittent AGS
> problem that has been nagging one of my remote-grid clients for 1.5 winters
> now. Of course it's a 4-hour drive from my office.
>
> During winter snowstorms (when they need the AGS the most of course) the
> generator had only about 50:50 chance of starting. So I'd travel to the
> site (sometimes just the client would do it and I'd guide him by phone),
> pull up the Gen menu on the Mate 3S, hit ON and it wouldn't start. No
> bueno. Walk up to the generator (propane with Honda engine) and verify it's
> on Auto. Start it with the main switch to ON, starts right up, so not a gen
> battery problem. Run it for an hour or so, stop it with the switch on the
> gen, put it back to Auto, and everything works perfectly from Mate 3S AGS
> for 1-2 days, including remote start from OpticsRE. Then the problem
> (sometimes) comes up again when nobody is there.
>
> I just happened to hit the site at exactly the right time last week right
> as a big snowstorm was moving in, and was finally able to figure it out
> with really good raingear and a multimeter: The Outback Flexware remote gen
> start relay OBR-16-DIN was icing up internally, I had added it in the gen
> compartment when we upgraded the client from an old Trace SW  to an Outback
> (SW had a big AGS relay, Outback sent a 12VDC signal to trigger the
> external relay we added).
>
> DIAG - new Outback OBR-16-DIN relay would get frosty internally when high
> humidity snowstorms would move in, that's why it sometimes didn't work from
> the Mate 3S or OpticsRE. Run the gen for an hour, the internal gen
> compartment warms up, the frost melts off of the relay, then all the AGS
> from Mate 3S and OpticsRE works fine.
>
> Have any of all y'all run into this problem, and is there a more reliable
> relay to use that won't ice up? not outside exposed to weather, but inside
> the outside gen enclosure. I have zero space available in the VFX  MNDC
> enclosure in the house to put in the Flexware AGS relay, it would need a
> separate enclosure.
>
> The easiest solution I can see is just find a relay to fit into the gen
> compartment that does the same as the Outback version, but doesn't ice up.
>
> Thanks in advance for any and all suggestions.
>
> Dan Fink
> Owner, Buckville Energy Consulting LLC
> IREC Certified Instructor for PV and Small Wind Installation
> NABCEP Certified PV System Inspector
> NABCEP PV Associate
> d anbo...@gmail.com
> 970-672-4342
>
>
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-- 

Chris Schaefer’s


*Tel 585-229-2083 or Cell 585-748-1870 *
*5115 S Hill Road ~ Canandaigua New York 14424**www.solarandwindfx.com
 ~ E-mail: ch...@solarandwindfx.com
*


Thomas Jefferson, the author of our great Constitution, once said,
"democracy" will cease to exist when you take away from those who are
willing to work and give to those who would not."
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Re: [RE-wrenches] Lithium batteries

[Chris Schaefer via RE-wrenches]

Ray,

Oddly enough we're getting ready to replace our 22 year old 48v bank of
Rolls Surrette batteries at our offgrid Design and Training Center in
Western NY with a set of Lithium batteries.The reason for the jump to
Lithium is because of the numerous request by clients for them over the
past 5 year or so. By having them here onsite, this will give us a window
into how they truly operate over time.

Three questions I always ask manufacturers are, can the BMS firmware be
upgraded in the field and/or can the BMS be swapped out in the field? Also
is an internet connection required in order to receive warranty? FYI, Rolls
lithium product is field swappable and does not require an internet
connection. It seems every time we get close to making a choice on which
lithium manufacturer to use something seems to steer us away.

I couldn't agree more with Ray's statement. "but lead acid are a known
quantity, and with proper maintenance are quite robust and predictable.
Even when they fail, there are plenty of warning signs beforehand." Perhaps
what the lithium manufacturers need to do is provide us installers with a
"tool" that gives us a window into the BMS perhaps via a laptop. Maybe it
already exists.

A couple of years back we backed out of a couple of projects due to the
fact the clients insisted on a lithium battery. I declined the projects as
the temperature environment was wrong amongst other reasons too. I followed
up with both projects a year later and both projects failed miserably and
as Ray called it, the inverter manufacturer pointed the finger to the
battery manufacturer and vice versa.

Keep up the great work everyone and don't forget to donate to the wrenches
list.

Your Friendly Neighborhood Solar Guy,
Christopher

On Thu, Feb 8, 2024 at 8:46 AM Jay via RE-wrenches <
re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:

> Hi Ray
>
> I’m going more and more with same oem for systems with lithium.
> Specifically so I don’t have an issue with finger pointing between OEMS.
>
> But that sure sucks.
>
> Jay
>
>
>
> On Feb 7, 2024, at 10:17 PM, Ray Walters via RE-wrenches <
> re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:
>
> 
>
> We just had a complete failure of a set of four Simpliphi 3.8 KWh
> batteries, 48 v.  It has completely changed my thoughts on Li+ for off
> grid.  This set lasted 5 years, which is about equal to bottom of the
> barrel Golf Cart batteries.  The RMA/ Warranty process has not been
> smooth.  It took almost a week to even get shipping info from Simpliphi,
> and then another week to deal with Hazmat issues, and get Fed Ex to accept
> used Li+ batteries for shipment.  To their credit, tech support has been
> knowledgeable, responsive, and available by phone while on site.
>
>  Overall, the system worked fine for 5 years, but then a month ago, after
> several days of cloudy weather, the system shut down due to low voltage.
> (so far, fairly typical off grid winter situation) When the customer
> started the generator and tried to revive the system, he noticed one of the
> batteries didn't seem to be taking a charge, so after consulting with
> Simpliphi, he charged each battery separately with a small aux charger.  I
> checked this charger and it was quite stable at a max of 58 v.  By the time
> I arrived, all 4 batteries would not accept even milliamps of charge
> current. The BMSs had all disconnected the batteries from the buss, but
> strangely there was residual voltage (51vdc) on the terminals.  It was not
> usable however, and crashed to 18 v upon connection to the inverter with no
> loads.
>
> Simpliphi is claiming all the BMS units were fried due to a high voltage
> event.  Its winter, there was no lightning, and we had both the Outback
> FM100 and the Schneider XW programmed according to the Simpliphi
> integration guides.   BTW, Simpliphi has no high voltage recording, they
> just don't like the look of how their electronics fried. Electronics failed
> = customer's fault.  I think it failed because of the voltage differential
> between the low battery voltage and normal charge voltage.  If  the BMS
> can't survive in a typical off grid environment, with proper programming on
> industry standard equipment, its not suitable for off grid applications.
> Plenty of manus have decided to quit recommending their equipment for off
> grid; its a tough gig.
>
> How many times have we all heard the old '*Manu S blaming Manu X'* snafu
> on this list?  Simpliphi is saying that the XW can have transient over
> voltage events.  Well, that should be mentioned in the integration guide,
> so we can make an informed decision, and not use that inverter with their
> batteries.
>
> So after paying about 5 times what a set of golf cart batteries would have
> cost, my client is looking at having to buy a complete new set.  That's
> approx. *$1.60/ kWh of use from the old set*.  Simpliphi is saying
> they'll give us a discount on refurbished units; that is still to be seen.
> The customer has been running on an 

Re: [RE-wrenches] State of Charge Meter for Sol-Ark

[Chris Schaefer via RE-wrenches]

Why not revert to the tried, trued and tested Trimetric 2030 from Bogart
engineering? I miss the old 2020 units that we installed on every off grid
system back in the day.

Christopher

On Sun, Feb 4, 2024 at 11:38 AM Glenn Burt via RE-wrenches <
re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:

> Cheap tablet mounted to the wall?
>
> -Glenn
> Sent from my 'smart'phone, so please excuse typos and spelling errors.
>
> -- Original message--
> *From: *Jason Szumlanski via RE-wrenches
> *Date: *Sun, Feb 4, 2024 10:30 AM
> *To: *RE-wrenches;
> *Cc: *Jason Szumlanski;
> *Subject:*[RE-wrenches] State of Charge Meter for Sol-Ark
>
> Are there any off the shelf solutions to view battery SOC via a wired
> meter mounted remotely on a property? I have a client with a simple voltage
> based meter for lead acid batteries that they are accustomed to using as a
> quick and approximate gauge of SOC. They want something similar for their
> new Sol-Ark with EG4 LL batteries.
>
> They will have smartphone app visibility, but they want something they can
> see inside the house without picking up a phone or going out to the
> inverter. Ideally the SOC will come from the inverter or the battery
> itself, not an external source (to avoid discrepancies).
>
> Jason Szumlanski
> Florida Solar Design Group
> ___
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-- 

Chris Schaefer’s


*Tel 585-229-2083 or Cell 585-748-1870 *
*5115 S Hill Road ~ Canandaigua New York 14424**www.solarandwindfx.com
 ~ E-mail: ch...@solarandwindfx.com
*


Thomas Jefferson, the author of our great Constitution, once said,
"democracy" will cease to exist when you take away from those who are
willing to work and give to those who would not."
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Re: [RE-wrenches] Cable sizing for high current modules? NEC interpretation/guidance?

[Chris Schaefer via RE-wrenches]

I'd be curious to know of the connector failures y'all have experienced,
were the majority of these roof mounts?
Just wondering if with better air flow like that of a pole/ground mount, if
that helped to minimize connector failure.

Christopher

On Fri, Nov 10, 2023 at 1:21 AM Bill Battagin via RE-wrenches <
re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:

> Ray,
>
> Exactly the same thing happened for me on a ground mount
> system, 3500 feet elevation the the Sierras so open cooler air, fully
> engaged MC4 factory connectors PV to PV connectors with SW285's, not
> passing current, melted.  No attempt to contact SW just made up new
> connectors.
>
> My calculation is with anything that is no doubt made up by
> the bazillion with a machine (connectors, light bulbs, pencils, chicken
> nuggets, etc) you're going to get some duds.  In 20+ years of installing
> PVs with factory made-up connectors, I've only seen this happen 2-3 times.
> Installing in the mountains we no doubt use ground mount much more often
> than most installs in urban areas which would make a hot, melted connector
> possibly more of an issue a couple inches above a comp or wood roof.  We've
> never seen any connectors fail beyond the melted/deformed but still
> "contained" stage .
>
> Back when SW was first transitioning from one connector to
> another, I remember them saying they (I think it was UTX and MC or was it
> UTX and Amphenol?) were compatible.  We NEVER mixed connectors despite
> their claim.
>
> Bill
>
> Feather River Solar Electric
> 4291 Nelson St. (Shipping)
> 5575 Genesee Rd. (USPS, UPS)
> Taylorsville, CA  95983
> 530-284-7849, 258-1641(cell)
> CA. C10 Lic # 874049
> Solar Powered since 1982
> Home of the Sunny Side Up
>
> On 11/9/2023 4:31 PM, Ray Walters via RE-wrenches wrote:
>
> I'm trying to find a pic to post, but they were MC4 connectors, not the
> UTX.
>
> Ray
> On 11/9/2023 4:57 PM, Brian Mehalic wrote:
>
> Are they the Amohenol UTX connectors? SW had a recall on them, sounds like
> about the right timeframe.
>
> BREAKING: SolarWorld recalls PV modules with Amphenol connectors
> 
> pv-magazine-usa.com
> 
>
> 
>
>
> Brian
>
> On Nov 9, 2023, at 4:47 PM, Ray Walters via RE-wrenches
>  
> wrote:
>
> 
>
> 12 Ga wire is not going to catch on fire, but the MC connectors might.  I
> just went back on a 7 yr old Solarworld install, and had a bad series MC
> connector (module to module).  It got quite crispy, deforming and bubbling
> the plastic on both sides of the connection.  It was still passing current;
> I didn't get a chance to measure the volt drop.  It was completely plugged
> in, so not an installation issue.
>
> This was not one of our connectors made up in the field, these were
> Solarworld factory connectors on both sides, same model modules.  That also
> means no mismatch of "MC4" connector type.
>
> 10+ amps continuous, moist environment, 30F+  hotter than ambient temp,
> all are tough on connectors.  I predict more connector failures as module
> current ratings increase.
>
> Ray Walters
> Remote Solar
> On 11/9/2023 3:02 PM, Glenn Burt via RE-wrenches wrote:
>
> Good luck trying to convince your customer that their house caught on fire
> because of a manufacturers flaw, and you have no responsibility for it…
>
> It may be an out to shift the blame, but it only makes everybody get some
> on them…
>
>
>
> *From:* RE-wrenches 
>  *On Behalf Of *William Miller
> via RE-wrenches
> *Sent:* Wednesday, November 08, 2023 12:14 PM
> *To:* RE-wrenches 
> 
> *Cc:* William Miller  
> *Subject:* Re: [RE-wrenches] Cable sizing for high current modules? NEC
> interpretation/guidance?
>
>
>
> George:
>
>
>
> Appliance manufacturers have their own requirements that are not the same
> as the NEC requirements.  As long as you are not modifying the manufactured
> assembly you are not responsible for compliance of that appliance.  By
> appliance, I mean the solar module, microinverter, etc.
>
>
>
> William Miller
>
>
>
> Miller Solar
>
> 17395 Oak Road, Atascadero, CA 93422
>
> 805-438-5600
>
> www.millersolar.com
>
> CA Lic. 773985
>
>
>
>
>
> *From:* RE-wrenches [mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] *On
> Behalf Of *George McClellan via RE-wrenches
> *Sent:* Wednesday, November 8, 2023 9:06 AM
> *To:* RE-wrenches
> *Cc:* George McClellan
> *Subject:* [RE-wrenches] Cable sizing for high current modules? NEC
> interpretation/guidance?
>
>
>
> Team;
>
>
>
> With the move to larger cells, some modules have an Isc that is pushing
> the limits of 12 AWG wire.  If I apply the rule of 156% (or 125% solar
> derate*125% continuous load derate) to an 18 Amp Isc module this will
> exceed the 25A 

[RE-wrenches] Schneider BTS

[Chris Schaefer via RE-wrenches]

G'day All,

Having a difficult time locating a distributor for Schneider BTS cables for
a twin set of XW Pro 6848's. Schneider will not sell these to installers.
Please provide me with a source/supplier.

Much Appreciated,
Christopher-

Chris Schaefer’s


*Tel 585-229-2083 or Cell 585-748-1870 *
*5115 S Hill Road ~ Canandaigua New York 14424**www.solarandwindfx.com
 ~ E-mail: ch...@solarandwindfx.com
*


Thomas Jefferson, the author of our great Constitution, once said,
"democracy" will cease to exist when you take away from those who are
willing to work and give to those who would not."
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Re: [RE-wrenches] Propane range options for off-grid?

[Chris Schaefer via RE-wrenches]

When it comes to stove/ovens, been using and recommending Roper by
Whirlpool for almost 20 years without issues for our offgrid clientele as
well as our own offgrid home and shop/office. Zero electric required.

Your Friendly Neighborhood Solar Guy,
Christopher

On Tue, Sep 26, 2023 at 7:33 PM Dave Angelini Offgrid Solar via RE-wrenches
 wrote:

> Happiness is a great stove! Can I get the Viking model number Dana. Please PM 
> or Wrench it!
>
> *Dave Angelini Offgrid Solar
> "we go where powerlines don't"
>https://offgridsolar1.com/ 
>   
> e-mail  offgridso...@sti.net 
> text 209 813 0060*
>
>
> On 2023-09-26 4:16 pm, Dana Orzel via RE-wrenches wrote:
>
> Our 6 burner Viking only draws 15 watts off-grid, just saying J one form
> of happiness is  a great stove!
>
>
>
> ___
>
> Dana Orzel  c- 2087217003   e – d...@solarwork.com
>
>
>
> ___
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 ~ E-mail: ch...@solarandwindfx.com
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Re: [RE-wrenches] Flashing Identification

[Chris Schaefer via RE-wrenches]

Oh my. Well at least there are palm trees in the background, lol.

Christopher

On Mon, Aug 7, 2023 at 5:36 PM Jason Szumlanski via RE-wrenches <
re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:

> Obviously, this is wrong on so many levels, but can someone identify the
> flashings in the attached picture?
>
> Looks like I'm taking on another charity case.
>
> Jason Szumlanski
> Florida Solar Design Group
>
>
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 ~ E-mail: ch...@solarandwindfx.com
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Re: [RE-wrenches] Phased out Schneider Electric SCP

[Chris Schaefer via RE-wrenches]

akin to outback and their FM100 charger controller with no display. I use
the Midnite classic 200 instead.

Christopher

On Tue, Apr 4, 2023 at 11:34 AM Dave Angelini Offgrid Solar via RE-wrenches
 wrote:

> Thanks Glen !  I will ask him on Thursday at a webinar.
>
>
> Register here:
>
> https://solar.se.com/us/en/event/webinar-backup-control-switch-launch/
>
>
>
>
>
> *Dave Angelini Offgrid Solar
> "we go where powerlines don't"
> http://members.sti.net/offgridsolar/ 
> e-mail  offgridso...@sti.net 
> text 209 813 0060*
>
>
> On 2023-04-03 7:14 pm, Glenn Burt via RE-wrenches wrote:
>
> Eric Benstennof SE demoed a pretty slick replacement that he cobbled
> together from off the shelf parts using a small tablet.
> I saw it in Jan at an Alt-E installer conference.
> I think I might have the details somewhere in my files, but it is
> basically an inexpensive android tablet, a USB charging wart usingneither
> WiFi or a USB type c Ethernet and power adaptwr and a wall mount for the
> tablet
>
> -Glenn
> Sent from my 'smart'phone, so please excuse typos and spelling errors.
>
> -- Original message--
> *From: *Mac Lewis via RE-wrenches
> *Date: *Mon, Apr 3, 2023 7:31 PM
> *To: *RE-wrenches;
> *Cc: *Mac Lewis;
> *Subject:*[RE-wrenches] Phased out Schneider Electric SCP
>
> Hello Wrenches,
>
> Now that Schneider has phased out SCP, what are the options for a GUI
> onsite for non-savvy consumers?
>
> Thanks!
>
> --
>
>
>
> Mac Lewis
>
> "Yo solo sé que no sé nada." -Sócrates
>
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 ~ E-mail: ch...@solarandwindfx.com
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Re: [RE-wrenches] Fortress Battery Heater

[Chris Schaefer via RE-wrenches]

Ray,

I'd suggest reaching out to the Fortress techie's as they just introduced a
heater product for their enclosure products. While I don't believe they
have a unit specif to the eVault but you should be able to make it work.

Christopher

On Wed, Feb 8, 2023 at 6:43 PM Jerry Shafer via RE-wrenches <
re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:

> Pet heater have worked for me, I air gap a sealed heater box under the
> battery, thermostat inside the top of the battery.  It's slow and low power
> but does the trick
> Fun times
>
> On Wed, Feb 8, 2023, 3:05 PM Ray Walters via RE-wrenches <
> re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:
>
>> Hi All;
>>
>> I have a fresh Fortress Evault installation with a Solark inverter.  The
>> batteries are indoors in the center of the house, but the customer is
>> not there full time, so the battery is unfortunately going below
>> freezing.  What are the best options for setting up a heating system for
>> the E Vault?
>>
>> Here are ideas that I have not tried, but am considering:
>> 1) add a 240 v, 1000 w baseboard heater in the room near the battery
>> that is wired to only run off the generator.  Run the generator until
>> the heat comes up, and then hopefully after 30 minutes, the battery
>> would begin accepting a charge.
>>
>> 2) Add an 120 vac heating blanket under the evault that would be wired
>> to a thermostat, but also have a relay control from the PV system, so
>> that the heater would only operate when the sun was out, and the battery
>> was below 50F.   I don't quite know how to set this up with the Solark's
>> load controls.
>>
>> I've considered some DC options, but they don't make much sense, since
>> the inverter has to be on to charge from PV anyway.
>>
>> The long term plan is for the client to finish the insulation, and sheet
>> rock, and add a gas wall heater in there as needed.
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Ray Walters
>> Remote Solar
>> in the Colorado mountain cold.
>>
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*5115 South Hill Road ~ Canandaigua New York 14424**www.solarandwindfx.com
 ~ E-mail: ch...@solarandwindfx.com
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Re: [RE-wrenches] Discover AES Wall Mount Considerations

[Chris Schaefer via RE-wrenches]

Michael,

Any pictures of that bracing system pre battery mount would be greatly
appreciated.

Christopher

On Tue, Sep 6, 2022 at 3:21 PM Michael Morningstar via RE-wrenches <
re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:

> We hang a lot of AES on wooden stud walls. Our engineer prescribed the
> following: 1-5/8" strut bolted to every stud in the span. AES factory
> mounting brackets bolted with 3/8" grade 8 bolts and thick strut cone nuts.
> Then a support brace 3-1/4" strut which is (2) welded back to back 1-5/8"
> struts (think beam) supported by the same 3-1/4" strut (think legs) with
> strut post bases and plate connectors for connections. He said "now way" to
> relying on studs for anything beyond two batteries.
>
> On Tue, Sep 6, 2022 at 5:59 AM Chris Sparadeo via RE-wrenches <
> re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:
>
>> Hi all,
>>
>> I have a project where I am contemplating hanging 9 Discover AES
>> batteries on a wall. Each battery is around 200 lbs, and although the stud
>> wall is a bulky 2”x6” with 16” OC…I have apprehensions that hanging almost
>> a ton of battery on the wall is a good idea. I’ve seen it done in other
>> install photos, however I can’t seem to find and good building code that
>> would inform my decision.
>>
>> Does anyone out there have a building code reference or experience that
>> might help?
>>
>> Thanks!
>>
>> -Chris
>> --
>> Chris Sparadeo
>>
>>
>> C_802-369-4458
>> H_802-728-3059
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>
> --
>
> Michael Morningstar
>
>
> Morningstar Electric
>
> PO Box 1494
>
> Mount Shasta, CA 96067
>
> 530-921-0560
>
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>
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 ~ E-mail: ch...@solarandwindfx.com
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Re: [RE-wrenches] wire management on Qcell AC module

[Chris Schaefer via RE-wrenches]

G'day All

I rarely do roofs but I can tell you with my pole, ground or DAT projects
it's nearly impossible to cover the modules with a screening product for
safety reasons. I refuse to use the mid panel j-box modules. I'm not one
for boycotts but just use the old school modules with the j-box mounted on
the portrait end. Thus when the modules aren't moving perhaps the
manufactures will reach out and ask us installers/engineers as to why. Yeah
right, lol.

Christopher

On Thu, Jun 2, 2022 at 11:44 AM Dave Tedeyan via RE-wrenches <
re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:

> I didn't snap a photo yesterday, but next week I will certainly take some
> photos, and report back on what we figure out. Definitely sounds like tape
> is not a permanent solution.
> Cheers,
> Dave
>
> On Thu, Jun 2, 2022 at 11:39 AM Jerry Shafer 
> wrote:
>
>> Regarding the tape on the back sheet
>> I have seen Novis installers keep the tape to secure the modules and I
>> have also seen it with the tape stll attached to the wires laying on the
>> roof so in my humble opinion the tape is for shipping only and is not to be
>> used as a wire management system.
>> Jerry
>> NABCEP PV Inspector
>>
>> On Thu, Jun 2, 2022 at 6:37 AM Dave Tedeyan via RE-wrenches <
>> re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:
>>
>>> Hi All,
>>>
>>> I just got some of the Qcell 360w AC modules that have the Enphase
>>> microinverter factory applied to the back. The module is the half cut cell
>>> type with the DC leads coming from either side of the middle of the module.
>>> The modules come with the wires taped to the back of the module. If you
>>> remove that tape, there appears to be almost no way to properly manage
>>> those wires. Is that tape meant to just keep the wire on the back of the
>>> module forever? Would that even last more than a year? I am curious what
>>> other people have done for these if they have used them or something
>>> similar. Maybe if you get the rail in the right spot, the wires will just
>>> sit on the rail...
>>>
>>> I realize that we have had a thread on wire management with half cut
>>> cell modules before, but this is a little different, as I am specifically
>>> asking about that tape and if anyone knows if it holds up over time.
>>>
>>> Cheers,
>>> Dave
>>>
>>> --
>>> [image: Logo] 
>>> Dave Tedeyan, P.E.
>>> Owner | Sungineer Solar
>>> p: he | him | his
>>> a: 1653 Slaterville Rd. | Ithaca, NY 14850
>>> w: www.sungineersolar.com 
>>> c: (607) 288-2898
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>
> --
> [image: Logo] 
> Dave Tedeyan, P.E.
> Owner | Sungineer Solar
> p: he | him | his
> a: 1653 Slaterville Rd. | Ithaca, NY 14850
> w: www.sungineersolar.com 
> c: (607) 288-2898
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*5115 South Hill Road ~ Canandaigua New York 14424**www.solarandwindfx.com
 ~ E-mail: ch...@solarandwindfx.com
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Re: [RE-wrenches] Discover AES Battery Rack Options

[Chris Schaefer via RE-wrenches]

Hey Michael,

Any chance you might share a couple of pictures of the project you
discussed?

Christopher

On Sun, Mar 27, 2022 at 11:44 AM Michael Morningstar via RE-wrenches <
re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:

> We almost always use the AES brackets. Often mounted to strut. You want
> access to the on/off button, so some exposed conductor is inevitable. We
> have also fabricated shelves for them to sit on. For 2 or more batteries in
> multiples of two, we stack them so that the bottom battery has its
> terminals facing up, and the top battery with terminals facing down. With
> large banks, like the one we are currently building with we placed both a
> 10" X 10" X 20' long gutter with 3/8" x 4" bussbars running the entire
> length, and for comms (2) 2.5" X 2.5" x 20" gutters(top and bottom) between
> the upper and lower stacks of batteries. Cables wrap back and into the back
> of the gutters. It's very clean. In a few instances, we have left the
> batteries sitting on the pallet bases they shipped on when budgets are
> super tight or no wall space is available.
>
> On Tue, Mar 22, 2022 at 6:28 AM Chris Sparadeo 
> wrote:
>
>> Hi Wrenches,
>>
>> Wondering how people are installing the Discover AES. I get that they can
>> be floor or wall mounted, but I'm trying to avoid exposed conductors and a
>> rack seems like the best option. Any insights?
>>
>> Kindly,
>>
>> Chris Sparadeo
>>
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> --
>
> Michael Morningstar
>
>
> Morningstar Electric
>
> PO Box 1494
>
> Mount Shasta, CA 96067
>
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 ~ E-mail: ch...@solarandwindfx.com
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Re: [RE-wrenches] Mate3s hangups

[Chris Schaefer]

Currently experiencing the exact same issue with a new unit installed in
November of 2021. The internet connection is via Hughes Net. The bad thing
is it is up in snow country so once the dish gets full snow your done till
it is removed or melts. Once the internet returns the client also has
security cameras so they can tell that the internet is back up and running
but the Mate3s stays offline till you unplug it and reboot. I generally set
the auto reboot to 24 hours. Any suggestions?

Christopher

On Wed, Feb 16, 2022 at 2:42 PM Foxfire Energy 
wrote:

> I seem to recall OB tech were just replacing early Mate3.. Something about
> them being flaky somehow.. Might want to give them a call.. specially if
> they're still under warranty.
>
> db
> --
> *From:* RE-wrenches  on behalf
> of Kirk Herander 
> *Sent:* Wednesday, February 16, 2022 2:23 PM
> *To:* re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org  >
> *Subject:* [RE-wrenches] Mate3s hangups
>
> Hello all,
>
> I've had several Mates go offline (refuse to send data) to the host
> lately. Totally different sites. The front panel looks perfectly normal.
> But they can only be restored by unplugging the Lan and Hub cables, then a
> normal reboot will occur and OpticsRE  is restored. Ideas???
>
> --
>
> *Kirk Herander / **kirkh@vermont.solar *
>
> *Owner|Principal, VT Solar, LLC*
>
> *Celebrating our 31st Anniversary 1991-2022!!*
>
> *www.vermont.solar*
> 
>
> dba Vermont Solar Engineering
>
> 802.863.1202
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 ~ E-mail: ch...@solarandwindfx.com
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Re: [RE-wrenches] ] Tesla Anywhere

[Chris Schaefer]

Gotta say the same thing here in NY. I've applied and sent credentials 3x
now with little to no response over the last 2 years. The local Tesla car
dealer wants us onboard as they are getting a lot of complaints from their
car clients when it comes to their charger installation's crew. I'm told
they are just local electricians. After all this I gotta tell ya I'm not
exactly excited to get on board if we don't have the support. Afterall
haven't we already lived through this with our current inverter factory
support teams to some extent?

Christopher

On Tue, Feb 15, 2022 at 3:52 PM Kirk Herander  wrote:

> That's the problem. They don't want to talk to you, unless maybe you're
> interested in buying solar shingles and storage as a package deal. I've
> applied for certification several times over the last 2 yrs, and no
> response. And present dealers tell me their dealer network is falling
> apart. No support whatsoever.
>
> Old Elon should concentrate more on his terrestrial interests instead of
> spaceman ambitions.
>
> On Tue, Feb 15, 2022 at 3:44 PM Dana Orzel  wrote:
>
>> Very good! I was just about to ask the same question. I have 1 new
>> construction request for a “Tesla” system. Between Snow country [Where I
>> think the roof tile is not appropriate & from what I hear not available as
>> it is still in prototype testing & costing twice what Tesla wants to sell
>> it for] & the fact that I cannot get anyone at Tesla to call me back.
>>
>>
>>
>> I am wondering what other folks experience has been.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Dana Orzel  Great Solar Works, Inc.
>>
>> *C - 208.721.7003   d...@solarwork.com
>> *
>>
>> Idaho Contractor - # 028765 Idaho PV # 028374
>>
>> NABCEP # 051112-136   www.greatsolarworks.com
>>
>> *"Responsible Technologies for Responsible People since 1988"  *
>>
>> *P* Please consider the environment before printing this email.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> *From:* RE-wrenches  *On
>> Behalf Of *Nicholas Welch
>> *Sent:* Tuesday, February 15, 2022 1:01 PM
>> *To:* RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org
>> *Subject:* [RE-wrenches] Tesla Anywhere
>>
>>
>>
>> Hello Wrenches,
>>
>>
>>
>> Has anyone here taken the plunge in partnering with Tesla for their
>> "Tesla Anywhere" program? If so, I'd love to chat off forum. Please let me
>> know and I will send my contact info.
>>
>>
>>
>> Thanks in advance,
>>
>>
>>
>> Nick Welch
>>
>> NC Electrical License #34779
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>
> --
>
> *Kirk Herander / **kirkh@vermont.solar *
>
> *Owner|Principal, VT Solar, LLC*
>
> *Celebrating our 31st Anniversary 1991-2022!!*
>
> *www.vermont.solar*
> 
>
> dba Vermont Solar Engineering
>
> 802.863.1202
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 ~ E-mail: ch...@solarandwindfx.com
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Re: [RE-wrenches] BP HI / Namaka with Sol-ark inverters

[Chris Schaefer]

Correct me if I'm wrong but my research seems to lean towards the prefered
method to implement Lithium batteries with an inverter system is via closed
loop communication, over open loop? Currently looking into installing a BI
and Fortress system of similar size side by side here at our Design and
Training center to see how they perform with a lot of data collection
equipment.

Christopher

On Wed, Jan 5, 2022 at 11:37 AM Mac Lewis  wrote:

> Hi Kirk,
>
> Yes, Sol-Ark and Blue Ion communicate fine through the Namaka Gateway.
> You do need to make sure that the firmware is up to date on the Sol-Ark
> because there are older versions out there that don't work.  Purchase their
> auto-updater dongle if you aren't going to have internet on the site and
> preload the new firmware on the dongle.
>
> I also have quite a few Radians out there working fine with the Blue Ion
> just using voltage and programming the Flexnet per Blue Ion.  The SOC on
> the flexnet seems to track really well if the batteries are filling up
> often.
>
> My only serious gripe with Sol-Ark is generator interaction.  It is very
> rigid and glitchy compared to Outback and strange to program.  This will
> get better though.  I do think its easy to
>
> Good Luck
>
>
>
>
> On Wed, Jan 5, 2022 at 7:45 AM Kirk Herander  wrote:
>
>> Hi All,
>>
>> I am considering changing the inverters on several Blue ion HI LFP
>> storage systems I'm installing this Spring from Outback Radians to Sol-Ark.
>> I have no experience w/ Sol-Ark, but it seems more advanced than the
>> Radian. I'm wondering if Sol-Ark and the BI Namaka gateway/monitor can
>> directly interface as Namaka can with some inverter brands. And I'd be
>> interested in hearing of any experiences you may have as to how nicely
>> these different components play together. Thanks.
>>
>> --
>>
>> *Kirk Herander / **kirkh@vermont.solar *
>>
>> *Owner|Principal, VT Solar, LLC*
>>
>> *Celebrating our 31st Anniversary 1991-2022!!*
>>
>> *www.vermont.solar*
>> 
>>
>> dba Vermont Solar Engineering
>>
>> 802.863.1202
>> ___
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> --
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>
>
> Mac Lewis
>
> *"Yo solo sé que no sé nada." -Sócrates*
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*5115 South Hill Road ~ Canandaigua New York 14424**www.solarandwindfx.com
 ~ E-mail: ch...@solarandwindfx.com
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Re: [RE-wrenches] 2v agm batteries

[Chris Schaefer]

Hey Jay,

Been testing a set of FireFly 2v 900 Ah that are outdoors here in Western
NY. Two years on them thus far with favorable results.

Christopher

On Fri, Nov 19, 2021 at 12:14 PM William Miller 
wrote:

> Jay:
>
> The Fullriver 1150-2 have worked pretty well for me:
>
> https://www.fullriverbattery.com/product/dc1150-2/
>
> Solar Biz has given me good pricing:
>
> https://www.thesolarbiz.com/
>
> William Miller
> www.millersolar.com
>
> On Nov 18, 2021, at 5:28 PM, Jay  wrote:
>
> I’m wondering what folks recommend for 2v agm in the 1500 +/- amp hr
> range.
>
> The old and pretty impressive absolite batteries finally are dying at
> close to 25 years.
>
> It’s for an 12v system that is functioning well, the owner doesn’t
> need/want to change to 24/48v.
>
> These batteries are installed in the house. From what I’ve read about
> lithium off gassing, in the rare event of failure release phosphoryl
> fluoride which is extremely toxic, which makes it not an option. And no
> moving the batteries outside to some other location is not an option
> either.
>
> Thanks in advance
>
> Jay
> Peltz power
>
>
>
>
>
>
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 ~ E-mail: ch...@solarandwindfx.com
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[RE-wrenches] issue on master/slave XW Pro 6848

[Chris Schaefer]

G'day All,

Apparently a new client that I picked up on an abandoned system attempted
to EQ his batteries and he believes he accidentally put the master inverter
into standby. This of course shut down his power to his home. The slave
produced an F66 fault which is explained on page 39 of the operation
manual. Now his issue is when he turns on both master and slave after about
a minute or so all power goes off. He did try shutting off both 250A dc
breakers as a type of reset but to no avail. The master will work fine as
long as the slave is off.

I'm thinking this is something stupid easy. I'm looking for some ideas on
what to look for or try.

Thanks, in advance,
Christopher-

Chris Schaefer’s


*Tel/Fax 585-229-2083 or Cell 585-748-1870 *
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 ~ E-mail: ch...@solarandwindfx.com
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Re: [RE-wrenches] schneider xw-Pro issue with genny running

[Chris Schaefer]

Great idea Howie. This client is very hands off and the original installer
did nothing in the way of educating them to the do's and don'ts. I've only
been there once and when I was there the SCP basically had all of the
default values. Oddly, I'm actually looking forward to returning.

Christopher

On Tue, Jun 29, 2021 at 2:17 PM Howie Michaelson 
wrote:

> Chris,
> Had your client tried running the problematic appliances using generator
> direct, that is avoiding the xw entirely. That will at least tell you if it
> is something to do with the generator output or with the interaction of the
> generator with the xw that is causing the problem.
>
> Howie Michaelson
> Sun Catcher
> NABCEP Certified Solar PV Installer™
> Solar Electric & Heat Pumps Systems Sales & Service
> 802-272-0004
>
> On Mon, Jun 28, 2021, 4:48 PM Chris Schaefer 
> wrote:
>
>> G'day All,
>>
>> I recently got pulled into someone else's mess on a twin xw-pro 6848 with
>> a Generac 20kw air cooled genny. A little back story. The client is
>> currently off grid with basically an all electric house. I know, I know,
>> lol. The intent is to bring the grid in but that has been slowed for
>> various reasons. On to the issue. So the electric appliances do well until
>> the genny is running/charging and then certain items like the electric
>> dryer don't like to operate at this time. Turn the genny off and it runs
>> fine. The genny only has 900 hours on it and is serviced by a local genny
>> company. The client has no internet or InsightHome, only the SCP along
>> wiith a Schneider AGS module.
>>
>> Admittedly I'm not overly familiar with the Schneider product line. I've
>> reviewed every screen on the SCP looking for further genny settings but see
>> no detailed adjustment that might be able to be made, to "smooth" things
>> out so that the genny will play nice with the XW Pro and the dryer.
>>
>> I have reached out to Schneider directly but still no response after 5
>> days. Looking for any insight (no pun intended) from the Schneider users
>> out there.
>>
>> Sincerely,
>> Christopher-
>>
>> Chris Schaefer’s
>> 
>>
>> *Tel/Fax 585-229-2083 or Cell 585-748-1870 *
>> *5115 South Hill Road ~ Canandaigua New York 14424**www.solarandwindfx.com
>> <http://www.solarandwindfx.com> ~ E-mail: ch...@solarandwindfx.com
>> *
>>
>>
>> Thomas Jefferson, the author of our great Constitution, once said,
>> "democracy" will cease to exist when you take away from those who are
>> willing to work and give to those who would not."
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Re: [RE-wrenches] schneider xw-Pro issue with genny running

[Chris Schaefer]

After doing some additional reading of the manual and with everyone's great
insight I'm leaning towards the AC2 breaker sizing setting within the SCP.
Given that default is 60 amps and that there are two inverters that would
tell me that both charging and loads could draw as much as 120 amps. Given
that the main output breaker on the 20kw gen is 80 amps I believe this
might be part of the issue. Additionally, I'll be purchasing the Insight
tool so that I can upgrade the firmware as the client will, once the grid
is present need this to select the correct grid code to match the area's
utility. In reading the firmware attachment that I believe Dave sent, what
caught my eye at the end under Fixes: it states "fixes AC2 generator
qualification issues". I'll be sure and update you on my findings.

Sincere Thanks,
Christopher

On Mon, Jun 28, 2021 at 7:58 PM Mac Lewis  wrote:

> Hi Chris,
>
> I recommend enabling Gen support mode and lowering the gen support level
> until the generator sounds good.  I suspect that the generator can't handle
> full battery charging and loads simultaneously.  You may also want to turn
> down the AC2 In breaker size for the Gen Input, this will determine how
> much the XW allows to be pulled through the Input terminals.  Also, be sure
> they are using AC2 right now for the generator input, otherwise, you may
> need to adjust the AC1 parameters instead (or swap terminals).  There is
> also a Gen Amps setting that can be lowered, and you can lower the max
> charge rate as well.
>
> I believe that Schneider treats the AC input as either a grid (can be
> backfed on AC1 terminals) or a generator (cannot be backfed on AC2
> terminals), so I'm not sure if there is equivalent to the Outback Input
> modes.  There are some advanced grid interconnection settings but I don't
> think that applies here.
>
> Let us know what you find out.
>
>
>
>
> On Mon, Jun 28, 2021 at 3:36 PM William Miller 
> wrote:
>
>> Chris:
>>
>>
>>
>> I have little Schneider experience but I will describe a problem with an
>> Outback system that might be relevant:  When the Outback Radian inverters
>> would charge from the generator, in certain modes (there are a several
>> generator utilization settings)  the charging circuits would inject large
>> amounts of THD onto the inverter output circuit.  This would cause breaker
>> tripping and other problems.
>>
>>
>>
>> To track this down we had to rent a pricey power quality analyzer.  Here
>> is a link
>> <https://millersolar.com/MillerSolar/case_studies/25_GFI%20Tripping/GFI_Tripping.html>
>> to a write-up I did.
>>
>>
>>
>> Hope this helps.
>>
>>
>>
>> William Miller
>>
>>
>>
>> Miller Solar
>>
>> 17395 Oak Road, Atascadero, CA 93422
>>
>> 805-438-5600
>>
>> www.millersolar.com
>>
>> CA Lic. 773985
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> *From:* RE-wrenches [mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] *On
>> Behalf Of *Chris Schaefer
>> *Sent:* Monday, June 28, 2021 1:49 PM
>> *To:* RE-wrenches
>> *Subject:* [RE-wrenches] schneider xw-Pro issue with genny running
>>
>>
>>
>> G'day All,
>>
>>
>>
>> I recently got pulled into someone else's mess on a twin xw-pro 6848 with
>> a Generac 20kw air cooled genny. A little back story. The client is
>> currently off grid with basically an all electric house. I know, I know,
>> lol. The intent is to bring the grid in but that has been slowed for
>> various reasons. On to the issue. So the electric appliances do well until
>> the genny is running/charging and then certain items like the electric
>> dryer don't like to operate at this time. Turn the genny off and it runs
>> fine. The genny only has 900 hours on it and is serviced by a local genny
>> company. The client has no internet or InsightHome, only the SCP along
>> wiith a Schneider AGS module.
>>
>>
>>
>> Admittedly I'm not overly familiar with the Schneider product line. I've
>> reviewed every screen on the SCP looking for further genny settings but see
>> no detailed adjustment that might be able to be made, to "smooth" things
>> out so that the genny will play nice with the XW Pro and the dryer.
>>
>>
>>
>> I have reached out to Schneider directly but still no response after 5
>> days. Looking for any insight (no pun intended) from the Schneider users
>> out there.
>>
>>
>>
>> Sincerely,
>>
>> Christopher-
>>
>> Chris Schaefer’s
>> <http://www.solarandwindfx.com>
>>

[RE-wrenches] schneider xw-Pro issue with genny running

[Chris Schaefer]

G'day All,

I recently got pulled into someone else's mess on a twin xw-pro 6848 with a
Generac 20kw air cooled genny. A little back story. The client is currently
off grid with basically an all electric house. I know, I know, lol. The
intent is to bring the grid in but that has been slowed for various
reasons. On to the issue. So the electric appliances do well until the
genny is running/charging and then certain items like the electric dryer
don't like to operate at this time. Turn the genny off and it runs fine.
The genny only has 900 hours on it and is serviced by a local genny
company. The client has no internet or InsightHome, only the SCP along
wiith a Schneider AGS module.

Admittedly I'm not overly familiar with the Schneider product line. I've
reviewed every screen on the SCP looking for further genny settings but see
no detailed adjustment that might be able to be made, to "smooth" things
out so that the genny will play nice with the XW Pro and the dryer.

I have reached out to Schneider directly but still no response after 5
days. Looking for any insight (no pun intended) from the Schneider users
out there.

Sincerely,
Christopher-

Chris Schaefer’s


*Tel/Fax 585-229-2083 or Cell 585-748-1870 *
*5115 South Hill Road ~ Canandaigua New York 14424**www.solarandwindfx.com
 ~ E-mail: ch...@solarandwindfx.com
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Re: [RE-wrenches] Wago Connectors (221 series)

[Chris Schaefer]

Kudos to Dan Fink. Nice job. Just another reason to send a donation to
Michael Welch.

Christopher

On Mon, May 10, 2021 at 3:29 PM Jason Szumlanski <
ja...@floridasolardesigngroup.com> wrote:

> I agree and I just got written confirmation from Wago that said (regarding
> the 221-4XX series):
>
> WAGO's U.L. Recognition for Series 221 does Not differentiate between AC
> or DC Just Not to exceed 20A
>
> 600V Building Wire or 1000V Luminaires or Signs
>
> No Special designation is required.
>
> On Mon, May 10, 2021, 2:56 PM Dan Fink  wrote:
>
>> Esteemed Wrenches; I spoke with engineers at both Wago and 3M today
>> regarding the AC vs. DC ratings of Wago 221 and other wire splicing
>> products. Both engineers stated that standard UL486C (Splicing Wire
>> Connectors) applies to *both* AC and DC voltages unless the product is
>> specifically listed for *only *AC or DC.
>>
>> They both gave the example that the same applies to the actual wire that
>> is being spliced: Is the THWN-2 wire we use inside DC OCPD panels
>> specifically UL rated for DC? *No (UL83)*. Is it acceptable for DC?
>> *Yes,* we use it all the time for DC circuits. How about USE-2 and MC?
>> Can we use them for both AC and DC? *Yes, *we use them all the time for
>> both AC and DC. Is it specifically UL rated for DC? *No. It doesn't need
>> to be.*
>>
>> Of course any wiring device that *disconnects *any circuit under load
>> must be rated for either AC, DC or both depending on the application. But
>> wire splicing connectors are not intended as a disconnecting device under
>> UL486C.
>>
>> I hope this clears up any confusion.
>>
>> Best regards;
>>
>> Dan Fink
>> Owner, Buckville Energy Consulting LLC
>> IREC Certified Instructor for PV and Small Wind Installation
>> NABCEP Certified PV System Inspector
>> NABCEP PV Associate
>> d anbo...@gmail.com
>> 970-672-4342
>>
>>
>> On Fri, May 7, 2021 at 3:43 PM Jason Szumlanski <
>> ja...@floridasolardesigngroup.com> wrote:
>>
>>> In another thread these connectors were discussed recently. There was a
>>> question regarding the suitability for DC circuits. I don't think we came
>>> up with any answers or consensus on that. I see the connectors are UL
>>> listed to the 486C standard. I can't determine whether that is applicable
>>> to AC and DC circuits. Does anyone know?
>>>
>>> I have only used these on AC circuits and they have been very effective.
>>> Now I'm curious whether they can be used on DC circuits up to 600 volts.
>>>
>>> While on the subject, I noticed they are UL 467 listed for grounding and
>>> bonding. That's helpful where you have EGC splices for conductors up to #10
>>> AWG inside junction boxes.
>>>
>>> Jason Szumlanski
>>> Florida Solar Design Group
>>>
>>>
>>> ___
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*Tel/Fax 585-229-2083 or Cell 585-748-1870 *
*5115 South Hill Road ~ Canandaigua New York 14424**www.solarandwindfx.com
 ~ E-mail: ch...@solarandwindfx.com
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Re: [RE-wrenches] Generator and AC coupling on a Sol-Ark

[Chris Schaefer]

Jason,

A valid concern which is why I always wire them as powered open so if there
is a failure it would transition closed or not open.

Christopher

On Tue, May 4, 2021 at 4:15 PM Jason Szumlanski <
ja...@floridasolardesigngroup.com> wrote:

> What happens when the contactor fails? I don't trust a NC contactor that
> is supposed to open on 240Vac coil voltage from the generator. It's not a
> failsafe solution.
>
> Jason
>
>
>
> On Tue, May 4, 2021, 3:15 PM Drake 
> wrote:
>
>> P.S. The contactor method is even mentioned somewhere in the Outback
>> literature. I've been using it for years. It is very simple and requires no
>> complex equipment. It will not interfere with rapid shutdown. 40 A, 240 V
>> contactors with 240 V coils are readily available and not terribly
>> expensive. The 240 V output of the generator circuit provides the signal.
>>
>> At 10:02 AM 5/4/2021, you wrote:
>>
>> Get a contactor with a 240 VAC coil. Connect the coil wire wires to the
>> 240 V output circuit of the generator, so when the generator comes on, the
>> contactor opens. Run the current from the AC coupled Enphase inverters
>> through the contacts from common to N/C.
>>
>> ---
>>
>>
>>
>> On 2021-05-03 10:26, Dave Tedeyan wrote:
>>
>> Hi All,
>>
>> I am planning on using a Sol-Ark for the first time for adding battery
>> backup to an existing system. It is Enphase, so clearly it will be AC
>> coupled, and there is a whole house generator. When I talked to Sol-Ark
>> about it, they recommended putting the generator on a time of use schedule
>> to not allow it to come on during the day so that we don't run into the
>> issue of the solar backfeeding the generator.
>>
>> I was wondering though if anyone has just used a contactor to cut out the
>> solar when the generator turns on? Something like Outback's GS-AC-Gen-Kit,
>> although in this case I will need something rated for just over 30A. This
>> seems like a better way to allow the generator to run at any time it is
>> needed, especially if it is a gloomy, snowy, winter day.
>>
>> Cheers,
>> Dave
>>
>> --
>>
>> *Dave Tedeyan, PE * [image: Sungineer Solar]
>> 1653 Slaterville Road, Ithaca, NY 14850
>> Cell: 607-288-2898
>> www.sungineersolar.com
>>
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Re: [RE-wrenches] Generator and AC coupling on a Sol-Ark

[Chris Schaefer]

Dave,

My initial background comes from the Industrial Controls world w/ a strong
military influence. Given that the generator probably has some kind of
transfer switch, chances are that the transfer switch has a dry contact in
which can be used to power a relay. I normally use ASCO transfer switches
in this manner along with an Allen-Bradley contactor, P/N 400DP50ND3. This
has a 120vac coil, 4 poles with a rating of 50 amps. Hope this helps.

Christopher


On Tue, May 4, 2021 at 10:44 AM 
wrote:

> Get a contactor with a 240 VAC coil. Connect the coil wire wires to the
> 240 V output circuit of the generator, so when the generator comes on, the
> contactor opens. Run the current from the AC coupled Enphase inverters
> through the contacts from common to N/C.
>
> ---
>
>
>
> On 2021-05-03 10:26, Dave Tedeyan wrote:
>
> Hi All,
>
> I am planning on using a Sol-Ark for the first time for adding battery
> backup to an existing system. It is Enphase, so clearly it will be AC
> coupled, and there is a whole house generator. When I talked to Sol-Ark
> about it, they recommended putting the generator on a time of use schedule
> to not allow it to come on during the day so that we don't run into the
> issue of the solar backfeeding the generator.
>
> I was wondering though if anyone has just used a contactor to cut out the
> solar when the generator turns on? Something like Outback's GS-AC-Gen-Kit,
> although in this case I will need something rated for just over 30A. This
> seems like a better way to allow the generator to run at any time it is
> needed, especially if it is a gloomy, snowy, winter day.
>
> Cheers,
> Dave
>
> --
> *Dave Tedeyan, PE*
> [image: Sungineer Solar]
> 1653 Slaterville Road, Ithaca, NY 14850
> Cell: 607-288-2898
> www.sungineersolar.com
>
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*5115 South Hill Road ~ Canandaigua New York 14424**www.solarandwindfx.com
 ~ E-mail: ch...@solarandwindfx.com
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Re: [RE-wrenches] seeking 3ph battery based/backed inverters and experiences

[Chris Schaefer]

All good ideas, but what I'm trying to avoid is putting 3 inverters
together in order to achieve 3 phase. I did take a look at the Delta unit
suggested by Jay and intend to contact them for more details. So if you
know of a single inverter setup that provides 3 phase in a BBU and
Microgrid configuration please do share.

Thanks,
Christopher

On Wed, Apr 21, 2021 at 10:32 AM Dave Angelini Offgrid Solar <
offgridso...@sti.net> wrote:

> I know Schneider has a way for that Jay. I just took XWpro webinar
> yesterday. Maybe a transformer was used for 480v but clusters up to around
> 40 KW.
>
>
>
> *Dave Angelini Offgrid Solar
> "we go where powerlines don't"
> http://members.sti.net/offgridsolar/ <http://members.sti.net/offgridsolar/>
> e-mail  offgridso...@sti.net 
> text 209 813 0060*
>
> On Wed, 21 Apr 2021 06:26:33 -0600, Jay  wrote:
>
> Hi Christopher
>
> I'm not sure what power your looking for.
>
> Try
>
> https://www.princetonelec.com/dela-inverter
>
> There are others too
>
> None of the normal ( OB, Schneider etc) will do 208-480. Only 120-208
>
> Jay
>
> On Apr 20, 2021, at 4:15 PM, Chris Schaefer 
> wrote:
>
> G'day All,
>
> I'm not familiar with any 3 ph 208 to 480vac battery backup inverter
> manufacturers. So if you could point me in the right direction on who you
> know and better yet who you've had experience with, good, bad or otherwise,
> that would be extremely helpful.
>
> Happy 420 to all my fellow Solar Bozo's,
> Christopher-
>
> Chris Schaefer's
> 
>
> *Tel/Fax 585-229-2083 or Cell 585-748-1870 *
> *5115 South Hill Road ~ Canandaigua New York 14424**www.solarandwindfx.com
> <http://www.solarandwindfx.com> ~ E-mail: ch...@solarandwindfx.com
> *
>
>
> Thomas Jefferson, the author of our great Constitution, once said,
> "democracy" will cease to exist when you take away from those who are
> willing to work and give to those who would not."
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[RE-wrenches] seeking 3ph battery based/backed inverters and experiences

[Chris Schaefer]

G'day All,

I'm not familiar with any 3 ph 208 to 480vac battery backup inverter
manufacturers. So if you could point me in the right direction on who you
know and better yet who you've had experience with, good, bad or otherwise,
that would be extremely helpful.

Happy 420 to all my fellow Solar Bozo's,
Christopher-

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[RE-wrenches] guyed tilt up tower suggestions

[Chris Schaefer]

G'day All,

We don't seem to see much on wind these days on the wrenches, so now is the
time to blow out some of the cobwebs. Anyway, I'm getting dragged kicking
and screaming into a Missouri Raptor 7 blade Freedom 1.6kw offgrid wind
project and in search of a tilt up tower. Back in the day it would have
come from SWWP but now I haven't a clue. The client already purchased the
turbine but if you have any experience with this unit and things to be
aware of that would be appreciated as well. System voltage is 48vdc.

Stay healthy my friends,
Christopher-

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[RE-wrenches] Growatt 5k inverter w/ transformer, more China junk?

[Chris Schaefer]

G'Day and Happy New Year's All,

Just wanted to share this with you all. A potential client purchased a
somewhat complete system off the internet and is now seeking an installer.
I know, same old story. The package came with two Growatt SPF-5000 ES
inverters with two Huawei HW-TX-5000 transformers.  The twist to the story
is apparently the inverters put out 230vac on a single leg and the
transformers are required to split the 240vac into two legs of 120. I've
never come across an inverter like this. As an off gridder the first thing
I think of is the inefficiencies of the additional transformers to do
something like this when we have plenty of manufacturers that don't require
this. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this setup and possible experiences
and pitfalls to beware of.

PS the client is kicking themselves in the butt, lol.

Gratefully,
Christopher--

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Re: [RE-wrenches] DPW rack adjustment

[Chris Schaefer]

I'd suggest reaching out to Travis at MT Solar as he has made custom manual
adjusters for my old installed DPW pole mounts. No bolts to remove and easy
for anyone to adjust the angle without the need of a ladder.

Christopher

On Thu, Oct 15, 2020 at 10:25 AM Jay  wrote:

> Hi Jeremy,
>
> I’ve not run into that issue but you could put more bolts at different
> locations for different tilts.
>
> A template would keep them the correct spacing.
>
> Wouldn’t slide but would be adjustable.
>
> I don’t know if you’ve tried heat but it’s pretty amazing at getting
> things loosened up.
> The other way is cold, using a spray can for computers for example.
> Or using the combo.
>
> Damn it’s just a stupid rack, should be easy.
>
> Jay
>
> Peltz power.
>
>
>
> On Oct 15, 2020, at 7:52 AM, Jeremy Rodriguez 
> wrote:
>
>  Does anyone have any trick to adjusting the tilt angle of the TPM4 pole
> mounts?  These are the racks with the aluminum beam (strongback) with slots
> for the bolts.
> We have tried anti seize, and cutting the heads of the bolts square in
> attempts to help with adjustment.
> Help!
>
>
> Jeremy Rodriguez
> Solar Installation / Design Expert
> All Solar, Inc.
> 1463 M St
> Penrose Colorado 81240
>
> Sent by Jeremy's iPhone. Sorry for typos and shorthand.
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Re: [RE-wrenches] GTBB inverters without batteries

[Chris Schaefer]

Jeff,

I'd suggest Sol-Ark, either the 8 or 12kw unit.

Christopher

On Mon, Oct 5, 2020 at 11:29 AM Ray  wrote:

> All of the GTBB inverters I've ever used needed the battery to even
> function.
>
> Ray Walters
> Remote Solar
> 303 505-8760
>
> On 10/5/20 9:20 AM, Jeff Clearwater wrote:
>
> Hey Esteemed colleagues.
>
> I'm curious which GTBB inverters folks are installing when the customer
> can't afford batteries right away.
>
> How do StorEdges, Skyboxes, PWRCells perform in purely grid-tied mode with
> no battery and any advantages - disadvantages of various options folks want
> to point out or considerations for the upgrade path of each?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Jeff
>
> ~~~
> Jeff Clearwater
> Village Power Design
> www.villagepowerdesign.com
> cell - 413-559-9763
> ~~~
>
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Re: [RE-wrenches] Pika Support by chance?

[Chris Schaefer]

Jeremy,
Pika was bought out by Generac and rebranded as their PWR cell. Most of the
old crew from Pika are now working for Generac. It's beyond me that Generac
bought them and yet they still don't have a generator input. That's why I
could never sign on to the Pika product line. Good luck.

Christopher

On Fri, Sep 11, 2020 at 11:00 AM Jeremy Rodriguez 
wrote:

> If anyone has any info on how to get a hold of The former PIKA ENERGY
> support group, please contact me off list.
> Or if anyone knows where one could get one of their inverters
> rebuilt/repaired let me know.
>
> Jeremy Rodriguez
> Solar Installation / Design Expert
> All Solar, Inc.
> 1463 M St
> Penrose Colorado 81240
>
> Sent by Jeremy's iPhone. Sorry for typos and shorthand.
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Re: [RE-wrenches] Microgrid... Outback or SMA or other?

[Chris Schaefer]

I'd suggest giving the crew at Sol-Ark a quick call @ 972-575-8875 with
their 12kw unit. Not sure what their max number of inverters are.

Christopher

On Tue, Sep 8, 2020 at 1:14 PM Kienan Maxfield 
wrote:

> Hey all, I'm designing a microgrid sized off-grid system for somebody, and
> I'm just wondering if anyone knows of any issues with the following
> designs...
>
> The client says he needs 70 kW. His load data looks pretty solid, so I'm
> sticking to using that number as a minimum, at least during the initial
> proposal stage. I only know of two possible equipment options for this size
> range...
>
>
>1. I think I can use up to 10 Outback Radians, for up to an 80 kW
>system. Are there any bugs or problems with using this many inverters on
>one hub? I know I've read about issues with selling to the grid, but that's
>not an issue, this is off-grid.
>
>2. I know that the SMA cluster box with sunny islands can allow for up
>to a 72 kW system. Do you know of any bugs or problems with this system?
>
>
>
> Are there any other options that anyone would suggest? Schneider's website
> says they can only do up to 61 kW, and Victron can only do up to 60 kW.
>
>
> I know that the Outback system would yield a 240/120 Split-Phase system
> and that the SMA would yield a 208/120 3Ø system, but this doesn't really
> matter either way for this job.
>
> Thanks so much,
> Kienan
>
>
> *Maxfield Solar*
> *maxfieldso...@hotmail.com* 
> * (801) 631-5584 (Cell) *
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Re: [RE-wrenches] Puzzle: Dryer does not work during FXR battery charging

[Chris Schaefer]

My bet is these clients are on a budget given the battery voltage and small
inverters. So there probably isn't any PV at the moment. I've been coming
across a lot of these types of systems lately. Came across a Generac 120v,
6kw Eco Gen with 3,500 hours on it! Ouch and the clients just won't add PV.
Yet they pay a gen service company to come out once a month and service the
unit on top of propane cost.

Christopher

On Sat, Aug 15, 2020 at 12:18 PM Dave Angelini Offgrid Solar <
offgridso...@sti.net> wrote:

> Ouch ! 2812 inverter. As a pro, you need to get them away from 12V IMHO.
>
> A home with appliances needs 24v and 4kw, both minimum.
>
> As Kent said, for now you can't do both gen charging and drying clothes.
> Why do you need a genset this time of year?
>
>
>
> *Dave Angelini Offgrid Solar
> "we go where powerlines don't"
> http://members.sti.net/offgridsolar/ 
> e-mail  offgridso...@sti.net 
> text 209 813 0060*
>
> On Sat, 15 Aug 2020 11:06:26 -0400, Matt Sherald 
> wrote:
>
> Hello All,
>
> My curiosity was piqued by a recent customer complaint.  I'm hoping
> someone has bumped up against this issue before.
>
> The customer has a OB FXR2812 and a 3,000W Honda gen.
> Her gas clothes dryer runs just fine off the OB inverter.
> It runs properly on the Honda gen (when the inverter is bypassed)
> It will not run when the gen is on and battery charging is taking place.
>
> All the other AC loads (including the washing machine) run properly during
> battery charging with the gen.
> The OB inverter replaced an old Trace unit.  The dryer worked as it should
> with the Trace during battery charging.
>
> Any thoughts are greatly appreciated.  Thanks in advance!
>
> --
> Matt Sherald
> PIMBY Energy, LLC
> NABCEP Certified Solar PV Installer®
> 304-704-5943
>
> www.getpimby.blogspot.com
> www.getpimby.com
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Re: [RE-wrenches] 200A Automatic Transfer switch

[Chris Schaefer]

I've been using the ASCO series 185 and you can get it either as "service
entrance" rated or not. Not sure on the nema 3r rating. But I know they
make custom units also.

Christopher

On Wed, Aug 12, 2020 at 9:07 AM August Goers  wrote:

> Kirpal -
>
> It's been a few years, but we've used Briggs & Stratton automatic transfer
> switches on multiple projects with good results. Most of our projects were
> with Sunny Islands. At least at the time, the transfer swtiches didn't
> require any external control system to switch from grid to off grid:
>
>
> https://www.briggsandstratton.com/na/en_us/buying-guides/standby-generators/accessories.html
>
>
> -August
>
>
> On Tue, Aug 11, 2020 at 9:18 PM Kirpal  wrote:
>
>> Hi Wrenches.
>> Can anyone recommend a good 200A Nema3 auto transfer switch that does not
>> need to have any generator feedback (ie. Generac version which requires
>> signal from generator) to transfer.  Basically looking for a dumb version
>> which transfers based on loss of grid voltage, and then reconnects based on
>> re supply of grid voltage.
>> The Gerearc version which was installed today relies on feedback from the
>> generator which senses loss of grid voltage to authorize the transfer
>> switch to toggle to back up mode. When the grid comes back the transfer
>> switch switches back to normal mode without feedback from the generator
>> voltage sense wires but not the other way around.
>>
>> Thank you!
>>
>> Sunny Regards,
>> Kirpal Khalsa
>> Oregon LRT#25
>> NABCEP Certified PV Installation Professional
>> Oregon Solarworks LLC
>> www.oregonsolarworks.com
>> 541-299-0402
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*Tel/Fax 585-229-2083 or Cell 585-748-1870 *
*5115 South Hill Road ~ Canandaigua New York 14424**www.solarandwindfx.com
 ~ E-mail: ch...@solarandwindfx.com
*


Thomas Jefferson, the author of our great Constitution, once said,
"democracy" will cease to exist when you take away from those who are
willing to work and give to those who would not."
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Re: [RE-wrenches] Wind Turbine

[Chris Schaefer]

RUN from the room when it comes to the Kohilo! This ole boy is in my
backyard and I'm currently trying to clean up one of their projects. They
kinda went the way of Wind Tamer, whereas they had to add solar to meet
their output claims.

Christopher

On Wed, Jul 8, 2020 at 9:06 AM  wrote:

> Morning fellow wrenchers. There is a newer Wind turbine company based in
> the North East called Kohilo Wind. Link below
>
>
>
> http://kohilowind.com/about-kohilo-wind/
>
>
>
>
>
> thx
>
> peter Giroux
>
>
>
>
>
> *From:* RE-wrenches  *On
> Behalf Of *Roy Butler
> *Sent:* Wednesday, July 8, 2020 8:33 AM
> *To:* re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org
> *Subject:* Re: [RE-wrenches] Wind Turbine
>
>
>
> Ron and John and all,
>
> SD Wind Energy out of Texas is representing what was the Proven/Kingspan
> down wind turbines. They have a 3 and 6kW turbine now but I heard through
> the grapevine that they may have a 1kW in the near future. Price is a bit
> high but they are solid machines.
> https://sd-windenergy.com/
>
> Other folks have been using the Braun turbine out of Germany but that's
> really spendy.
>
> The Whisper line was good, then Southwest Wind Power bought it, they went
> under, a company from India bought it, then it went to Japan
> and last I heard it's now owned by a Chinese company.buyer beware!
>
> Although there are a couple of small turbine manufacturer's in the US
> making 1kW to 2kW machines, I am assuming you want something reliable so
> you may want to steer clear of those. I won't name names here. And of
> course there are all those tempting units for sale on Amazon and Ebayrun
> screaming from the room on those.
>
> Slim pickings out there, the small wind industry began a rapid decline
> back around 2012 when the PV prices started dropping. Most of us wind
> weanies
> moved to solar installations to help support our wind habit and decreased
> wind sales put many turbine manufacturers out of business.
>
> Anyway, best of luck on your search and if you find something and care to
> run it by me off list please do so!
>
> Roy Butler
>
> Four Winds Renewable Energy, LLC
>
> 8902 Route 46, Arkport, NY 14807
>
> 607-324-9747  www.four-winds-energy.com
>
>
>
>
>
> Although no trees were killed in the sending of this message,
>
> a large number of electrons were terribly inconvenienced.
>
>
>
>
>
> On 7/8/2020 6:55 AM, John Blittersdorf wrote:
>
> Ron,  I installed a lot of the Bergey XL.1 until they stopped production.
>   I just replaced blades on one last week and my first install of one of
> the first ones manufactured in 2001 is still working fine.  We took in down
> about 10 years ago for preventive maintenance and replaced the brushes and
> blades though both were still in good shape.  Most problems have been
> blades, brushes and a few tower failures mostly due to customer neglect or
> violent storms.  I installed a Pika
>
> 1.6 kw at my home about 4 years ago and fell in love with that machine.
> Pika solved the Blade root attachment weakness found on the Bergey as well
> as sound issues and performance.  Unfortunately they stopped production due
> to low sales.  I ran mine for a year and a half and almost eliminated my
> generator in a low wind speed site but att he same time saw it perform
> flawlessly in high winds putting out well over 2500 watts and regulating my
> batteries at float with no dump loads needed.  I got my first order for one
> and called Pika to order one but they had already stopped production and
> were not going to make any more.  I had sold a customer a complete upgrade
> of his system which included upgrading from a Xantrex SW Plus to dual
> Outback inverters, going from 24v to 48v, and directly replacing his Bergey
> with a Pika, and new Aquion batteries.  Sine we had already done the rest
> of the system, I ended up selling mine to him to keep him happy.  I dearly
> miss that machine.  Since Pika sold out to Generac, I’m hanging on a
> glimmer of hope that the turbine production could be resurrected.
>
>
>
> Otherwise, the only new turbine I have installed is a 1 kw SuperWind, made
> in Germany.  It is on a 40’ tilt up guyed tower on a mountaintop
> transmitter site.  It has performed as expected with the only problem being
> susceptible to icing and the blade hub freezing to the nacelle.  It is all
> white so the sun can’t help defrost it.  Very nice workmanship but it also
> has a controller and dump load In addition to pitching blades.   Similar
> cost as the Pika.I don’t have any data on how much the dump load has
> interacted with the controller.  This is a high wind site.  I’m not sure
> how it would perform in low winds.  We put it up in November and it
> survived the winter.  If you could find a used Pika, that would be my
> choice but I haven’t found one yet myself.  Let me know If you find
> anything else.
>
>
>
> Wind Wrenches out there. ... respond !
>
>
>
> John Blittersdorf
>
> CV Wind Service
>
>
>
> john.blittersd...@gmail.com
>
> 802-770-8625
>
>

Re: [RE-wrenches] Slave Radian not showing up on Hub10 or @ Mate3s

[Chris Schaefer]

Well after just a little over 2 hours on hold I did get through to a very
understanding tech support rep. I explained the issue and that the only LED
on the board that was on was the D21 (Remote Pwr). Today I learned that
this is powered by the Hub. Thus the PSB is indeed dead. I was given a
choice of either a replacement PSB or an entirely new inverter. Apparently
there has been an ongoing issue with the power supply boards lately and in
order to figure out why the engineering department would like to get the
entire unit returned for testing purposes. So for the sake of all of us out
in the field I agreed to replace the entire inverter in hopes that this
problem can be eliminated. Thanks for all your input and now we have yet
another tool in our "mental" toolbag.

Gratefully,
Christopher

On Thu, Jun 25, 2020 at 6:31 PM William Miller 
wrote:

> Kirk:
>
>
>
> If my memory is correct:  What you describe below are port assignments if
> one is stacking FXR inverters for 120/240 with a Hub 10.3.  It also
> requires changing DIP jumpers from factory defaults.  This is not accurate
> for stacking Radians.  With Radians I think secondary inverters can use any
> port but I have always used 2 through X for secondaries.
>
>
>
> William
>
>
>
>
>
> *From:* RE-wrenches [mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] *On
> Behalf Of *Kirk Herander
> *Sent:* Thursday, June 25, 2020 2:07 PM
> *To:* re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org
> *Subject:* Re: [RE-wrenches] Slave Radian not showing up on Hub10 or @
> Mate3s
>
>
>
> The master-slave config types and port assignments have always been
> confusing. The quick start guide lists a config where the master is port 1
> and the slave is port 7. I believe port 7 is called the sub-master in this
> config. With only 2 inverters it functions as the slave to the master in
> port 1. This config has always worked for me.
>
>
>
> Hope this is accurate info.
>
> On 6/25/2020 1:35:55 PM, Chris Schaefer  wrote:
>
> G'Day All,
>
>
>
> So I started up a system recently with two Radian 8048A's. The master is
> connected to port 1 and the slave connected to port 2 with the FlexNet at
> port 3. There are no OB charge controllers in the system. When the hub is
> polling (led's scrolling) nothing shows up for the slave at port 2. It's
> like the slave inverter doesn't exist. So I moved the slave and flexnet
> down to port 3 and 4. No change in the polling. I swapped out comm (factory
> green) cables. Again no change. Looking at the control board of the slave
> there is only one green led on which is located at the upper right-hand
> side. Otherwise no led's are on. I have 57v at the buss bar terminals of
> the inverter. Of course since there is no polling at the hub there is no
> way to view port 2 to view the slave at the Mate.
>
>
>
> Now the only thing that I didn't do was to try and use the manual on/off
> switch-jumper to start the slave. But in the past regardless of the
> inverter being on or off it would still show up on the hub. This is  a new
> one and I'm looking for some direction here.
>
>
>
> Thanks,
>
> Christopher-
>
> Chris Schaefer’s
> *Error! Filename not specified.* <http://www.solarandwindfx.com>
>
> *Tel/Fax 585-229-2083 or Cell 585-748-1870 *
> *5115 South Hill Road ~ Canandaigua New York 14424www.solarandwindfx.com
> <http://www.solarandwindfx.com> ~ E-mail: **ch...@solarandwindfx.com
> *
>
> *Error! Filename not specified.*
>
> Thomas Jefferson, the author of our great Constitution, once said,
> "democracy" will cease to exist when you take away from those who are
> willing to work and give to those who would not."
>
> ___ List sponsored by Redwood
> Alliance List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Change
> listserver email address & settings:
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>
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>
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>

-- 

Chris Scha

Re: [RE-wrenches] Slave Radian not showing up on Hub10 or @ Mate3s

[Chris Schaefer]

Since the Flexnet on port 3 was active and could be seen on the Mate, thus
I moved the slave on port 2 to port 3 and moved the FlexNet from port 3 to
port 4. No change. I did try another OB factory green cable to no avail.

Christopher

On Thu, Jun 25, 2020 at 4:25 PM Jerry Shafer 
wrote:

> Chris
> Did you skip over and plug in to port 3 with the slave, swap the cord,
> Jerry
>
> On Thu, Jun 25, 2020, 12:54 PM Chris Schaefer 
> wrote:
>
>> The system is critical to a farm watering operation so I wasn't able to
>> shut it down to try and swap the port 1 inverter with the port 2 inverter.
>> As for changing the power save settings, that is what alerted me to the
>> issue. Under no circumstance can you see a port 2 via the Mate. That's what
>> had me looking at the hub itself and that's when I noticed that the LED on
>> port 2 wasn't lighting up as the hub scrolled/polled by.
>>
>> Christopher
>>
>> On Thu, Jun 25, 2020 at 3:37 PM William Miller 
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Christopher;
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Just spit-balling here:  is the secondary inverter asleep (hate the
>>> master/slave terminology…)?  Try changing power save settings to make sure
>>> the secondary is awake and see if that changes the situation.  Seems
>>> unlikely this will solve the problem, but it may provide some kind of clue.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Also, did you try swapping primary and secondary?  Run with secondary
>>> alone as primary?
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> William Miller
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> *From:* RE-wrenches [mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] *On
>>> Behalf Of *Chris Schaefer
>>> *Sent:* Thursday, June 25, 2020 10:35 AM
>>> *To:* RE-wrenches
>>> *Subject:* [RE-wrenches] Slave Radian not showing up on Hub10 or @
>>> Mate3s
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> G'Day All,
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> So I started up a system recently with two Radian 8048A's. The master is
>>> connected to port 1 and the slave connected to port 2 with the FlexNet at
>>> port 3. There are no OB charge controllers in the system. When the hub is
>>> polling (led's scrolling) nothing shows up for the slave at port 2. It's
>>> like the slave inverter doesn't exist. So I moved the slave and flexnet
>>> down to port 3 and 4. No change in the polling. I swapped out comm (factory
>>> green) cables. Again no change. Looking at the control board of the slave
>>> there is only one green led on which is located at the upper right-hand
>>> side. Otherwise no led's are on. I have 57v at the buss bar terminals of
>>> the inverter. Of course since there is no polling at the hub there is no
>>> way to view port 2 to view the slave at the Mate.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Now the only thing that I didn't do was to try and use the manual
>>> on/off  switch-jumper to start the slave. But in the past regardless of the
>>> inverter being on or off it would still show up on the hub. This is  a new
>>> one and I'm looking for some direction here.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>>
>>> Christopher-
>>>
>>> Chris Schaefer’s
>>> <http://www.solarandwindfx.com>
>>>
>>> *Tel/Fax 585-229-2083 or Cell 585-748-1870 *
>>> *5115 South Hill Road ~ Canandaigua New York 14424www.solarandwindfx.com
>>> <http://www.solarandwindfx.com> ~ E-mail: **ch...@solarandwindfx.com
>>> *
>>>
>>> Thomas Jefferson, the author of our great Constitution, once said,
>>> "democracy" will cease to exist when you take away from those who are
>>> willing to work and give to those who would not."
>>> ___
>>> List sponsored by Redwood Alliance
>>>
>>> List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org
>>>
>>> Change listserver email address & settings:
>>> http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org
>>>
>>> List-Archive:
>>> http://www.mail-archive.com/re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org/maillist.html
>>>
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>>> Check out or update participant bios:
>>> www.members.re-wrenches.org
>>>
>>>
>>
>> --
>>
>> Chris Schaefer’s
>> 
>>
>> *Tel/Fax 585-229-2083 or Cell 585-748-1870 *
>> *5115 South Hill Road ~ Cana

Re: [RE-wrenches] Slave Radian not showing up on Hub10 or @ Mate3s

[Chris Schaefer]

The system is critical to a farm watering operation so I wasn't able to
shut it down to try and swap the port 1 inverter with the port 2 inverter.
As for changing the power save settings, that is what alerted me to the
issue. Under no circumstance can you see a port 2 via the Mate. That's what
had me looking at the hub itself and that's when I noticed that the LED on
port 2 wasn't lighting up as the hub scrolled/polled by.

Christopher

On Thu, Jun 25, 2020 at 3:37 PM William Miller 
wrote:

> Christopher;
>
>
>
> Just spit-balling here:  is the secondary inverter asleep (hate the
> master/slave terminology…)?  Try changing power save settings to make sure
> the secondary is awake and see if that changes the situation.  Seems
> unlikely this will solve the problem, but it may provide some kind of clue.
>
>
>
> Also, did you try swapping primary and secondary?  Run with secondary
> alone as primary?
>
>
>
> William Miller
>
>
>
> *From:* RE-wrenches [mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] *On
> Behalf Of *Chris Schaefer
> *Sent:* Thursday, June 25, 2020 10:35 AM
> *To:* RE-wrenches
> *Subject:* [RE-wrenches] Slave Radian not showing up on Hub10 or @ Mate3s
>
>
>
> G'Day All,
>
>
>
> So I started up a system recently with two Radian 8048A's. The master is
> connected to port 1 and the slave connected to port 2 with the FlexNet at
> port 3. There are no OB charge controllers in the system. When the hub is
> polling (led's scrolling) nothing shows up for the slave at port 2. It's
> like the slave inverter doesn't exist. So I moved the slave and flexnet
> down to port 3 and 4. No change in the polling. I swapped out comm (factory
> green) cables. Again no change. Looking at the control board of the slave
> there is only one green led on which is located at the upper right-hand
> side. Otherwise no led's are on. I have 57v at the buss bar terminals of
> the inverter. Of course since there is no polling at the hub there is no
> way to view port 2 to view the slave at the Mate.
>
>
>
> Now the only thing that I didn't do was to try and use the manual on/off
> switch-jumper to start the slave. But in the past regardless of the
> inverter being on or off it would still show up on the hub. This is  a new
> one and I'm looking for some direction here.
>
>
>
> Thanks,
>
> Christopher-
>
> Chris Schaefer’s
> <http://www.solarandwindfx.com>
>
> *Tel/Fax 585-229-2083 or Cell 585-748-1870 *
> *5115 South Hill Road ~ Canandaigua New York 14424www.solarandwindfx.com
> <http://www.solarandwindfx.com> ~ E-mail: **ch...@solarandwindfx.com
> *
>
> Thomas Jefferson, the author of our great Constitution, once said,
> "democracy" will cease to exist when you take away from those who are
> willing to work and give to those who would not."
> ___
> List sponsored by Redwood Alliance
>
> List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org
>
> Change listserver email address & settings:
> http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org
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>

-- 

Chris Schaefer’s


*Tel/Fax 585-229-2083 or Cell 585-748-1870 *
*5115 South Hill Road ~ Canandaigua New York 14424**www.solarandwindfx.com
<http://www.solarandwindfx.com> ~ E-mail: ch...@solarandwindfx.com
*


Thomas Jefferson, the author of our great Constitution, once said,
"democracy" will cease to exist when you take away from those who are
willing to work and give to those who would not."
___
List sponsored by Redwood Alliance

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[RE-wrenches] Slave Radian not showing up on Hub10 or @ Mate3s

[Chris Schaefer]

G'Day All,

So I started up a system recently with two Radian 8048A's. The master is
connected to port 1 and the slave connected to port 2 with the FlexNet at
port 3. There are no OB charge controllers in the system. When the hub is
polling (led's scrolling) nothing shows up for the slave at port 2. It's
like the slave inverter doesn't exist. So I moved the slave and flexnet
down to port 3 and 4. No change in the polling. I swapped out comm (factory
green) cables. Again no change. Looking at the control board of the slave
there is only one green led on which is located at the upper right-hand
side. Otherwise no led's are on. I have 57v at the buss bar terminals of
the inverter. Of course since there is no polling at the hub there is no
way to view port 2 to view the slave at the Mate.

Now the only thing that I didn't do was to try and use the manual on/off
switch-jumper to start the slave. But in the past regardless of the
inverter being on or off it would still show up on the hub. This is  a new
one and I'm looking for some direction here.

Thanks,
Christopher-

Chris Schaefer’s


*Tel/Fax 585-229-2083 or Cell 585-748-1870 *
*5115 South Hill Road ~ Canandaigua New York 14424**www.solarandwindfx.com
 ~ E-mail: ch...@solarandwindfx.com
*


Thomas Jefferson, the author of our great Constitution, once said,
"democracy" will cease to exist when you take away from those who are
willing to work and give to those who would not."
___
List sponsored by Redwood Alliance

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Re: [RE-wrenches] Magnum Frequency Shift

[Chris Schaefer]

G'Day Mark,

Which grid tied inverter are you attempting to AC couple with. I
apologize if you already called it out in the thread.

Christopher

On Fri, Jun 12, 2020 at 2:01 PM Jay  wrote:

> Hi Mark,
>
> Agreed that diversion is the way to go.
> As 4v above absorb volts is completely unworkable.
>
>  But I’m not sure that I agree about .5 hz will do anything. The new rule
> 21 inverters go off line at 64 hz. And there is a type of tapering based on
> hz shift, but it won’t shut off a new gt inverter at+ .5hz.
>
> Cheers
>
> Jay
>
>
>
> On Jun 12, 2020, at 10:08 AM, Mark Frye  wrote:
>
> 
>
> Thanks Jay,
>
> I talked again with Magnum.
>
> I have the latest Rev 6.1 MS-PAE 4448 so the exact implementation has
> changed from that described in AN002, 5/10. The current Rev. has changes
> designed to improve interaction with the GT inverters. I didn't really get
> to the bottom of that. But the critical aspect of this remains unchanged:
>
> - the Magnum will have shifted the frequency  by 0.5 Hz
>  when the DC voltage rises
> to Absorb + 4V.
>
> This makes more sense than the 6V I had in my notes (which may have meant
> 6V above Float.)
>
> With all this in mind, I think I will plan on using this feature as a
> backup to an AC dump load controller set to maintain Float voltage.
>
>
> On 6/12/2020 7:12 AM, Jay wrote:
>
> Hi Mark
>
> I found this which might be of help.
>
>
> https://www.magnum-dimensions.com/sites/default/files/MagArchive/AN-0002-AC-Coupling-Rev-5-10.pdf
>
> Jay
> Peltz power.
>
> On Jun 12, 2020, at 6:59 AM, Mark Frye 
>  wrote:
>
> Looking for confirmation from Wrenches who know Magnum inverters:
>
> - MS-PAE
>
> -ME-RC
>
> - Frequency shift enabled (battery type "Custom")
>
> - AC coupled PV inverters w/o frequency shift capability
>
> Function:
>
> At Absorb voltage frequency shift is zero, at Absorb voltage + 6 V, shift
> is 0.5 Hz  (in 0.3 volt increments)
>
> This is from my notes from a tech support call, but I am wondering if I
> have it mixed up. Protecting at 6 volts above the Absorb seems a bit high.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Mark
>
>
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[RE-wrenches] the history of three Mate's

[Chris Schaefer]

G'Day All,

Recently ran into an issue on a system installed by others. It's an Outback
FW1000 circa 2015 with a twin stack of VFX3648's. The system is offgrid and
charged solely by a 15kw propane fired generator with plenty of hours on
it. I'll be adding PV to it in the coming weeks. The system originally
came with a Mate Oval using the AGS. In late 2018 a second installer
replaced the oval with a Mate3, serial#  M307410. The system has been
working with the AGS feature flawlessly.

A couple weeks back I received a call because the Mate3 had locked up. So I
arrived last week with a new Mate3s in hand, serial# MA2007F0100150 not a
Mate3. I removed the SD card from the Mate3 and installed it to the Mate3s.
It appeared that someone had saved a profile so I loaded it into the newest
Mate3s. After reviewing the settings I was satisfied with them and fired
everything up and then manually started the genny. After an hour or so I
shut down the genny again manually. The AC power went out and on the Mate3s
I received an event, "AC Out shorted Error". This seemed odd as there were
no other changes to the system other than to swap out of the Mate. Tried
this several times with the same results. Next I decided to turn off the
home's main breaker @ the SEP. Did not get any error's at the Mate3s. Next
I turned on the 200A main @ the SEP. Still good. Then one by one all the
breakers in the SEP. No error's and the power is back on. Fired up the
genny, then turned it off and the same error reappears.

Here's where it gets really interesting. The client still had the old oval
Mate lying around so just for fun I reinstalled it and everything ran
perfectly. Say what?!?! At this point I'm leaning to either an
incompatibility issue with the new Mate3s and the older VFX inverters or
just a bad Mate3s. What say you?

Thanks,
Christopher-

Chris Schaefer’s


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[RE-wrenches] advice on cellular modem brands

[Chris Schaefer]

G'Day All,

I'm in search of advice on the different brand/models of cellular
modems ya'll have been having good luck with these days when it comes to
monitoring something basic like an OutBack Mate3s via Optics RE.

What I've found thus far is from a company called MoFi Networks. They offer
a unit 4G, for around $320 that requires the end user/client to purchase a
sim card w/ hotspot enabled from their local cell carrier whether it be
AT, Verison or T-mobile. The one note on purchasing from a carrier is
that they can throttle you down if you use too much data, which I can't
imagine the Outback or any other monitoring apparatus would hit. Now if the
client decided to stream movies that's a different story and falls on their
shoulders. I was told that you can purchase a sim card from a third party
that for reasons I don't begin to understand can't be throttled down by the
national carriers.

Anyway I'd love to hear back from my peers on brands that you've
tried, trued and tested.

Happy Easter and Passover to All,
Christopher-

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Re: [RE-wrenches] Optics systems ghost reprogramming

[Chris Schaefer]

To all,

Lately it seems that I'm taking over more and more off grid projects that
have become orphaned by the many possers in our off grid world. Believe me
when I say I'm happy to do it. In regards to Optics I've created my own
account so that I can view all my clients. The problem I'm running into is
that when I try to create a new profile by entering the clients Mate3 MAC
address I find that the address is already registered. The clients don't
know anything and the installers have disappeared. In some cases the
clients do have a login and password. So my question to you is what is the
work around here? Is there a way to locally clear the info at the Mate3 or
is this something that has to be done at OB HQ? If so, what kind of
documentation would be required from the client to provide to OB to allow
someone else to "take over" administrative rights of the system? I did
reach out to OB on the issue but have received no response as of yet. I
will say, when it works it is awesome.

Christopher

On Tue, Mar 17, 2020 at 9:50 AM Tump  wrote:

> Please be aware that the files that are stored in the Mates are not able
> to be overwritten, and this leads to corrupted data among other mystery
> issues. Contact Kris Stone, a former OB employee, he has the ability to
> erase the old files. I no longer travel w/o updated M3s and the firmware to
> up date. IF I have an issue, I will copy settings in the older Mate and
> leave my new one in place until I get it addressed by Kris.
> FYI OB just closed down 1 their offices and moved (those who still had
> jobs) to I believe Bellingham. Lonus?
> Kris Stone, 425-233-0731 stkri...@yahoo.com
>
> On Mar 16, 2020, at 6:37 PM, Dan Fink  wrote:
>
> William, Michael; I have never seen spontaneous reprogramming of the AGS,
> but it sure does give me something to watch out for on the Optics systems
> I've installed, thanks for that!
>
> What I did see (last month) was an Optics system (no AGS) shut down the
> web gateway, saying the firmware in the charge controllers (old MX60s) and
> the Flexnet DC need to be updated, but all are too old, the firmware can't
> be updated as far as I know. It also lost the Port #s for the 2 MX60s and
> FlexNet DC and needs them re-entered.
>
> Oddly, the battery SOC is the only data showing in the Optics Portal, but
> it's saying 67% SOC, which (I hope!) is incorrect, as the site has had full
> sun, hardly a cloud in the sky, for over 3 days now, and the system is
> designed to charge from 50% SOC to full on one sunny day.
>
> The Mate 3S firmware isn't flagged for an update, but there is a newer
> version out. I plan to update the Mate 3S, re-enter the Port assignments
> and hope that fixes the problem. Because the system is 200 miles away and I
> have no way now of knowing if it's even charging right now.
>
> Will be watching this thread closely!.
>
> Dan Fink
> Executive Director, Buckville Energy Consulting
> NABCEP PV Associate
> NABCEP Certified PV System Inspector
> IREC Certified Instructor™ for:
> ~ PV Installation Professional
> ~ Small Wind Installer
> NABCEP Registered Continuing Education Providers
> d anbo...@gmail.com
> 970-672-4342
>
>
>
>
> On Mon, Mar 16, 2020 at 1:48 PM William Miller 
> wrote:
>
>> Colleagues:
>>
>>
>> Over time we have seen our Outback Optics systems reprogramming
>> themselves.  The latest manifestation is seeing the AGS change from Auto to
>> Off.  I would suggest if you have Optics systems you might log in and check
>> this.  Damage can be done to batteries and your credibility if a generator
>> auto-start is expected and does not occur.
>>
>>
>> I would be interested in hearing if any of you have experienced any
>> “ghost” reprogramming of any Outback systems.
>>
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>>
>> William Miller
>>
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[RE-wrenches] combining 24v and 12v systems

[Chris Schaefer]

G'day and Happy New Year to All,

Recently came across this offgrid OB FX system. The first part is a 12v
battery system w/ 2 PV modules, 2 Trojan L16  batteries used to power a
frig and freezer about 6 years old. The second is a 24v with 3kw of PV, 4
Trojan L16's, twin OB FX inverters installed by an HVAC contractor back in
2016. This was their first offgrid project. Oh boy, lol. The client would
like to add more battery capacity to both. My thought here is since we are
powering only a 12v frig and freezer why not simplify the system by
creating a single battery bank and then tapping off of the 24v bank using
proper fusing and creating a 12v buss? Admittedly I live in a 48v world so
I'm asking our esteemed colleges as to options on how to address this.

Oh yeah, the installer is unresponsive (no surprise there) and they are
also having firmware issues with an old Mate 3 and would like me to install
a new Mate 3s but that's another issue I'll tackle when I head out to site.

Thanks All,
Christopher-

Chris Schaefer’s


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 ~ E-mail: ch...@solarandwindfx.com
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Re: [RE-wrenches] Enphase

[Chris Schaefer]

Hi Jay,

Ran into the exact situation last install season with Enphase. After a lot
of back and forth emails with pictures basically showing them I wasn't
losing it, they finally deduced that they were packaging them wrong. So the
package part number is correct but the adaptor inside the package is wrong.
You'll have to dig deep into their engineering staff to clear this one up.
I'm sorry but I couldn't find any emails on who I ended up dealing with on
the issue.

Christopher

On Sat, Nov 23, 2019 at 10:45 AM Jay  wrote:

> Hi all
>
> I am replacing some old Enphase under the new replacement program.
> This one came with adapters to fit from the module Tyco ends to the
> inverterMC4.
>
> Except, the other end is Amphonel, not MC4. And the inverters are MC4.
>
> Is this the normal way from
> Enphase or did The customer get something unusual/wrong.
>
> Thx
>
> Jay
> Peltz power.
>
>
>
>
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[RE-wrenches] Fluke 87 replacement

[Chris Schaefer]

G'Day All,

Well my 24 year old Fluke 87 finally passed. It was a great unit and fit
all my needs. Before I go out and buy another I thought I'd reach out to
see if any of my peers would suggest anything different or possibly a step
above in the Fluke family or another brand?

Thanks,
Christopher-

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[RE-wrenches] seeking PV mounting advice to Shipping Container for Off-grid

[Chris Schaefer]

G'Day All,

I'm looking for anyone with advice that has mounted PV to a
shipping container roof with minimal to no roof penetrations. The container
will not be required to be transported with PV attached, only the racking
and only one time to project site. They will not be mounted flat but prefer
a 35 degree angle. I was thinking of Unirac's ULA series as they use to
have an adjustable leg. I'm not only seeking racking brands but also any,
"if I ever did this again I would..." advice.

Thanks,
Christopher-

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Re: [RE-wrenches] Strategies for staged startup of appliances

[Chris Schaefer]

Hey Dave,

Sorry for the delay to your question on the ASCO. Yes the 185 is the one I
use either with a service entrance rated CB or without. You can adjust time
so in a power outage the transfer is less than 2 seconds. Have had zero
issues since switching to them over 10 years ago.

Christopher

On Fri, Sep 13, 2019 at 12:17 PM Jason Szumlanski <
ja...@floridasolardesigngroup.com> wrote:

> I'll let you all know once we sort this out.
>
> A series of blade type disconnects could work. I'm not doing the AC
> distribution past the inverters, but I need to consult with the electrical
> contractor so I'm driving the bus at this point. Some combination of manual
> and automated controls should work.
>
>
>
>
>
> On Thu, Sep 12, 2019 at 10:10 PM Jay  wrote:
>
>> We don’t know how you have the AC distribution set up.
>>
>> If you have a main that then distributes to sub panels, how about relays
>> on delay timers that go to each sub. 3-5 seconds would be more than enough.
>>
>> Or mechanical discos with simple instructions of delay between each.
>> But yea people have to read and comprehend and it’s probably dark so
>> maybe the delay timers.
>>
>> Let us know what you end up using
>>
>> Jay
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Sep 12, 2019, at 3:04 PM, Dave Angelini Offgrid Solar <
>> offgridso...@sti.net> wrote:
>>
>> Jason, any chance of one of the "help" being made knowledgeable to manage
>> this? In a way this is what I do for my offgrid clients. If they won't, I
>> walk away because it is just to complicated at this stage in RE. Hoping it
>> will change!
>>
>> I get them up to speed on managing loads and understanding what is going
>> on with the power. This saves me from the headache. Explain that it can
>> save them quite a bit of money also.  I do not envy you and income is
>> important.  Good Luck!
>>
>> *Dave Angelini Offgrid Solar
>> "we go where powerlines don't"
>> http://members.sti.net/offgridsolar/ 
>> e-mail  offgridso...@sti.net 
>> text 209 813 0060*
>>
>> On Thu, 12 Sep 2019 17:39:13 -0400, Jason Szumlanski <
>> ja...@floridasolardesigngroup.com> wrote:
>>
>> I definitely understand that I can't prevent it 100%, but I can surely
>> mitigate the likelihood. It's highly unlikely that all 10 refrigerators
>> will all start simultaneously based on temperature with the well pump and
>> two air conditioners except when power is first applied. Moreso than the
>> ATS changeover, I'm concerned about scenarios where everything is
>> completely off at the property and the inverter breakers are flipped on.
>> Then I'm essentially guaranteed I'll have 15 motors all trying to start at
>> the same time. I'm planning 27-32kW of capacity, which may well be enough
>> depending on how gentle the HVAC units start, but I want to have a strategy
>> in case things don't go as planned.
>>
>> I was thinking that the ATS would be a good strategy to trigger time
>> delays because it would be implemented whether it was a startup from no
>> power source or during power source transfer.
>>
>> The challenge here is that more than half of these loads will be used
>> maybe a few weeks a year. I'm tasked with designing a system that will
>> operate efficiently with both high and low occupancy levels, and it's only
>> responsible of me to investigate ways to reduce the budget requirement for
>> the total system. Money is probably not a factor here, but bigger, bigger,
>> bigger also means bigger headaches when you have 8 inverters to maintain
>> rather than 6 or 4.
>>
>> I do have some other thoughts like ensuring the well pump doesn't turn on
>> while the Air Conditioning is running. Since it's on a float switch with
>> ample at-grade storage, I don't really care if it runs only at periods of
>> light load.
>>
>> You do have a point about turning refrigerators on and off by switching
>> power. I might look into ways to cut the compressor using controls in the
>> refrigerators instead. That will be a conversation with Sub-Z to see if
>> they care that power is cycled during operation.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Wed, Sep 11, 2019 at 8:16 PM Jay  wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> You've got to plan on them all starting at once anyway. You can't expect
>>> that it'll never happen.
>>>
>>> And really how do you prevent it. The refrigerators and AC's are on all
>>> the time waiting for the thermostat to activate.  And it's not good to turn
>>> a working fridge on/off especially is the compressor is running.
>>>
>>> Bigger loads, bigger inverters, bigger dollars.
>>>
>>> Jay
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Sep 11, 2019, at 4:24 PM, Jason Szumlanski <
>>> ja...@floridasolardesigngroup.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> That is what I was thinking, but how will the contactor coils "know"
>>> when the ATS switches to inverter power. I'm thinking I need to use an AUX
>>> relay or a series of relays to produce the desired result. I don't think it
>>> will be necessary when going from solar to generator in this case, but
>>> maybe. I guess the question is how to 

Re: [RE-wrenches] Strategies for staged startup of appliances

[Chris Schaefer]

Jason,

Given all of the equipment you're looking at I'd consider using a small
shoe box sized PLC. Relays and timers are good but the PLC will give you a
lot more flexibility in a very small package and will be able to sense when
the ATS switch transfers. I enjoy using the ASCO unit as it offers dry
contacts. As for the PLC I'd consider Opto 22 but any PLC will do. Just
gotta be careful as to some require you buy programming tools.

Christopher

On Thu, Sep 12, 2019 at 11:54 AM Jerry Shafer 
wrote:

> Outback inverters can do that, start and stop the genny, start up if loads
> are above a programmed setting. I have used Lutron for a similar
> application that turned one AC on at a time. You can use the inverter to
> turn off load(s) if they is/are to high, it's all programable
> Jerry
>
> On Wed, Sep 11, 2019, 2:42 PM Jason Szumlanski <
> ja...@floridasolardesigngroup.com> wrote:
>
>> In an off-grid situation I'm looking for a strategy to manage transfer
>> from generator power to inverter power because I have a lot of high startup
>> load appliances planned for a system. Think 8 mini-refrigerators, one sub-z
>> large refrigerator, and an under-cabinet ice maker, not to mention air
>> conditioning. I would like to start these loads in stages if they all call
>> to start up immediately upon system startup or during ATS switch over. Any
>> ideas?
>>
>> I guess while I'm on the subject I should ask about my eye-roll,
>> keep-me-up-a-night, giving-me-heartburn problem with this ice maker. It's
>> going to be outdoors in Florida and they expect it to make 25-50 pounds of
>> ice per day. I am finding it really hard to estimate energy use for this
>> appliance. Any ideas (other than the obvious "don't do it" answer)?
>>
>>
>> Jason Szumlanski
>> Florida Solar Design Group
>>
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*5115 South Hill Road ~ Canandaigua New York 14424**www.solarandwindfx.com
 ~ E-mail: ch...@solarandwindfx.com
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Re: [RE-wrenches] Ground Mount with cable anchors

[Chris Schaefer]

Glen,
I just completed a three aray project. Call me @ 585-748-1870 and I'll tell
you all about it.

Christopher Schaefer

On Mon, Sep 9, 2019 at 3:31 PM Jerry Shafer 
wrote:

> Wrenches/Glen
> I know nuance, they must be trailered or crained into position, leveled on
> site and cables are driven in and pre-loaded and cable locks installed. I
> have there products around California along with the predecessor. Delivery
> can be an issue and there team does the cables so that's something to
> consider too. They are fast to install, pre-layout the conduit and drop and
> very quickly you are up and running. We have also done there blasted
> version with concrete blocks or even just 36" pin anchors
> Jerry
>
> On Mon, Sep 9, 2019, 12:09 PM Glenn Burt  wrote:
>
>> Hello Wrenches,
>>
>>
>>
>> We are looking at alternatives to pile driving and helical piles and
>> concrete piers for small residential ground mount systems.
>>
>> I have just found Nuance Energy who makes a system that is basically set
>> on the grade, and with cables and pivoting duckbill earth anchors and
>> attached cables to secure it.
>>
>> Does anyone have any experience with this system specifically?
>>
>>
>>
>> Thanks in advance!
>>
>>
>>
>> Best regards,
>>
>>
>>
>> Glenn Burt
>>
>>
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*Tel/Fax 585-229-2083 or Cell 585-748-1870 *
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 ~ E-mail: ch...@solarandwindfx.com
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Re: [RE-wrenches] SMA phantom arc faults

[Chris Schaefer]

Got called in by another peer to debug that infamous SMA error 8206 on a 2
year old 5kw unit.  The array is roof mounted on composite shingles with 14
SunPower 345w modules. First time ever seeing this error on this project.
I'd love to hear from others as to what they've found or better yet hear
from an SMA rep as to what they suggest. Not a whole lot of detail in the
SMA users manual.

Thanks,
Christopher

Chris Schaefer’s


*Tel/Fax 585-229-2083 or Cell 585-748-1870 *
*5115 South Hill Road ~ Canandaigua New York 14424**www.solarandwindfx.com
 ~ E-mail: ch...@solarandwindfx.com
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Thomas Jefferson, the author of our great Constitution, once said,
"democracy" will cease to exist when you take away from those who are
willing to work and give to those who would not."

On Mon, Sep 2, 2019 at 12:03 PM Jerry Shafer 
wrote:

> Wrenches
> I have had chiller pump contactor along with wells, shop air compressors
> all create enough of an arc to trigger the inverters. ABB inverters only
> pick up off the DC but even there l had arc welders trip the inverters.
> Jerry
>
> On Mon, Sep 2, 2019, 8:14 AM frenergy  wrote:
>
>> Interestingly, the problems I've had with the SMA -40 AFCI faults have
>> been on Comp roofs.  When I've gone "inside" a -40 with my laptop, I'm
>> pretty sure I've seen where you can disable it?
>>
>> Bill
>> On 9/2/2019 7:12 AM, drake.chamber...@redwoodalliance.org wrote:
>>
>> At least with the TL-22s, the AFCI function can be turned off. You need a*
>> Web connect speed wire module*. .I don't know if this same protocol will
>> work for the TL 40s or not.
>>
>> Metal roofing can apparently be affected by radio waves and by other
>> factors that create a disturbance that can trigger the AFCI.The TL 40 was
>> supposed to overcome this problem.
>>
>>
>>
>> - Original Message -
>> From:
>> "RE-wrenches" 
>> 
>>
>> To:
>> "RE-wrenches" 
>> 
>> Cc:
>>
>> Sent:
>> Sun, 1 Sep 2019 07:42:14 -1000
>> Subject:
>> [RE-wrenches] SMA phantom arc faults
>>
>>
>> Aloha all,
>>
>> My company has really been struggling with the SMA US-40 line of
>> inverters and incredibly disruptive to positive customer experiences bogus
>> arc faults.
>>
>> We were told by our SMA friends that a firmware update/fix was
>> forthcoming in mid-August and we’ve heard nor received nothing last month.
>>
>> Does anyone know anything as to where they’re at on this?
>>
>> Really frustrated
>>
>> marco
>>
>>
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>> --
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>> Bill Battagin, Owner
>> 4291 Nelson St.
>> Taylorsville, CA 95983
>> 530.284.7849
>> CA Lic 874049www.frenergy.net
>>
>>
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>>  Virus-free.
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Chris Schaefer’s


*Tel/Fax 585-229-2083 or Cell 585-748-1870 *
*5115 South Hill Road ~ Canandaigua New York 14424**www.solarandwindfx.com
 ~ E-mail: ch...@solarandwindfx.com
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Thomas Jefferson, the author of our great Constitution, once said,
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Re: [RE-wrenches] 100ms for Locked Rotor Amps?

[Chris Schaefer]

Given the DC voltage sag I have to wonder how a bank of lithium batteries
would react as if I understand correctly they maintain the same voltage
through out their entire range of SOC.

Christopher

On Fri, Jul 26, 2019 at 1:19 PM Ray  wrote:

> I've run a 3 Hp pump on a pair of VFX 3648s, but then the 2nd issue was DC
> voltage sag from the batteries.  We had a string of Rolls 5000s that could
> not keep the voltage high enough below 70% SOC.  Be sure to have plenty of
> battery behind this system.  Also you might look into the soft start
> controllers,  I've used some from Franklin that were a cheaper option than
> a bigger inverter.
>
> Ray Walters
> Remote Solar
> 303 505-8760
>
> On 7/26/19 7:32 AM, Jeff Clearwater wrote:
>
> Thanks Ray and Jerry,
>
> Great to hear from you both with your years of combined experience :)
>
> So yes looking at the 5 sec has me switching back to a trusty Radian - even
> then from what you are saying it may not work.
>
> And you are right Ray -  Outback is careful to rate the "overload
> capability" in KVA rather than KW due most likely to voltage sag of course.
>
> So this 53 LRA 2 HP motor - if I can only trust the 5 second (50 A) might
> not start - especially with other loads on the system?
>
> RADIAN SURGE RATINGS:
>
> Maximum Output Current
> 1 ms peak 100 Amps AC at 240 VAC, 200 Amps AC at 120 VAC
> 100 ms RMS 70.7 Amps AC at 240 VAC
>
> Overload Capability
> 100 ms surge 16.97 kVa
> 5 seconds 12 kVa
> 30 minute 9 kVa
>
> Other's experience with 2 HP sewage pump or well pump motors on a Radian?
>
> Thanks!
>
> Jeff
>
>
> Ray wrote on 7/25/19 5:48 PM:
>
> I only look at the 5 sec and 30 sec surge ratings to get an idea what an
> inverter can really do in the real world.  All those millisecond ratings/
> in rush current specs won't get a pump or motor started, and will basically
> just get you into trouble.  The reason they have those ratings in amps and
> not watts, is that the voltage craters during that 100mS surge.
>
> I can't tell you how many times we tried to start a pump, compressor, or
> large table saw, and the inverter just shut off, even though the "in rush
> current" was within the theoretical inverter capacity.  Actual Wrench list
> testimonials are much more valuable than those arcane specs.
>
> Ray Walters
> Remote Solar
> 303 505-8760
>
> On 7/25/19 5:15 PM, Jeff Clearwater wrote:
>
> Hey There Wrenches,
>
> So be advised that after a little research the SW dual stack will NOT
> double the surge ratings of a single SW.
>
> But that brings me to my second question:
>
> What inverter surge rating should one refer to when looking at maximum
> Inrush or LRA - 1ms?  100ms?  1 sec?
>
> Your engineering wisdom welcomed!
>
> Thanks,
>
> Jeff
>
>
>
> Jeff Clearwater wrote on 7/23/19 8:27 PM:
>
> Thanks for the tip!  I'll check the firmware.
>
> Dave Angelini Offgrid Solar wrote on 7/22/19 9:11 AM:
>
> Hi Jeff,
>
>
>
> I am not going to guess if this will work, it should.  I use XW's because
> they start anything I have come across.
>
> If you do this, make sure but SW's have the latest and same firmware.
> There were problems with stacked SW's early on in their development.
>
> *Dave Angelini Offgrid Solar
> "we go where powerlines don't"
> http://members.sti.net/offgridsolar/ 
> e-mail  offgridso...@sti.net 
> text 209 813 0060*
>
> On Mon, 22 Jul 2019 07:26:07 -0700, Jeff Clearwater
>   wrote:
>
> Hey Esteemed Wrenches,
>
> So I recently built a power trailer with a single 4 KW (4048) Schneider SW
> for a client with a moderate cabin lifestyle.
>
> But he lives on a high hill and even though his 2 HP Macerator is only
> rated at 15 amps continuous that baby starts up with a whopping kick -
> probably close to or at it's 53 Amps Locked Rotor rating.
>
> The SW has the following surge capability:
>
> SW 4048 Rated @ 240 Volts:
> Continuous - 15.2 Amps 3700 Watts
> 30 Minutes - 18.3 Amps 4400 Watts
> 5 Secs - 29.2 Amps 7000 Watts
> Max (100ms?) - 41 Amps - 9840 Watts
>
> Can I be confidant that 2 stacked SWs will start this baby?
>
> Any experience with similar macerators - or simply educated guesses?
>
> Thanks!
>
> Jeff
>
> --
>
>
>
> *Dave Angelini Offgrid Solar
> "we go where powerlines don't"
> http://members.sti.net/offgridsolar/ 
> e-mail  offgridso...@sti.net 
> text 209 813 0060*
>
>
>
>
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Re: [RE-wrenches] Soft Start Modules for Well and Sewage Pumps?

[Chris Schaefer]

I've been following this post with great interest. I was looking at an
off-grid project a couple years back that was being run entirely by large
diesel generators and had two massive AC units where the LRA was 104 Amps.
I found a company that makes what amounts to a soft start. I don't recall
the engineer/owners name but he was very knowledgeable. His number is
813-601-0947 and web site is gen-pro.biz. To finish the client never made
the switch from generator to solar so I can't say if these units work. Hope
this provides another option.

Sincerely,
Christopher


*229-2083 or Cell 585-748-1870 *
*5115 South Hill Road ~ Canandaigua New York 14424**www.solarandwindfx.com
 ~ E-mail: ch...@solarandwindfx.com
*


Thomas Jefferson, the author of our great Constitution, once said,
"democracy" will cease to exist when you take away from those who are
willing to work and give to those who would not."

On Fri, Jul 26, 2019 at 4:15 PM Jeff Clearwater <
je...@villagepowerdesign.com> wrote:

> Hey Jerry,
>
> I think the issue is capacitor start motors can't handle VFDs.  but there
> are other approaches to soft start - still learning.  Thanks for the
> reference!
>
> Best,
>
> Jeff
>
> Jerry Shafer wrote on 7/26/19 12:59 PM:
>
> Wrenches
> I have quite a few freq drives on single phase, the controller came from
> ABB, the pic attached is reference only, it was for a AC chiller grid
> connected not off grid but the controller works either way
> Jerry
>
> On Fri, Jul 26, 2019, 12:47 PM Jeff Clearwater <
> je...@villagepowerdesign.com> wrote:
>
>> Thanks Chris!
>>
>> Unfortunately I'm finding that unless you build an integrated control -
>> motor combo that can soft start like Franklin did - the majority of single
>> phase motors can't use soft start.  That is probably a 3-phase motor in
>> that pump that they have an inverter for in the controls - or they used a
>> shaded pole or spit capacitor single phase motor which can use soft start -
>> at least that is what my initial research and phone call to the pump
>> control company has thus far revealed.
>>
>> Apparently you can play with the voltage-amperage tradeoffs when you have
>> the 3 magnetic fields interaction - single phase doesn't allow you much
>> room to wiggle.
>>
>> I do see single phase soft-starts on the market - still researching but
>> that's my initial findings.
>>
>> Anyone know differently?
>>
>> Thanks!
>>
>> Jeff
>>
>>
>>
>> ch...@oasismontana.com wrote on 7/26/19 9:27 AM:
>>
>> Here at the Oasis home/office, we have a Goulds 3 hp 240VAC soft start
>> pump (#18GS30, w/ Franklin motor HS09970 and #3AS30 Aquavar Solo
>> controller); it’s been running off of my 2011 Radian GS8048 since 2016,
>> when I had to drill a new well (the water table is dropping) and pump from
>> about 300 ft. depth.  I have 3500 ft. of drip irrigation, a big garden
>> and the usual domestic water loads.  It’s worked flawlessly since its
>> inception, and I cannot speak more highly of Goulds pumps.  My first one
>> lasted 23 years (it was a 1.5HP model).
>>
>>
>>
>> Best,
>>
>>
>>
>> Chris Daum
>>
>> Oasis Montana Inc.
>>
>> 406-777-4309 or 4321
>>
>> 406-777-4309 fax
>>
>> www.oasismontana.com
>>
>>
>>
>> *From:* RE-wrenches 
>>  *On Behalf Of *Dana
>> *Sent:* Friday, July 26, 2019 9:34 AM
>> *To:* 'Jeff Clearwater' 
>> ; 'RE-wrenches'
>>  
>> *Subject:* Re: [RE-wrenches] Soft Start Modules for Well and Sewage
>> Pumps?
>>
>>
>>
>> Yes I have used soft starts offgrid with SW & VFX for 15+ years, in spite
>> of doing load evaluations & others installing what ever they normally used.
>> It has been a great rescue device. Well pump, 2 dish washers, booster pump,
>> etc.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Dana Orzel  Great Solar Works, Inc.
>>
>> *C - 208.721.7003   d...@solarwork.com
>> *
>>
>> Idaho Contractor - # 028765 Idaho PV # 028374
>>
>> NABCEP # 051112-136   www.solarwork.com
>>
>> *"Responsible Technologies for Responsible People since 1988"  *
>>
>> *P* Please consider the environment before printing this email.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> *From:* RE-wrenches  *On
>> Behalf Of *Jeff Clearwater
>> *Sent:* Friday, July 26, 2019 8:04 AM
>> *To:* RE-wrenches 
>> *Subject:* [RE-wrenches] Soft Start Modules for Well and Sewage Pumps?
>>
>>
>>
>> Hey Wrenches,
>>
>> Anyone have success using soft-start modules on well and sewage pumps to
>> lower the surge for off-grid inverters?
>>
>> The baby we are trying to tame is a 2 HP 15 amp, 53 LRA Omnivore Grinder
>> Pump - LSG200 series - single phase 230 Vac.
>>
>> Thanks!
>>
>> Jeff
>>
>>
>> ~~~
>>
>> Jeff Clearwater
>> Village Power Design
>> linkedin 
>> www.villagepowerdesign.com
>> cell - 413-559-9763
>> ~~~
>>
>>
>> Jeff Clearwater wrote on 7/26/19 6:32 AM:
>>
>>
>>
>> *Thanks Ray and Jerry,Great to hear from you both with your years of
>> combined 

Re: [RE-wrenches] Solar contractor insurance cancellation

[Chris Schaefer]

Try Erie

Christopher

On Sat, May 11, 2019 at 8:05 AM Christopher Warfel <
cwar...@entech-engineering.com> wrote:

> That happened to me too. All solar policies were cancelled. Brown and
> Brown of NJ advertises through NABCEP and I found them to be a good company
> to work with. Chris
> On 5/10/2019 4:41 PM, Kirk Herander wrote:
>
> Hi Folks,
>
>
>
> I got a call from my ins. agent today that my insurer, Liberty Mutual,
> will not renew my policy: RE: “The following program is no longer being
> offered: solar contracting coverage.” Was confirmed via certified mail. My
> agent says it’s an across-the-board policy for Liberty.
>
> Anyone else heard of this by Liberty or any other insurer?? Hopefully this
> is not an industry trend……
>
>
>
> *Kirk Herander*
>
> *Owner|Principal, VT Solar, LLC *
>
> *Celebrating our 28th Anniversary 1991-2019*
>
> *www.vermontsolarnow.com
> *
>
> dba Vermont Solar Engineering
>
> NABCEPTM  2003 Inaugural Certificant
>
> VT RE Incentive Program Partner
>
> 802.863.1202
>
>
>
>
>
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*Tel/Fax 585-229-2083 or Cell 585-748-1870 *
*5115 South Hill Road ~ Canandaigua New York 14424**www.solarandwindfx.com
 ~ E-mail: ch...@solarandwindfx.com
*


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Re: [RE-wrenches] Blue Planet Batteries

[Chris Schaefer]

Howie,

Everyone's favorite HP editor Joe Schwartz is now working for Blue Planet.
He did an article in HP on transitioning his own off-grid system to Blue
Planet. I believe you can find the article on the Blue Planet website.

Christopher

On Thu, Apr 4, 2019 at 10:09 AM Howie Michaelson 
wrote:

> So I assume therefore you like them compared to others?
> Reasons?
> Comparative pricing?
> Thanks,
> Howie
>
> On Thu, Apr 4, 2019 at 10:04 AM Jerry Shafer 
> wrote:
>
>> Howie
>> Yes been using blue ion for close to 3 years
>> Jerry
>>
>> On Thu, Apr 4, 2019, 6:59 AM Howie Michaelson 
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Hi All,
>>> Anyone have any experience/knowledge about Blue Ion batteries?
>>> Thanks,
>>> Howie
>>>
>>> *Howie Michaelson**Sun Catcher*
>>>
>>> *NABCEP Certified Solar PV Installer™*
>>>
>>> *Solar Electric Systems Sales & Service802-272-0004*
>>>
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 ~ E-mail: ch...@solarandwindfx.com
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[RE-wrenches] Big AGM's and 24V Lithium batteries

[Chris Schaefer]

G'Day All,

Came across an older DIY 24v off-grid system. Looking to replace current
AGM  SunXtender batteries with less then 4 years on them but severely
abused. Client won't go for my normal Rolls/Surrette because they are very
sensitive to smells.

Thus I was considering LiFePo4 batteries however I'm having difficulties
locating them in a 24v bank. If you know of anyone that goes that way
please let me know.

So if I'm stuck with AGM's stored indoors what brand would you suggest for
a heavy usage (1,500 Ahrs +) home?

Thanks,
Christopher-

Chris Schaefer’s


*Tel/Fax 585-229-2083 or Cell 585-748-1870 *
*5115 South Hill Road ~ Canandaigua New York 14424**www.solarandwindfx.com
 ~ E-mail: ch...@solarandwindfx.com
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Re: [RE-wrenches] Equipment ideas for very large residential PV and battery backup

[Chris Schaefer]

Couldn't agree with you more. When I got involved back in November 18' I
did just that and spoke to the North American team while they were at the
home factory over in Europe. They stated that they hoped to have full UL
approval sometime in 2019. I could feel my eyes rolling in my head as I
thought back on SMA's claim to provide us with a Sunny Island 240vac 60 hz
unit. The joke is on us as when is the last time any of the manufactures
actually listened to us out in the trenches. LOL! Good to know Alan has
landed on his feet as I'll miss him from the M team.

Christopher

On Thu, Jan 10, 2019 at 12:31 PM Tump  wrote:

>
> As installers, look at their product line and if we are looking for
> products that we are able to use AND have support, then we should contact
> the folks at Victron E and let them know that they are loosing market share
> to lesser quality products and get their products UL listed.
> Good tech support and well thought out products.
> asantosb...@victronenergy.com Alan is formerly from Magnum but moved to a
> better quality product. T
>
> On Jan 10, 2019, at 11:24 AM, Chris Schaefer 
> wrote:
>
> Just finished consulting on a large island project  in North America where
> the client purchased the Victron system prior to my involvement. Sadly
> Victron has yet to receive UL approval for use in our neck of the world. So
> beware.
>
> Christopher
>
> On Wed, Jan 9, 2019 at 4:50 PM Tump  wrote:
>
>> Check out the Victron Quattro inverters w/ a 10k inverter w/100 pass thru
>> relay. they also have some really well thought out BMS for use w/ their
>> LiFeP04 batteries and monitoring equipment.
>>
>> On Jan 8, 2019, at 3:49 PM, August Goers  wrote:
>>
>> Hi Wrenches,
>>
>> We have a new potential client who wants a 60 kW PV system and a battery
>> backup system with 200 kWh of storage. The system will be grid tied and the
>> client insists on some sort of lithium battery technology and doesn't want
>> Tesla. For such a ridiculously large system, what kind of equipment would
>> you recommend? I'm thinking maybe Sunny Islands with Blue Ion LiFePO4
>> batteries?
>>
>> Best, August
>>
>> *August Goers*
>>
>> Luminalt Energy Corporation
>>
>>
>>
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>> Solarwinds Northernlights
>> *   Serving Mid Coast Maine & Northern California*
>> * 207-832-7574   Cl.
>> 610-517-8401  *
>>   *Blair "TUMP" May*
>>
>>
>> *     MAINE'S CHARTER  *   *
>> NABCEP"Certified PV Installer"*
>>
>>
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>
> --
>
> Chris Schaefer’s
> <http://www.solarandwindfx.com/>
>
> *Tel/Fax 585-229-2083 or Cell 585-748-1870 *
> *5115 South Hill Road ~ Canandaigua New York 14424**www.solarandwindfx.com
> <http://www.solarandwindfx.com/> ~ E-mail: ch...@solarandwindfx.com
> *
>
>
> Thomas Jefferson, the author of our great Constitution, once said,
> "democracy" will cease to exist when you take away from those who are
> willing to work and give to those who would not."
> ___
> L

Re: [RE-wrenches] Equipment ideas for very large residential PV and battery backup

[Chris Schaefer]

Just finished consulting on a large island project  in North America where
the client purchased the Victron system prior to my involvement. Sadly
Victron has yet to receive UL approval for use in our neck of the world. So
beware.

Christopher

On Wed, Jan 9, 2019 at 4:50 PM Tump  wrote:

> Check out the Victron Quattro inverters w/ a 10k inverter w/100 pass thru
> relay. they also have some really well thought out BMS for use w/ their
> LiFeP04 batteries and monitoring equipment.
>
> On Jan 8, 2019, at 3:49 PM, August Goers  wrote:
>
> Hi Wrenches,
>
> We have a new potential client who wants a 60 kW PV system and a battery
> backup system with 200 kWh of storage. The system will be grid tied and the
> client insists on some sort of lithium battery technology and doesn't want
> Tesla. For such a ridiculously large system, what kind of equipment would
> you recommend? I'm thinking maybe Sunny Islands with Blue Ion LiFePO4
> batteries?
>
> Best, August
>
> *August Goers*
>
> Luminalt Energy Corporation
>
>
>
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> * 207-832-7574   Cl.
> 610-517-8401  *
>   *Blair "TUMP" May*
>
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> *     MAINE'S CHARTER  *   *
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*Tel/Fax 585-229-2083 or Cell 585-748-1870 *
*5115 South Hill Road ~ Canandaigua New York 14424**www.solarandwindfx.com
 ~ E-mail: ch...@solarandwindfx.com
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Re: [RE-wrenches] Low voltage DC v. higher voltage DC

[Chris Schaefer]

Hey Michael from SMA, any chance we can finally get an 240vac SI here in
the states?

Christopher

On Tue, Sep 18, 2018 at 12:11 PM, Harry Mahon  wrote:

> Marco –
>
>
>
> I will need to ask for information about the BYD availability.  Once those
> units have all required listings/certifications and are available in US,
> they should be ready to use with SBS.  The CANBUS comms to the BMS has
> already been vetted, and they are on the SMA Approved battery list
> already.  But I will get confirmation on the immediate usability.
>
>
>
> Best regards –
>
> Mike
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> SMA America
> Michael Mahon
> Technical Trainer, Solar Academy
> 6020 West Oaks Boulevard, Suite 300
>
> Rocklin, CA 95765
>
> U.S.A.
> Mobile:   +1 916 918 9412
> * www.SMA-America.com *
>
>
>
> Solar Academy: www.SMA-America.com/partners/sma-solar-academy/overview.
> html 
>
>
>
> Full training schedule: https://www.sma-america.com/
> partners/sma-solar-academy/seminars/trainings/training/list.html
>
>
>
>
>
> [image:
> http://sma-planet.sma.de/fileadmin/fm-dam/infos/social_media/facebook.jpg]
>  [image:
> http://sma-planet.sma.de/fileadmin/fm-dam/infos/social_media/twitter.jpg]
>  [image:
> http://sma-planet.sma.de/fileadmin/fm-dam/infos/social_media/wordpress.jpg]
>  [image: Linkedin Logo]
>  [image:
> http://sma-planet.sma.de/fileadmin/fm-dam/infos/social_media/youtube.jpg]
>  [image:
> SMAAFORUM_ICON] 
>
> [image: cid:image008.jpg@01D43B9E.70803930]
>
>
>
>
>
> This email and any attachments thereto may contain SMA America, LLC
> confidential, privileged and private material for the sole use of the
> intended recipient. Any review, copying, or distribution of this email (or
> any attachments thereto) by others is strictly prohibited. If you are not
> the intended recipient, please contact the sender immediately and
> permanently delete the original and any copies of this email and any
> attachments thereto. Thank you.
>
>
>
> *From:* RE-wrenches  *On
> Behalf Of *Marco Mangelsdorf
> *Sent:* Monday, September 17, 2018 10:20 PM
>
> *To:* RE-wrenches 
> *Subject:* Re: [RE-wrenches] Low voltage DC v. higher voltage DC
>
>
>
> Mahalo Mike.
>
>
>
> Can you tell us please when the SS will actually be able to integrate the
> BYD battery platform in the north American market?
>
>
>
> marco
>
> On Monday, September 17, 2018, Harry Mahon 
> wrote:
>
> Marco and all – yes that is the correct spec sheet for the BYD batteries
> that will work with Sunny Boy Storage.
>
>
>
> SMA strongly would recommend the Sunny Island for off-grid in general and
> certainly whole home backup.  See the attached from Home Power April/May
> 2011; quad stack of SIs acting as UPS for the home – just charging
> batteries when grid is present, powering home with batteries/PV when grid
> is gone.  A dual split phase cluster is almost 24,000 W continuous (!)
> capability and can handle crazy power factor loads with no issues.  Built
> in generator functions and two relay positions per Sunny Island allow for
> lots of redundancy and fail-safe load shedding to be built in.
>
>
>
> The Sunny Boy Storage (SBS) is designed to be a grid-tied inverter to
> allow higher self consumption of local PV power.  Even with the ABU to
> allow off grid operation (grid forming on its AC outputs rather than just
> on the dedicated 120VAC Secure Power Supply outlet), there can be a several
> second delay in the switch from grid power to microgrid as the ABU must
> signal the Sunny Boy Storage that it has disconnected from the grid and
> that it is safe for the SBS to form a grid on its output terminals.  Also
> be aware that there is no master-slave configuration ability with the SBS –
> they will always assume they are acting independently on their energy meter
> input information.
>
>
>
> Best regards –
>
> Mike
>
>
>
> SMA America
> Michael Mahon
> Technical Trainer, Solar Academy
> 6020 West Oaks Boulevard, Suite 300
>
> Rocklin, CA 95765
>
> U.S.A.
> Mobile:   +1 916 918 9412
> * www.SMA-America.com *
>
>
>
> Solar Academy: www.SMA-America.com/partners/sma-solar-academy/overview.
> html 
>
>
>
> Full training schedule: https://www.sma-america.com/
> partners/sma-solar-academy/seminars/trainings/training/list.html
>
>
>
>
>
> [image:
> http://sma-planet.sma.de/fileadmin/fm-dam/infos/social_media/facebook.jpg]
> [image:
> http://sma-planet.sma.de/fileadmin/fm-dam/infos/social_media/twitter.jpg]
>  [image:
> 

Re: [RE-wrenches] Trackers

[Chris Schaefer]

Chris,

I've been using both All Earth Renewables (AER) and Array Tech. I really
like AER but the smallest they make is a 20 module rack. I use their 24
module (60 cell) rack with a 320 to 335 watt module in my offgrid projects.
One of the reasons I like AER is because of the GPS tracking, no sensor to
block with snow. It is a very durable unit. Prior to AER I used Array Tech.
They have been sold off from wattsun and have made some upgrades with their
linear actuators but haven't installed a new unit since switching to AER 4
years ago. The AT holds 12 60 cell modules. Feel free to call if you'd like
some more detail.

Christopher 585-748-1870

On Thu, Sep 6, 2018 at 12:12 PM,  wrote:

> Hi Folks:  I appreciate the input but I am looking for TYPES of trackers
> that you may be selling (and yes, I told him about adding more & cheaper
> solar modules than investing in a tracker, but it’s the customer’s
> decision).  Zomeworks is not what the client wants; I would prefer dual
> axis; the customer’s in north central CA with a good resource.  I say go
> with Array Technologies but I would think there must be something new and
> improved by now.
>
>
>
> --Chris Daum/Oasis Montana
>
>
>
>
>
> *From:* RE-wrenches  *On
> Behalf Of *Dana
> *Sent:* Thursday, September 6, 2018 9:18 AM
> *To:* 'RE-wrenches' 
> *Subject:* [RE-wrenches] Trackers
>
>
>
> I second this observation.
>
>
>
> I now live again off grid in a narrow N-S canyon in south central Idaho.
> Having limited ground space [thanks to county regs] & not wanting roof
> mounted arrays to have to clear snow from, trackers VS. fix top of pole
> mounts enhance my output & they reduced the # of modules required for my
> homes projected load design.
>
>
>
>- 6400 watts rated output on 2 Array Tech tracking arrays. Fixed would
>have required 3 arrays & 6-8 more modules. Trackers are programed to full
>vertical in winter to shed overnight snow dumps, this saves time & effort
>in the morning when it’s a Powder day! Can’t miss those Powder mornings.
>- 5400 watts per hour in the summer when hot.
>- Up to 8400 watts per hour on a cold winter day. Exactly what I
>needed 31+% additional output with a 4-hour window of sun at New Year’s
>Day. So far, my generator has never started…
>
>
>
> *A repeat from a previous RE conversation years ago, I had to see for
> myself &:
>
> Last house in CO, I had [6] 250-watt mod on a tracker & [6] 250-watt mod
> on a fixed roof array.
>
> The tracker consistently outproduced the fixed array by 32% averaged over
> the year.
>
>
>
> Trackers have their place and advantages. That said, with todays $/watt o
> modules if you have the space fixed is a more cost-effective way to proceed.
>
>
>
> Signed - A 25-year tracker advocate.
>
>
>
> 
> 
>
> Dana Orzel  Great Solar Works, Inc.
>
> *C - 208.721.7003   d...@solarwork.com
> *
>
> Idaho Contractor - # 028765 Idaho PV # 028374
>
> NABCEP # 051112-136   www.solarwork.biz
>
> *"Responsible Technologies for Responsible People since 1988"  *
>
> *P* Please consider the environment before printing this email.
>
>
>
>
>
> *From:* RE-wrenches  *On
> Behalf Of *Chris Schaefer
> *Sent:* Thursday, September 06, 2018 8:27 AM
> *To:* RE-wrenches 
> *Subject:* Re: [RE-wrenches] Trackers
>
>
>
> To All,
>
>
>
> Seen it first hand with existing Northeast offgrid clients that had old
> pole mounts with lots of generator usage during the winter months. Added a
> single 12 module DAT and generator usage was down to as little as twice in
> the entire winter. Others usage was down to just a handful of times
> required from genny. They are great at shedding snow. Bottom line is
> generator usage was cut in most cases by 75% or better. I'm a believer here
> in upstate NY.
>
>
>
> Christopher
>
> Chris Schaefer’s
> <http://www.solarandwindfx.com/>
>
> *Tel/Fax 585-229-2083 or Cell 585-748-1870 *
> *5115 South Hill Road ~ Canandaigua New York 14424www.solarandwindfx.com
> <http://www.solarandwindfx.com/> ~ E-mail: **ch...@solarandwindfx.com
> *
>
> Thomas Jefferson, the author of our great Constitution, once said,
> "democracy" will cease to exist when you take away from those who are
> willing to work and give to those who would not."
>
>
>
>
>
> On Thu, Sep 6, 2018 at 12:37 AM, Andrew Truitt  wrote:
>
>
>
> These guys are new but I've heard good things:  http://www.
> sula

Re: [RE-wrenches] Trackers

[Chris Schaefer]

To All,

Seen it first hand with existing Northeast offgrid clients that had old
pole mounts with lots of generator usage during the winter months. Added a
single 12 module DAT and generator usage was down to as little as twice in
the entire winter. Others usage was down to just a handful of times
required from genny. They are great at shedding snow. Bottom line is
generator usage was cut in most cases by 75% or better. I'm a believer here
in upstate NY.

Christopher

Chris Schaefer’s


*Tel/Fax 585-229-2083 or Cell 585-748-1870 *
*5115 South Hill Road ~ Canandaigua New York 14424**www.solarandwindfx.com
 ~ E-mail: ch...@solarandwindfx.com
*


Thomas Jefferson, the author of our great Constitution, once said,
"democracy" will cease to exist when you take away from those who are
willing to work and give to those who would not."


On Thu, Sep 6, 2018 at 12:37 AM, Andrew Truitt  wrote:

>
> These guys are new but I've heard good things:  http://www.
> sulasindustries.com/
>
>
> *Regards, *
>
> *Andrew Truitt | DRV *
> www.dr.ventures
> d: 202.486.7507
>
> NABCEP Certified PV Installation Professional ID: 032407-66
> Colorado Journeyman Electrician License No.: 600132
>
>
>
> "Don't get me wrong: I love nuclear energy! It's just that I prefer fusion
> to fission. And it just so happens that there's an enormous fusion reactor
> safely banked a few million miles from us. It delivers more than we could
> ever use in just about 8 minutes. And it's wireless!"
>
> ~William McDonough
>
>
> On Wed, Sep 5, 2018 at 9:38 PM Sindelar Solar 
> wrote:
>
>> Bill,
>>
>> No, I'm with you on this.Given the the greatest boost (~+/- 30%) of daily
>> tracking is during the summer and most stand-alone applications are
>> winter-peak (where tracking adds at best 10-15%), seasonal water pumping is
>> about the only time when small-scale tracking is justified over simply
>> adding array. Any pumping where the source is slow enough that the length
>> of the day becomes an important factor, like drip irrigation or a very low
>> yield well or spring, is worth looking into. But that's about it in my
>> experience.
>>
>> Allan
>>
>> --
>>
>> *Allan Sindelar*
>> al...@sindelarsolar.com
>> NABCEP Certified PV Installation Professional
>> New Mexico EE98J Journeyman Electrician
>> Founder (Retired), Positive Energy, Inc.
>> *505 780-2738 cell*
>> On 9/5/2018 5:53 PM, solar1onl...@charter.net wrote:
>>
>> Chris,
>> I thought since solar PV prices have come down (understatement), is it
>> not more cost effective to buy more modules than a tracker? Are there
>> scenarios that the above would not ring true? (As I remember, off grid
>> water pumping for livestock ponds may still be an exception as also,
>> limited space.) Please advise.
>> Thanks,
>> Bill Loesch
>> Solar 1 - Saint Louis Solar
>> 314 631 1094
>>
>> 
>> From: ch...@oasismontana.com
>> Sent: Wednesday September 5 2018 3:45:25PM
>>
>> Dear people:
>>
>> What trackers are y’all using nowadays?  I have a customer (with a great
>> site) who’s insisting on a pair.  We’ve sold Zomeworks and Array
>> Technologies in the past, but I know there are more offerings now.
>>
>> Thanks for the input!
>>
>> Chris Daum
>>
>> Oasis Montana Inc.
>>
>> 406-777-4309 or 4321
>>
>> 406-777-4309 fax
>>
>> www.oasismontana.com
>>
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Re: [RE-wrenches] battery temp sensors for older Trace/Xantrex inverters

[Chris Schaefer]

To All,

Since I have two Xantrex/Trace SW5548's that run my shop/office and home
(offgrid) I decided to take some time early this morning to  install a
MidNite and Outback BTS into one of the inverters to see first hand what
the results would be. Below is the results with the actual voltage @ 49.2.
The compensated voltage shown on the Trace screen was;
MidNite; 56.2
Outback: 55.2
While the original Trace bts returned a compensated voltage of 49.8. I did
allow for a 30 minute adjustment to the environment before recording values.
Thus I walked away proving to myself that you can't (as many of you have
pointed out) cross use either MidNite or Outback bts on the SW.
Ray thanks for the offer of the BTS but since Dave has graciously provided
us with the Xantrex/Schneider p/n 130-0004-01-01 I'm going to see if I
can't locate a couple through the normal vendors.

Thanks everyone,
Christopher



On Mon, Aug 6, 2018 at 11:09 AM, Dave Angelini Offgrid Solar <
offgridso...@sti.net> wrote:

> From Schneider
>
> *Resolution:*
> Product Family Xantrex Part Number
> Conext XW, Conext SW, TR, Truecharge2*, XC chargers*, FSW2000* 808-0232-01
> Trace SW, CR*, DR, RV*, C series 130-0004-01-01
> Trucharge20+/40+*, Prosine 3.0* 808-0231
> RS/MS*, RV/GS series*, FSW3000*, FSW2012*, FSW3012*, Prosine 2.0* 809-0946
> FDM 458* / FDM Marine* 76-0022-00
>
>
> *Dave Angelini Offgrid Solar
> "we go where powerlines don't"
> http://members.sti.net/offgridsolar/ <http://members.sti.net/offgridsolar/>
> e-mail  offgridso...@sti.net 
> text 209 813 0060*
>
>
>
> On Mon, 6 Aug 2018 14:40:21 +, Lones Tuss 
> wrote:
>
> Hello All
>
> The Trace Battery Temp sensor has a 100 k negative coefficient.
>
> The Outback Battery temp sensor has a 10 K negative coefficient.
>
> The Outback temp senor will not work with Trace equipment.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> *From:* RE-wrenches [mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] *On
> Behalf Of *Chris Schaefer
> *Sent:* Saturday, August 4, 2018 2:05 PM
> *To:* re-wrenches 
> *Subject:* [RE-wrenches] battery temp sensors for older Trace/Xantrex
> inverters
>
>
>
> Good Day All,
>
>
>
> Running into a lot of missing or chewed up battery temp sensors for the
> older Trace inverters. I'm looking for potential replacements. Anyone had
> any luck using another vendor or do you have a direct replacement source
> for these?
>
>
>
> Thanks,
>
> Christopher-
>
> Chris Schaefer's
> <http://www.solarandwindfx.com>
>
> *Tel/Fax 585-229-2083 or Cell 585-748-1870  *
> *5115 South Hill Road ~ Canandaigua New York 14424 www.solarandwindfx.com
> <http://www.solarandwindfx.com> ~ E-mail: **ch...@solarandwindfx.com
> *
>
> Thomas Jefferson, the author of our great Constitution, once said,
> "democracy" will cease to exist when you take away from those who are
> willing to work and give to those who would not."
>
> --
>
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Re: [RE-wrenches] battery temp sensors for older Trace/Xantrex inverters

[Chris Schaefer]

Ray & All,

It is for an off-grid system with batteries in the basement along with an
auto start generator where the clients are only there during the summer
months. During winter months they keep the house at 45 degrees to avoid
freezing pipes up here in Northern NY. Solar is severely undersized. Will
be replacing batteries and adding solar. The original people that built the
home lived there year round were energy misers while the current client
that bought the place 4 years ago admit that they are energy hogs. Thus
I've got some work ahead of me for sure.

The bts is for the inverter and the old one was cut off and wrapped up
inside the battery cable side of the inverter. While the sensor part was no
where to be found. Certainly not in the battery box.

Thanks,
Christopher

On Sun, Aug 5, 2018 at 4:32 PM, Bruce Geddes  wrote:

> I recall from a training seminar a long time ago that the Xantrex and
> Outback sensors were the same.  Don’t know if that is still the case but
> the Midnite are definitely different values as Steve has said.
>
> Bruce Geddes
>
> PowerOn
>
>
>
> *From:* RE-wrenches [mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] *On
> Behalf Of *jay
> *Sent:* Sunday, 5 August 2018 10:39 a.m.
> *To:* RE-wrenches
> *Subject:* Re: [RE-wrenches] battery temp sensors for older Trace/Xantrex
> inverters
>
>
>
> HI Chris,
>
>
>
> Maybe someone else can confirm but I believe the OB and Midnite use the
> thermistors with the same values and are interchangeable.
>
> And both use same RJ-11 plug.
>
>
>
> jay
>
> peltz power
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> 
>  Virus-free.
> www.avast.com
> 
> <#m_-8587160756323794355_DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2>
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 ~ E-mail: ch...@solarandwindfx.com
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Re: [RE-wrenches] battery temp sensors for older Trace/Xantrex inverters

[Chris Schaefer]

It's a dual labeled 1997-2002 vintage Xantrex/Trace unit and the old BTS is
yellow with an RJ-11 connector. Upgrading the client to a new bank of
Surrettes and in order to be warranty compliant the system must have a BTS.
So what have the older, wiser wrenches done for a replacement?  Does anyone
have one of these lying around that I could purchase? I'll contact
Xantrex/Schneider on Monday to see if they are still available since they
do still sell the C60 CC and perhaps the newer BTS are compatible.

Thanks,
Christopher

On Sat, Aug 4, 2018 at 7:17 PM, Dave Angelini Offgrid Solar <
offgridso...@sti.net> wrote:

> What color wire? The old Xantrex SW & SW+ were yellow. I can't remember
> the color of the Trace anymore...  --Dave
>
>
>
> Bill the BTS are generally different.
>
> You definitely don't want interchange BTS's... If you use a Midnite sensor
> with an Outback itll appear as a very hot battery and the charger won't
> charge.
>
> There are just differance between the varistor that is potted for most
> companies.
>
> On Sat, Aug 4, 2018, 6:25 PM  wrote:
>
>> Fellow wrenches,
>>
>> Am I missing something? Other than the way the sensor connects to the
>> inverter/CC/??? is this not simply a thermistor/other discrete component
>> with the appropriate output? Yes, it is potted for preservation in the
>> potentially acid vapor environment, and provided with glue when the
>> attachment is other than the terminal and again, the connector is specific
>> to each manufacturer.
>>
>> Thanks for your input,
>>
>> Bill Loesch
>> Solar 1
>> Saint Louis, MO
>> 314 631 1094
>>
>>
>>
>> -
>> From: "Chris Schaefer"
>> To: "re-wrenches"
>> Cc:
>> Sent: Saturday August 4 2018 4:04:47PM
>> Subject: [RE-wrenches] battery temp sensors for older Trace/Xantrex
>> inverters
>>
>> Good Day All,
>>
>> Running into a lot of missing or chewed up battery temp sensors for the
>> older Trace inverters. I'm looking for potential replacements. Anyone had
>> any luck using another vendor or do you have a direct replacement source
>> for these?
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Christopher-
>>
>> Chris Schaefer's
>> [image: image] 
>>
>> *Tel/Fax 585-229-2083 or Cell 585-748-1870  *
>> *5115 South Hill Road ~ Canandaigua New York 14424 **www.solarandwindfx.com
>> <http://www.solarandwindfx.com> ~ E-mail: ch...@solarandwindfx.com
>> *
>>
>>
>> *[image: image] *
>>
>> Thomas Jefferson, the author of our great Constitution, once said,
>> "democracy" will cease to exist when you take away from those who are
>> willing to work and give to those who would not."
>> ___
>> List sponsored by Redwood Alliance
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>
> *Dave Angelini Offgrid Solar
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*Tel/Fax 585-229-2083 or Cell 585-748-1870 *
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[RE-wrenches] battery temp sensors for older Trace/Xantrex inverters

[Chris Schaefer]

Good Day All,

Running into a lot of missing or chewed up battery temp sensors for the
older Trace inverters. I'm looking for potential replacements. Anyone had
any luck using another vendor or do you have a direct replacement source
for these?

Thanks,
Christopher-

Chris Schaefer’s


*Tel/Fax 585-229-2083 or Cell 585-748-1870 *
*5115 South Hill Road ~ Canandaigua New York 14424**www.solarandwindfx.com
 ~ E-mail: ch...@solarandwindfx.com
*


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Re: [RE-wrenches] 5 battery strings

[Chris Schaefer]

What source are you all using for buss bars for these multiple battery
string set ups?

Christopher

On Mon, Jul 23, 2018 at 2:16 PM,  wrote:

> Separate out the individual series strings and run each string to a buss
> bar setup.  Remember it isn't just resistance differences between batteries
> but resistance difference between cells as well.  In a setup like the
> existing one the resistance differences can really add up and if one
> battery fails the entire system will be offline.  Running each string to a
> positive and negative common buss bar means you can remove individual
> strings without disrupting the entire storage and the system can continue
> operating.  Also, it means the only resistance issues of substance are
> within individual series pairs not the entire interconnected bank.
>
> I ran 10 series pairs of 12v AGM batteries, each pair to a common buss and
> it was the longest lasting, most stable battery bank I had.  That was years
> ago and now it would require fusing each string but for longevity and
> stability it is the best bet.
>
> Tom
>
> On 2018-07-23 03:56, Dave Tedeyan wrote:
>
>> Since we are on the topic of bad battery practices...
>>
>> I may be fixing up a system that was both designed and installed very
>> poorly.
>> They have a 24V Outback VFXR inverter, and ten 12V AGM batteries wired
>> into
>> 5 parallel strings. I know that is a bad idea, but since they already
>> have the
>> equipment, are there any safety issues by re-using this equipment? It
>> is for a
>> grid tie battery backup system that will remain in float most of the
>> time. I assume
>> that the batteries will not last particularly long, but is there any
>> harm in using them
>> and then just getting new batteries once they fail?
>>
>> Stringing is shown in the attached picture.
>> Cheers,
>> Dave
>>
>> --
>>
>> Dave Tedeyan
>>
>> SENIOR ENGINEER
>>
>> TAITEM ENGINEERING, PC
>> 10 Verizon Lane, Lansing, NY 14882
>> Voice: (607) 930-3481 x6
>> www.taitem.com [1]
>>
>> Links:
>> --
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 ~ E-mail: ch...@solarandwindfx.com
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Re: [RE-wrenches] 5 battery strings

[Chris Schaefer]

And it's not a bad idea to add a shunt in each string for trouble shooting
down the road.

Christopher

On Mon, Jul 23, 2018 at 11:24 AM, Steve Higgins  wrote:

> I would at least rewire them like this...
>
> [image: image.png]
> Remember all the parallel strings take offs must be the same size/length,
> otherwise you are going to exacerbate imbalance issues.
>
>
>
>  
>  
>  
>  
>  
>  
>  
> 
> Steve Higgins ⋅ Technical Services Manager
> t +1.902.597.4020  m +1.206.790.5840
> f +1.902.597.8447  e st...@surrette.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> --
> CONFIDENTIALITY: The information transmitted herein is intended only for
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> --
>
>
> On Mon, Jul 23, 2018 at 7:24 AM Jerry Shafer 
> wrote:
>
>> Dave
>>  Its a good idea to think of batteries the same way you do PV Modules.
>> Any time you have more then two strings they get individual fuse
>> protection, this is also good for diagnoses purpuses too.
>> The current installation has no protection, safety and l would change it.
>> As far as operation goes it works but thats not a exceptable reason to
>> leave it that way is.
>> Jerry
>>
>>
>> On Mon, Jul 23, 2018, 6:56 AM Dave Tedeyan  wrote:
>>
>>> Since we are on the topic of bad battery practices...
>>>
>>> I may be fixing up a system that was both designed and installed very
>>> poorly.
>>> They have a 24V Outback VFXR inverter, and ten 12V AGM batteries wired
>>> into
>>> 5 parallel strings. I know that is a bad idea, but since they already
>>> have the
>>> equipment, are there any safety issues by re-using this equipment? It is
>>> for a
>>> grid tie battery backup system that will remain in float most of the
>>> time. I assume
>>> that the batteries will not last particularly long, but is there any
>>> harm in using them
>>> and then just getting new batteries once they fail?
>>>
>>> Stringing is shown in the attached picture.
>>> Cheers,
>>> Dave
>>>
>>>
>>> *--*
>>>
>>>
>>> *Dave Tedeyan*
>>> *Senior Engineer*
>>>
>>> *Taitem Engineering, PC*
>>> 10 Verizon Lane, Lansing, NY 14882
>>> Voice: (607) 930-3481 x6
>>> www.taitem.com
>>> ___
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 ~ E-mail: ch...@solarandwindfx.com
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Thomas 

Re: [RE-wrenches] crumbling ballast blocks

[Chris Schaefer]

Kirk,

Had the same thing happen to me on a commercial ballasted system installed
back in 2004. Had to be moved around to allow installation of a new roof
system. Replaced all the ballast in 2017. I'm located in Western NY, thus
the same weather you see. The blocks were on a stainless steel pan of which
the array was attached to. I've plenty of ideas as to why they broke down
but no real evidence. I expect it to happen again. Does make me wonder
about the new ballast systems that still call out for the blocks as
ballast. Perhaps poly sand bags?

Christopher

On Wed, Jun 27, 2018 at 4:20 PM, Kirk Herander  wrote:

> All,
>
> I have a 6 year old ballasted roof system in which about 50% of the solid
> cap blocks(16”L x 8”w x 4”D) are cracked and crumbing, some are close to
> rubble. I assume it was a bad batch, but has anyone seen this before? What
> might be the preventive remedy in the future? A coating of some sort?
>
>
>
> *Kirk Herander*
>
> *Owner|Principal, VT Solar, LLC *
>
> *Celebrating our 27th Anniversary 1991-2018*
>
> *www.vermontsolarnow.com *
>
> dba Vermont Solar Engineering
>
> NABCEPTM  2003 Inaugural Certificant
>
> VT RE Incentive Program Partner
>
> 802.863.1202
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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Re: [RE-wrenches] Enphase tech support

[Chris Schaefer]

Roy,

Nick Soleil is on the wrenches list and is employed by Enphase.

Christopher Schaefer

On Wed, Jun 13, 2018 at 2:58 PM, MDElectricSolar 
wrote:

> 707-763-4784
>
> On Wed, Jun 13, 2018 at 10:29 AM Roy Butler 
> wrote:
>
>> Does anyone have contact information for Enphase Tech Support?
>>
>> Thanks in advance!
>>
>> --
>> Roy Butler
>> Four Winds Renewable Energy, LLC
>> 8902 Route 46, Arkport, NY 14807
>> 607-324-9747  www.four-winds-energy.com
>>
>> Check out the Annual Small Wind Conference
>> A Gathering of Installers, Manufacturers, Dealers, & Distributors
>> www.smallwindconference.com
>>
>> Although no trees were killed in the sending of this message,
>> a large number of electrons were terribly inconvenienced.
>>
>>
>>
>>
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Re: [RE-wrenches] Chevy Bolt

[Chris Schaefer]

I have successfully charged a Chevy Volt with a Radian 8048 set up in an
off-grid system. The client has since sold the volt. It was terrible in the
snow of our Western NY winters, LOL!

Christopher Schaefer

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Thomas Jefferson, the author of our great Constitution, once said,
"democracy" will cease to exist when you take away from those who are
willing to work and give to those who would not."


On Tue, Apr 24, 2018 at 11:39 AM, Darryl Thayer 
wrote:

> I just spoke with my ev car expert, the onboard charger controls charge by
> he says PWM there has always been a problem with PWM AC control on modified
> square wave inverters.  Causing failures when the switching is
> coincidental.  I forgot the exact reason but I have failed equipment using
> a modified square wave inverter on portable tool charging equipment.
>
> On Mon, Apr 23, 2018 at 1:45 PM, Ray  wrote:
>
>> Pretty sure the Magnum will work, since I have a customer with a Chevy
>> Volt running on old Trace SW4024 inverters.  Not mod sine, but they're not
>> near as clean as the Magnums either.
>>
>> -Ray
>>
>>
>>
>> On 4/23/18 12:33 PM, RE Ellison wrote:
>>
>>> I have a customer with a 20-year-old modified sine wave inverter that
>>> has been no issue at all until recently when he arrived from New York City
>>> with his Chevy bolt
>>>
>>> Obviously the Bolt will not tolerate the modified sine wave and we’re
>>> discussing upgrading and we were wondering if the magnum inverter charger
>>> would work in this situation?
>>>
>>> Thought that I would check with the knowledge base !
>>>
>>> Thanks
>>> Bob Ellison
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Re: [RE-wrenches] Solar Pond Aerators

[Chris Schaefer]

I've worked with Keeton Industries, Inc. out of Fort Collins CO in the
past. Try 970-493-4831. Its been a few years though.

Christopher Schaefer

On Tue, Apr 3, 2018 at 12:11 PM, Dana  wrote:

> An internet search of “solar pond aeration” turned up a variety of options.
>
> I was trying to find the company I had used for new installs in CO and
> repair of existing systems but did not locate that company.
>
>
>
> 
> 
>
> Dana Orzel  Great Solar Works, Inc.
>
> *C - 208.721.7003   d...@solarwork.com
> *
>
> Idaho Contractor - # 028765 Idaho PV # 028374
>
> NABCEP # 051112-136   www.solarwork.biz
>
> *"Responsible Technologies for Responsible People since 1988"  *
>
> *P* Please consider the environment before printing this email.
>
>
>
>
>
> *From:* RE-wrenches  *On
> Behalf Of *Drake
> *Sent:* Tuesday, April 03, 2018 9:33 AM
> *To:* RE-wrenches 
> *Subject:* [RE-wrenches] Solar Pond Aerators
>
>
>
> At one time, simple solar pond aerators were available. A small PV module
> and a box with a 12 V deep cycle battery, and a pump were mounted on a
> post. A hose with a weight on it went into the pond. This system seemed to
> work well for small ponds.
>
> Does anything like this still exist?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Drake
>
> Drake Chamberlin
>
>
>
>
>
> *Athens Electric LLCOH License 44810CO License 3773NABCEP Certified Solar
> PV 740-448-7328*http://athens-electric.com/
>
>
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Re: [RE-wrenches] Auger for ground mount

[Chris Schaefer]

While I've been using the Zilla platform with an auger attachment for a
mini excavator with good luck. With that said I'm looking at Nuance Energy
and their Osprey mount which requires a hammer drill. Anyone tried this yet?

Christopher

On Fri, Feb 9, 2018 at 11:35 AM, Jerry Shafer 
wrote:

> Chris
> Azk around for a fence contractor, they generally have what you need
> Jerry
>
> On Feb 9, 2018 5:05 AM, "Chris Mason" 
> wrote:
>
>> I'm taking on construction of a ground mount system of about 30KW. My
>> previous experience has entailed using a utility truck mounted auger for
>> the holes but that's expensive. The soil type here is fairly soft, not
>> rock.  There's no contractor available with a skid steer mounted auger. I
>> need at least four inch holes, three foot deep. Siz inch would be better.
>> What are the options? Any novel ideas?
>> We have a service truck with a 2 ton hydraulic crane, anything I can
>> mount to that? I don't mind fabricating brackets and mounts, welding parts
>> to it.
>>
>> --
>> Chris Mason
>> NABCEP Certified Solar PV Installer™
>> Solar Design Engineer
>> Generac Generators Industrial technician
>>
>> www.cometsolar.com 
>> 264.235.5670 <(264)%20235-5670>
>> 869.662.5670 <(869)%20662-5670>
>> Skype: netconcepts
>>
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 ~ E-mail: ch...@solarandwindfx.com
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Re: [RE-wrenches] automatic transfer switch

[Chris Schaefer]

Hi Jay,

I've been using the ASCO Series 185 for years with the Radian, single or
dual. With some fine tuning I've gotten the transfer time down to around 1
second. The have a manual switch built inside of it. They also offer a
service rated (with CB) or not. Zero failures to date.

Christopher

On Fri, Jan 19, 2018 at 8:45 AM, Chris Mason 
wrote:

> I think Radians are redundant anyway, if you parallel the output they will
> keep going when one fails. Also, the 8KW are two x 4KW modules, both can
> function independently. I know this because we lost one at home and kept
> going until a replacement arrived.
>
> On Thu, Jan 11, 2018 at 7:03 PM, jay  wrote:
>
>> HI all,
>>
>> I’m doing a project with 2 radians in a redundant configuration.
>> Each one would go into a transfer switch to power the common load.
>>
>> I’m looking for a good, fast transfer switch.  30amp 120/240 is fine.
>> And maybe a mechanical feature as well.
>> Code isn’t an issue
>> Will be off grid, remote mexico.
>>
>> There is the Iota of course, but was just looking for options.
>>
>> thx in advance,
>>
>> jay
>>
>> peltz power
>>
>>
>>
>>
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>
>
> --
> Chris Mason
> NABCEP Certified Solar PV Installer™
> Solar Design Engineer
> Generac Generators Industrial technician
>
> www.cometsolar.com 
> 264.235.5670 <(264)%20235-5670>
> 869.662.5670 <(869)%20662-5670>
> Skype: netconcepts
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*Tel/Fax 585-229-2083 or Cell 585-748-1870 *
*5115 South Hill Road ~ Canandaigua New York 14424**www.solarandwindfx.com
 ~ E-mail: ch...@solarandwindfx.com
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Re: [RE-wrenches] Array Mock-up Software

[Chris Schaefer]

While to expensive for my small biz I might suggest Pictometry. They use to
offer a free trial. Great detail.

Christopher

Chris Schaefer’s


*Tel/Fax 585-229-2083 or Cell 585-748-1870 *
*5115 South Hill Road ~ Canandaigua New York 14424**www.solarandwindfx.com
 ~ E-mail: ch...@solarandwindfx.com
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Thomas Jefferson, the author of our great Constitution, once said,
"democracy" will cease to exist when you take away from those who are
willing to work and give to those who would not."

On Thu, Oct 26, 2017 at 9:40 AM, Wayne Irwin 
wrote:

>
> We still use sketch-up.
>
> But we are also struggling with the poor imagery and having to pull images
> from other sources.
>
> We are looking for alternatives to sketch up unless they renew their
> contract with Google Earth.
>
>
> Wayne Irwin,
> President
> License #CVC56695
> State Licensed Solar Contractor
> Pure Energy Solar International Inc.
> wa...@pureenergysolar.com
> http://PureEnergySolar.com
> http://SolarChargingStation.net
> 352 377-6527 Office
> 352 336-3299 Fax
>
>
> The Sun Is Always Shining!
>
>
> The content of this message is Pure Energy Solar Confidential. If you are
> not the intended recipient and have received this message in error, any use
> or distribution is prohibited. Please notify me immediately by reply e-mail
> and delete this message from your computer system. Thank you.
>
>
> 
> From: RE-wrenches  on behalf
> of Jason Szumlanski 
> Sent: Thursday, October 26, 2017 9:21 AM
> To: RE-wrenches
> Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Array Mock-up Software
>
> Glenn,
>
> How are you dealing with the new inferior imagery from Digital Globe now
> that Sketchup's contract with Google for imagery is dead? In my area, it's
> totally unusable. I'm having to pull in imagery from other sources and
> scale it, which is not as accurate as the Add Location feature in Sketchup.
>
> Jason
>
>
>
> On Wed, Oct 25, 2017 at 6:02 PM, Glenn Burt  wrote:
>
> > Sketch-up still working great for us.
> >
> > -Glenn
> >
> > -Original Message-
> > From: RE-wrenches [mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] On
> > Behalf Of Chad Waits
> > Sent: Wednesday, October 25, 2017 1:33 PM
> > To: RE-wrenches 
> > Subject: [RE-wrenches] Array Mock-up Software
> >
> > Wrenches,
> >
> > Wondering what you folks are using for array mock-ups in your proposal
> > tools. Since Bright Harvest¹s array-o-metic went black, we¹ve tried
> Aurora
> > and Helioscope, but they seem to be too time consuming and functionally
> > more
> > than what we need. All we¹re looking to do is place some simulated
> modules
> > on a satellite photo with a program that is simple enough for a salesman
> to
> > use. Any input is appreciated.
> >
> > Thanks!
> >
> > Chad Waits
> > President/Owner ­ Net Zero Solar
> > 101 W. 5th St., Tucson, AZ  85705
> > Office: 520-207-4053
> > Cell: 520-270-4873
> > NABCEP Certified PV Installation Professional NABCEP Certified Solar
> > Heating
> > Installer
> >
> >
> >
> >
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Re: [RE-wrenches] Unique Off Grid Ranges

[Chris Schaefer]

Not sure if I'm missing something here but we've been using a Roper since
2005. No plug, no batteries. Still works great. Let me know if you want to
know the model.

Christopher

Chris Schaefer’s


*Tel/Fax 585-229-2083 or Cell 585-748-1870 *
*5115 South Hill Road ~ Canandaigua New York 14424**www.solarandwindfx.com
 ~ E-mail: ch...@solarandwindfx.com
*


Thomas Jefferson, the author of our great Constitution, once said,
"democracy" will cease to exist when you take away from those who are
willing to work and give to those who would not."

On Thu, Oct 12, 2017 at 9:36 AM, Drake  wrote:

> Hi Michael,
>
> That really helps. With the problems reported on the Unique Range, I'm
> leaning heavily toward Peerless.
>
> Since the Peerless has 8 D cells for the ignitor at 1.5 VDC each, I am
> wondering if a 48V to 12V voltage reducer might be able to run the sparker
> and avoid the use of the batteries (if these are still available).
>
> Thank you,
>
> Drake
>
>
> At 06:23 PM 10/11/2017, you wrote:
>
>> There is a thread of comments on the HP web site about off-grid ranges,
>> including some comments about the Unique.
>>
>> https://www.homepower.com/articles/home-efficiency/equipment
>> -products/ask-experts-grid-ranges
>>
>> Drake wrote at 12:31 PM 10/11/2017:
>>
>> >Hello Wrenches,
>> >
>> >Some time back, Unique Off Grid Ranges were discussed on the list. At
>> that time on one had any experience with them.
>> http://uniqueoffgrid.com/product/unique-elite-30-off-grid-propane-range/
>> >
>> >Has anyone tried them?
>> >
>> >Is there a range out there that you really like.
>> >
>> >Thanks,
>> >
>> >Drake
>> >
>> >Drake Chamberlin
>>
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Re: [RE-wrenches] Wanted: AC centrifugal pump with soft start

[Chris Schaefer]

Mick,

While this isn't a pump you may find a use for this item. The owner of the
company is real easy to talk to and understands our industry well.

http://www.gen-pro.biz/

Christopher


On Fri, Aug 11, 2017 at 4:32 PM, Jay  wrote:

> Hi Ray
>
> I believe it's been replaced by the scala 2
> And seems like a much better pump too.
> Jay
>
> > On Aug 11, 2017, at 1:17 PM, Ray  wrote:
> >
> > We've used the Grundfos MQ series for years for exactly that purpose.
> >
> > Chief Technical Officer, RemoteSolar.com
> > BS Mech Engineering, 1988
> > Former NABCEP Certified, 2004-2016
> > Licensed Master ELectrician, Colorado
> > 303 505-8760
> >
> >> On 8/11/17 2:14 PM, Dave Angelini Offgrid Solar wrote:
> >> Quite happy here with the Grundfos Scala2.
> >>
> >> Dave Angelini Offgrid Solar
> >> "we go where powerlines don't"
> >> http://members.sti.net/offgridsolar/
> >> e-mail  offgridso...@sti.net
> >> text 209 813 0060
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>> Happy Friday, Mechanix~ Sometimes I encounter "off the grid clients"
> who
> >>> pressurize their household plumbing using an AC centrifugal pump. When
> the
> >>> pump starts, the batteries pucker & the lights flicker.
> >>>
> >>> I'm on the quest for surface mounted pressurizing pumps that are fitted
> >>> with AC soft start motors. Shouldn't this be an idea whose time has
> come?
> >>> 1/3 hp or 1/2 hp should suffice, which could be handled at either
> 120vAC
> >>> or
> >>> 240vAC. The technology is already available in submersible pumps such
> as
> >>> "Grundfos SQ"...now we just need it ported over to a surface mounted
> >>> centrifugal.
> >>>
> >>> Thanks in advance for any leads that might help me find a supplier for
> >>> this
> >>> type of pump. The Wrench List is the Bomb~
> >>>
> >>> Mick Abraham, Proprietor
> >>> www.abrahamsolar.com
> >>>
> >>> Landline: 970-731-4675
> >>> Cell phone or for text messaging: 970-946-6584
> >>> á §
> >
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Re: [RE-wrenches] No more Enphase

[Chris Schaefer]

Chris,

Took me a while to jump but this season we went to AP systems. About 33%
less $ plus its two modules per inverter, thus cuts down the install labor
and time. The only issue is a base 10 year warranty. Can pay for 20. I'm
hoping enough of us installers complain and they'll bump it up to 25 to
match the modules.

Christopher

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 ~ E-mail: ch...@solarandwindfx.com
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Thomas Jefferson, the author of our great Constitution, once said,
"democracy" will cease to exist when you take away from those who are
willing to work and give to those who would not."

On Fri, Jul 14, 2017 at 10:48 AM, Chris Daum  wrote:

> Fellow Wrenches:
>
> To make a long story short, we are done with Enphase.  They've refused to
> reimburse us for labor after replacing a faulty inverter.  So, what
> micro-inverters are you using successfully, and how is the tech support
> behind it?
>
> Feel free to contact me offlist.
>
> Best,
>
>
> Chris Daum
> Oasis Montana Inc.
> 406-777-4309 <(406)%20777-4309> or 4321
> 406-777-4309 fax
> www.oasismontana.com
>
>
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 ~ E-mail: ch...@solarandwindfx.com
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Re: [RE-wrenches] Enphase installer compensation M-190's discontinued

[Chris Schaefer]

I dumped Enphase this season for APS. Simply put, half the equipment with
almost half the time to install. and a much lower cost point. If anyone is
at InterSolar I suggest lighting up the Enphase reps about the M190 issue.
Make some noise. Then step over to the APS booth.

Christopher

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Thomas Jefferson, the author of our great Constitution, once said,
"democracy" will cease to exist when you take away from those who are
willing to work and give to those who would not."

On Thu, Jul 6, 2017 at 3:21 PM, Jason Szumlanski <
ja...@floridasolardesigngroup.com> wrote:

> Correction - I think it started at 15 years with labor included. I don't
> see how they can renege on that now. In fact, they had a power guarantee,
> too. They would reimburse people for lost energy as a result of warranty
> issues.
>
> Jason
>
> On Thu, Jul 6, 2017 at 3:02 PM, Jason Szumlanski  floridasolardesigngroup.com> wrote:
>
>> This seems odd. I thought they had a 25 year warranty originally with
>> labor compensation, then went to 15 year at some point with no labor
>> compensation. We have lots of M190s out there that were sold with labor
>> coverage, so this would be important to know for certain.
>>
>>
>> Jason
>>
>>
>>
>> On Thu, Jul 6, 2017 at 2:52 PM,  wrote:
>>
>>> Hi all,
>>>For those who have installed M-190's, Enphase has now discontinued as
>>> of June 1st any installer compensation for replacing failed
>>> microinverters with that designation. We have a system we installed in
>>> 2011 that I found out today, after replacing the three failed M-190's,
>>> that I was on my own.fyi
>>>
>>> Daryl
>>> Penobscot Solar Design
>>>
>>>
>
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*Tel/Fax 585-229-2083 or Cell 585-748-1870 *
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 ~ E-mail: ch...@solarandwindfx.com
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Re: [RE-wrenches] Morningstar Sure Sine On/Off switch

[Chris Schaefer]

Hey Wayne,
Any of the electrical industrial suppliers for controls will offer a push
button with multiply options for contacts. Then you've got momentary or
maintained contacts. So many options. Automation Direct, Idec, Omron,
Allen-Bradly and Square D to name a few.

Christopher

On Mon, Mar 6, 2017 at 8:15 PM, Wayne Irwin 
wrote:

> Does anyone have a source or a solution for a NC (normally closed) button
> that could be used for the Morningstar inverters?
>
> Other than cheap plastic ones, all that we can seem to find are NO.
>
>
> Thanks,
>
>
>
> Wayne Irwin,
> President
> License #CVC56695
> State Licensed Solar Contractor
> Pure Energy Solar International Inc.
> wa...@pureenergysolar.com 
> http://PureEnergySolar.com
> http://SolarChargingStation.net 
> 352 377-6527 <(352)%20377-6527> Office
> 352 336-3299 <(352)%20336-3299> Fax
>
>
> The Sun Is Always Shining!
>
> The content of this message is Pure Energy Solar Confidential. If you are
> not the intended recipient and have received this message in error, any use
> or distribution is prohibited. Please notify me immediately by reply e-mail
> and delete this message from your computer system. Thank you.
>
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*Tel/Fax 585-229-2083 or Cell 585-748-1870 *
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 ~ E-mail: ch...@solarandwindfx.com
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Re: [RE-wrenches] Fire rated (FR) gear toxicity?

[Chris Schaefer]

After 8 years as aircrew in the Marine Corps, we wore FR flight suits
daily. While there are those that might say I'm a little off :) no medical
issues nor I'm I on any meds. Only time will tell.

Christopher Schaefer

On Sun, Feb 5, 2017 at 10:32 AM, Dana  wrote:

> My first welding shirt {FR coated} definitely got less retardant and burn
> holes started to happen over time & I switched to a god awful hot leather
> shirt, not that I washed it to death.
> I think the answer to is it harmful? This depends on your personal take
> what is carcinogenetic & what do you consider safe in this world. My 0.02
> is the FR coatings are to be used minimally, judiciously as needed & don't
> hang around or sleep in them. They have a purpose and are a requirement in
> the event of a mishap but I my take is that the FR coatings are truly nasty.
>
> 
> 
> Dana Orzel - Great Solar Works, Inc
> C : 208.721.7003  : NABCEP # 051112-136
> Idaho Contractor - # 028765 : Idaho PV # 028374
> E - d...@solarwork.com - Web - www.solarwork.biz
> "Responsible Technologies for Responsible People since 1988"
>  Please consider the environment before printing this email.
>
>
>
> -Original Message-
> From: RE-wrenches [mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] On
> Behalf Of jay
> Sent: Sunday, February 05, 2017 12:01 AM
> To: RE-wrenches
> Subject: [RE-wrenches] Fire rated (FR) gear toxicity?
>
> HI Dana,
>
> Yes I agree.
> I suppose my I started questioning this when I was just working at a US
> embassy on a array and everyone in the worker sections were wearing FR
> gear.  Which would be 5 days a week all year, regardless of what they are
> doing which is very rarely doing any actual work on live circuits if they
> even work on any of the electrical parts of the embassy.
>
> And my questions were:  does the FR rating/coating wear out?  I would
> think it does.  And is it harmful to wear it all the time?  Which I think
> it is.
>
> Which is why I”m asking to see if anyone has actual data or seen reports
> etc on this.
>
> I should have been more specific and clear on my original email.
>
> jay
>
>
> > On Feb 5, 2017, at 3:23 AM, Dana  wrote:
> >
> > It is at the polar opposite end of the scale from Organic. I have worn
> quite a bit in fire training and the smell alone is a strong indicator. I
> wear a long sleeved separating layer no matter what the day time temps are
> to separate me from that material.
> >
> > --
> > --
> > Dana Orzel - Great Solar Works, Inc
> > C : 208.721.7003  : NABCEP # 051112-136 Idaho Contractor - # 028765 :
> > Idaho PV # 028374 E - d...@solarwork.com - Web - www.solarwork.biz
> > "Responsible Technologies for Responsible People since 1988"
> > P Please consider the environment before printing this email.
> >
>
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*Tel/Fax 585-229-2083 or Cell 585-748-1870 *
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 ~ E-mail: ch...@solarandwindfx.com
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Re: [RE-wrenches] MT Solar / Iron Ridge Issue

[Chris Schaefer]

Here at Solar & Wind FX 95% of our installs are poles or DAT's. We changed
over to MT I believe 3 seasons ago. I've got several of their 16 and 15
module racks out there. I did have a 15 module rack rotate on me this past
fall. It was a two pole system but only one rotated about 10 degrees. No
damage, no worries. The rack was at a winter tilt angle but not 90 degrees.
I use a 3/4 drive ratchet to tighten. While the through bolt you are
considering using is a thought, all our poles are schedule 80 8" pipe and
would be a real bitch to drill through especially at ladder height. Might I
suggest your backing plate which has the locking/engaging bolts have a
couple of pointed edges that would dig into the pole when tightened.
Perhaps even the bolts them selves have a point in them? With the DAT's we
use a 3/8" roll pin to keep them from rotating on top of the large bolts
that hold it in place. Now for our units in the higher elevations and
heavier snow falls we do in fact leave them @ 90 degrees for obvious
reasons.
Keep up the great work and I intend to keep buying from you.

Christopher Schaefer,

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Thomas Jefferson, the author of our great Constitution, once said,
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willing to work and give to those who would not."


On Mon, Jan 23, 2017 at 4:33 PM, Howie Michaelson 
wrote:

> I whole heartedly agree with Gary!
>
> Having been on the site (but not responsible for the install) I looked at
> the carnage with an eye toward either installation error or equipment
> shortfall. I could see nothing that indicated either and was amazed at the
> failure. There were no trees down, no visible other wind damage, just
> trashed equipment from clearly a very powerful, likely narrow, wind burst.
> I've never seen IronRidge fail before like this either, having used it now
> for several years. I've only used MT a couple of times, but have been
> impressed with the smart and robust design.
>
> Thank you Travis for supporting Eric in specific and Wrenches in general!
>
> Howie
> Howie Michaelson
> NABCEP Certified Solar PV Installer™
>
> Sun Catcher
> Renewable Energy Systems Sales and Service
> VT Solar Electric Incentive Partner
> 802-272-0004 <(802)%20272-0004>
>
> On Jan 23, 2017 4:14 PM, "Gary Willett" 
> wrote:
>
> TRAVIS:
>
> I have nothing technical to add.
>
> However, I am very impressed that your company stood up, took ownership of
> the issue, responsibility for the solution, and the good sense and humility
> to ask for advice. That is so rare in today's world!
>
> Best regards to you and your company!
> Gary Willett PE
> Icarus Engineering LLC
> Irving TX
>
>
> On 1/23/17 12:26 PM, Travis Jordan wrote:
>
> One of our customers installed 3 of our MT Solar TOP15 pole mounts for his
> off-grid customer in Vermont this last fall. During a recent severe wind
> storm 4 modules blew off of the middle array. Two of the mounts also turned
> on their poles. As the manufacturer of the pole mount we have identified
> several issues but we are looking for feedback and any
> information/recommendations from other installers to future proof our
> design. This thread dovetails with the recent thread about the back-mount
> module failure, but in this case the modules didn't fail, the bolts just
> pulled out of the rail! I am assuming that we had greatly in excess of the
> normal wind speeds at the site, but we have no way of determining what they
> actually were. Our many other pole mounts installed in Vermont were not
> affected by the storm.
>
> Here is the situation. The site has 3 independent pole mounts with (15)
> SW285's on each mount and the mounts are separated by roughly 20'. The home
> owner took the liberty of cranking the mounts all the way to 90 degree tilt
> for winter to eliminate snow build up. The modules that blew out were not
> all adjacent to each other. The top two on the left and then two in the
> middle are the ones that blew out, and they were all on the middle array.
> The end clamps were still in position and did not fail. Both the end array
> and the middle array turned on the pole, but the other end array neither
> moved nor showed any adverse affects at all. The modules that blew off
> ended up 20' BEHIND the middle array (to the North), and the installer
> determined that the array did NOT turn clear around since the wires were
> not pulled out. We are not sure how the modules got behind the array...
>
> Regarding the rail failure:
> The pictures show the rails were not bent but the T bolts had pulled clear
> out of the top slot of the Iron Ridge rail. Iron Ridge only specifies data
> for up to 45 degree tilt (not 90 

Re: [RE-wrenches] Mate 3 lock-up

[Chris Schaefer]

John,
What kind of environment are the batteries in? Given that we have been
experiencing some extreme cold as you know will kill a battery quickly.

Christopher

On Mon, Dec 19, 2016 at 9:49 AM, John Blittersdorf <
john.blittersd...@gmail.com> wrote:

> Jay,
>   Glad to know you have had good luck with the mate 3.  I am depending on
> it and OpticsRE to monitor some remote sites.  The mountaintop transmitter
> site has worked flawlessly but the main problem is keeping the internet
> connection up there that is transmitted from another mountaintop site.  At
> a second home remote site I saw a generator fail an exercise run on Sat and
> called the caretaker Sunday when the system was going down.  It went off
> line at 9 pm yesterday but it is sunny this morning and everything came
> back on at 8 am but the caretaker will have to chain up and drive the 2
> mile mountain road to manually reset the Eco-Gen.  It might have been the
> last -9 degree night with 45 mile and hour winds.
>
>I was able to contact Outback this morning and the magic button is the
> UP button.  Push and hold. That will release the lock button to work, then
> go to settings, system, then do clear internal datalog.  There have been
> some issues with it not overwriting when memory runs out and it locks up.
> Also he said to go back to firmware version 3.011 or older.. I will once
> again ask the customer to consider adding solar as it would recover the
> inverter which would charge the generator battery and at least prevent
> battery abuse.  It is great to watch the sun heal most of the ills.
>
> John Blittersdorf
> Rob Stubbins Solar
>
> On Sun, Dec 18, 2016 at 9:26 PM, Jay  wrote:
>
>> Hi john
>>
>> I'd like to know that trick, but just unplug the cat 5 cable and
>> reconnect.
>> That'll work.
>> I've not had any issues with the ags not working as planned with mate 3.
>>
>> But dead generator battery makes me think genny didn't start, system shut
>> down at LBCO.
>>
>> But a week to take it that low, I'd suspect a weak battery in the 48v.
>>
>> Jay
>> Peltz power.
>>
>>
>> On Dec 18, 2016, at 5:41 PM, John Blittersdorf <
>> john.blittersd...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> I have had several instances of the Mate 3 locking up where I cannot
>> program anything and the main screen is abbreviated with only one bar.  The
>> first time this happened I had been given a command with 2 buttons to push
>>  to unlock it from an Outback technician and it worked.
>>
>> Now it has happened again and it is a weekend and I don't remember the
>> keystrokes.
>> Anybody out there know what they are?
>>
>>  This system is a gen set and inverter only. No solar.  Either the
>> generator is not starting or the mate 3 is not starting it or something is
>> going on with the VFXR inverter and the mate.  It worked fine for about 8
>> months and worked OK on Dec 8 where it started the generator with the 2
>> hour start...the only info I could recover... no events survived the total
>> power loss of dead generator battery and main 48 v bank down to 7 volts.
>> One other very puzzling thing is that the batteries went so low.. No DC
>> loads other than the inverter and Mate 3.  Could the Mate 3 and the control
>> board on the inverter draw down 8 golf cart batteries from low battery cut
>> off to 8 volts in one week?  This is the 2nd time I have had to jump start
>> this system back to life and it doesn't look good to the customer who ran
>> an identical system with an old Trace 2524 for years with no problems til
>> the Trace died of old age.
>>
>> John Blittersdorf
>> Rob Stubbins Solar
>>
>>
>>
>>
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Re: [RE-wrenches] Firmware, Firmware, Firmaware was Outback Programming Ghost

[Chris Schaefer]

Lones,
Ok, so my question is if we save the original user settings to one SD card
and then format a separate SD card with the new firmware and install. Once
the new firmware is installed can we put the original SD card in and upload
all of our user settings. Or do we have to manually input all the settings?

Also do you have a spreadsheet of the installer settings we can download as
is found at the end of the Owners manual just in case we need to manually
put the settings back in for recording purposes?

Thanks,
Christopher

On Mon, Nov 14, 2016 at 11:53 AM, Lones Tuss  wrote:

> Hello All
>
>   The legacy Mate(2) and legacy FX inverters did require the units to be
> sent to OutBack to be updated.
>
> The Mate3 and the FXRA inverters can all be updated in the field.
>
> The newest revisions of software are available on the OutBack website.
>
> http://outbackpower.com/catalogs-collaterals/category/td-firmware-updates
>
>
>
> Down load the new firmware on an SD Card insert it into the Mate3
>
> Press the Lock Button enter 141 as the password.
>
> Select Firmware Update
>
> Then choose the device you wish to update.
>
>
>
>  When updating the inverters it is advised to put the system in Bypass as
> the inverters will shut down when an update is performed.
>
>
>
>
>
> Lones Tuss
>
> Applications Engineer
>
> OutBack Power Technologies
>
> 17825 59th Ave NE, Suite B, Arlington, WA 98223
>
> 360.618.4383 Office | 425.213.8794 Cell
>
> www.outbackpower.com
>
>
>
> *From:* RE-wrenches [mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] *On
> Behalf Of *William Miller
> *Sent:* Saturday, November 12, 2016 9:17 AM
> *To:* RE-wrenches
> *Subject:* Re: [RE-wrenches] Firmware, Firmware, Firmaware was Outback
> Programming Ghost
>
>
>
>  Ray:
>
>
>
> Upgrading firmware on inverters and Mates requires either a board swap for
> inverters or a trip to the factory for a standard Mate. Only the Mate3 can
> be field upgraded.
>
>
>
> Then, if you have mixed inverter firmware, there can be unintended
> consequences. For example, we upgraded a fourth inverter because of a
> failure. We were told to make it the master. When we did, the gen would
> disconnect after 20 minutes. We changed it back to a slave and problem
> resolved.
>
>
>
> In our society, the price for added features is added frustration.
>
>
>
> William
>
>
> On Nov 12, 2016, at 8:32 AM, Ray Walters  wrote:
>
> I second uprading all firmware on all devices.  I had a recent FXR install
> that was dropping one of the inverters (and its leg) whenever the system
> tried to sell.  Latest firmware cured the issues.
> The industry is moving from us being electricians to becoming computer
> techs.  Retirement looks better each day.
>
> R.Ray Walters
>
> CTO, Solarray, Inc
>
> Nabcep Certified PV Installer,
>
> Licensed Master Electrician
>
> Solar Design Engineer
>
> 303 505-8760
>
> On 11/12/2016 6:08 AM, Wayne Irwin wrote:
>
> Very strange that all the programming is scrambled.
>
>
>
> Recently we had a FXR system which had been working fine for nearly six
> months come up with an incompatibility error with the slave inverter even
> though the firmware was the most recent and the same for both inverters.
> After several failed attempts to re-upgrade the inverter firmware, we took
> a shot at upgrading the Mate 3 firmware which did work. We then again tried
> the inverters and it worked. System is now working again (for now) and the
> programming is all still valid.
>
>
>
>
>
> Wayne Irwin,
> President
> License #CVC56695
> State Licensed Solar Contractor
> Pure Energy Solar International Inc.
> wa...@pureenergysolar.com 
> http://PureEnergySolar.com
> http://SolarChargingStation.net 
> 352 377-6527 Office
> 352 336-3299 Fax
>
>
> The Sun Is Always Shining!
>
> The content of this message is Pure Energy Solar Confidential. If you are
> not the intended recipient and have received this message in error, any use
> or distribution is prohibited. Please notify me immediately by reply e-mail
> and delete this message from your computer system. Thank you.
>
>
> --
>
> *From:* RE-wrenches 
>  on behalf of William Miller
>  
> *Sent:* Thursday, November 10, 2016 11:26 PM
> *To:* RE-wrenches
> *Subject:* Re: [RE-wrenches] Outback Programming Ghost
>
>
>
> Ray:
>
>
>
> I have no reason to believe anyone has been meddling. No one knows the
> password. It does look like some serious glitch.
>
>
>
> William
>
>
> On Nov 10, 2016, at 6:25 PM, Ray Walters  wrote:
>
> It almost sounds like someone got in there and tried to reprogram stuff
> themselves.  Have you installed the proper anti-Gremlin devices?
>
> R.Ray Walters
>
> CTO, Solarray, Inc
>
> Nabcep Certified PV Installer,
>
> Licensed Master 

Re: [RE-wrenches] Vertical wall, shared rails

[Chris Schaefer]

Hey Benn,
 Just curious as to who's rail you're using that is rated for such a steep
angle?

Christopher

On Mon, Oct 17, 2016 at 10:16 PM, Dana Solar work 
wrote:

> I have taken adjustable
> ground mount racks & flipped them upside down. They work great as long as
> you got something safe to bolt securely to like unistrut or through like
> concrete.
>
> Dana Orzel 2087217003
> Great Solarworks Inc - NABCEP#051112-136
> e-d...@solarwork.com c-2087217003
> "Responsible Technology for Responsible People since 1988"
>
> On Oct 17, 2016, at 5:49 PM, Benn Kilburn  wrote:
>
> Hello Wrenches,
> Wondering if any of you have ever done anything similar to installing on a
> vertical wall using a horizontal shared rail racking system, array being
> about 32.8m (110') wide and 26.3m (86') tall
>
> The rails obviously have to be exactly perpendicular the entire length so
> we are taking extra care that the first row (top row) is true and using
> template spacers for each row down.  Only problem is that the top of the
> building is a concrete parapet and anything but level.
>
> Wondering if anyone has any good tips for getting that top row
> level/square and  keeping the rest of the rails perfectly perpendicular?
> (keeping in mind the length...32.8m (110')
>
> Much Thanks,
>
> *Benn Kilburn *
> CSA Certified Solar Photovoltaic Systems Electrician, SkyFire Energy Inc
> 14515 – 121A Ave NW | Edmonton, AB | T5L 2T2
> P: 780-474-8992 | F: 888-405-5843 | www.skyfireenergy.com
> [image: email]  [image: facebook]
>  [image: twitter]
>  [image: linkedin]
> 
>
>
> [image: SkyFire Energy Logo_horizontal]
>
> *WE HAVE MOVED! Please note our new address above.*
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*Tel/Fax 585-229-2083 or Cell 585-748-1870 *
*5115 South Hill Road ~ Canandaigua New York 14424**www.solarandwindfx.com
 ~ E-mail: ch...@solarandwindfx.com
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Thomas Jefferson, the author of our great Constitution, once said,
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Re: [RE-wrenches] Rolls Surrette Re-combiner caps.

[Chris Schaefer]

Kirpal,
You state that the Rolls 5000 series come standard with recombiner caps.
Just installed a set of 4ks25p yesterday and the caps haven't changed that
I noticed. I've been using the Hydro caps for about 15 years now and all my
clients including the ones we use here at our office/shop only require
water every 6 months. We reinstall the original caps during EQ. I am
looking to try out the Rolls caps one of these days though.

Christopher

Chris Schaefer’s


*Tel/Fax 585-229-2083 or Cell 585-748-1870 *
*5115 South Hill Road ~ Canandaigua New York 14424**www.solarandwindfx.com
 ~ E-mail: ch...@solarandwindfx.com
*


Thomas Jefferson, the author of our great Constitution, once said,
"democracy" will cease to exist when you take away from those who are
willing to work and give to those who would not."

On Thu, Oct 13, 2016 at 6:33 PM, Starlight Solar Power Systems <
la...@starlightsolar.com> wrote:

> Battery Wrenches,
>
> The problem with recombination style caps is they require using a low
> absorb voltage, about 2.35 to 2.4 Vpc. I am a big fan of aggressive charge
> voltage for many flooded battery types. Doing so produces more evolution of
> gasses. These and other caps can be overwhelmed by this. In addition, the
> caps should be removed for equalization charges.
>
> Water Miser caps are not recombination caps, they use condensing beads to
> trap moisture and drip back into the cell. We have sold many hundreds of
> Water Miser caps and some customers report up to 5 months between watering.
>
> Larry Crutcher
> Starlight Solar Power Systems
>
>
>
>
> On Oct 13, 2016, at 11:02 AM, jay  wrote:
>
> while we are on the subject of recombining caps has anyone used the
> following.
>
> http://www.sbsbattery.com/PDFs/Battery-Recombination-Plug.pdf
>
> Jay
>
> peltz power
>
> On Oct 13, 2016, at 9:38 AM, penobscotso...@midmaine.com wrote:
>
> We supply them to all our clients in the Bahamas and they do help cut down
> on watering to various degrees. In hot climates with a lot of sun every
> little bit helps.
> Call Roy at RAE Storage Battery to see if he can get you some.
> (860)828-6007
>
> Daryl
>
>
>
>
> Top o' the morning!
> Has anyone used the Rolls Surrette recombiner caps for their series 4000
> batteries? They come standard on the series 5000 batteries  Any ideas
> where
> to source them? None of our battery suppliers we get Rolls batteries from
> seem to have them.
> We have used water miser caps in the past, they seem to have only moderate
> resultssome customers seem to think they help with minimizing
> electrolyte loss and some thinking they dont help at all.Any thoughts?
>
>
>
> Sunny Regards,
> Kirpal Khalsa
> Oregon LRT#25
> NABCEP Certified PV Installation Professional
> Oregon Solarworks LLC
> www.oregonsolarworks.com
> 541-299-0402
>
>
>
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*Tel/Fax 585-229-2083 or Cell 585-748-1870 *
*5115 South Hill Road ~ Canandaigua New York 14424**www.solarandwindfx.com
 ~ E-mail: ch...@solarandwindfx.com
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Re: [RE-wrenches] Buck-Boost transformer to mitigate high voltage drop?

[Chris Schaefer]

Perhaps I missed it but you didn't say what you measured the voltage to be
at the clients service entrance panel at his house?

Christopher

On Tue, Aug 16, 2016 at 1:40 PM, Mac Lewis  wrote:

> Yes, what current did you use to calculate that voltage drop? How big is
> the PV system?
>
> On Aug 16, 2016 11:38 AM, "Chris Mason" 
> wrote:
>
>> How much of the power produced will be self-consumed, how much will be
>> exported?
>>
>> On Tue, Aug 16, 2016 at 12:16 PM, Howard Arey 
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Good day,
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> I have a potential client that has an existing 1,000 foot run from the
>>> meter and transformer at the street to the home. This is 4/0 Al and quick
>>> calcs show the voltage drop at over 12%. He acknowledges that the wire is
>>> undersized to keep voltage at/about 240 volts (I have not measured directly
>>> at the street / transformer yet).
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> I know the wire has the necessary ampacity to carry his current service
>>> needs and to carry amps from the to-be-suggested solar system.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> My concern is that the voltage drop will change the 240 volts at the
>>> street/transformer/meter to 211ish (or will I see a higher 268’sh voltage
>>> at the far house end?) at the house. The inverter will try to synch to this
>>> voltage but of course this is outside of typical inverter parameters.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> So, instead of re-running much large wire, does anybody have experience
>>> and comments about potentially using a buck-boots transformer at the home
>>> to get us back to 240 volts? This would need to be service entrance sized.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> *Howard “Scot” Arey*
>>>
>>> Owner, Solar CenTex
>>>
>>> 254-300-1228
>>>
>>> scot.a...@solarcentex.com
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> ___
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>>
>>
>> --
>> Chris Mason
>> NABCEP Certified Solar PV Installer™
>> Solar Design Engineer
>> Generac Generators Industrial technician
>>
>> www.cometsolar.com 
>> 264.235.5670
>> 869.662.5670
>> Skype: netconcepts
>>
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*Tel/Fax 585-229-2083 or Cell 585-748-1870 *
*5115 South Hill Road ~ Canandaigua New York 14424**www.solarandwindfx.com
 ~ E-mail: ch...@solarandwindfx.com
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Re: [RE-wrenches] Whisper 100 parts?

[Chris Schaefer]

FYI Luminous has sold to another India firm call Wish. wishenergy.com Be
fore warned communications is tough. Best of luck.

Christopher

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*Tel/Fax 585-229-2083 or Cell 585-748-1870 *
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 ~ E-mail: ch...@solarandwindfx.com
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Thomas Jefferson, the author of our great Constitution, once said,
"democracy" will cease to exist when you take away from those who are
willing to work and give to those who would not."

On Fri, Jul 29, 2016 at 3:54 PM, Starlight Solar Power Systems <
la...@starlightsolar.com> wrote:

> Have you been here: http://www.luminousrenewable.com/whisper100.php
>
> Thank you,
>
> Larry Crutcher
> Starlight Solar Power Systems
>
>
>
>
> On Jul 29, 2016, at 11:34 AM, Dan Fink  wrote:
>
> Wrenches;
>
> I was contacted by an individual in remote Alaska who is heavily invested
> in Whisper 100s (the best turbine SWWP ever made IMHO and his). He is
> looking for spare parts, and even entire boneyard turbines. Specific needs
> right now, a Whisper 100 powerhead.
>
> He was dealing with a company in Colorado for a while, but they severed
> all ties with India recently.
>
> Please contact me off-list if you know of a secret stash of Whisper 100
> parts. I have a client here in CO that will probably need some refurb parts
> soon.
>
> Best regards;
>
>
> Dan Fink
> Adjunct Professor of Solar Energy Technology, Ecotech Institute
> IREC Certified Instructor™ for:
> ~ PV Installation Professional
> ~ Small Wind Installer
> Executive Director, Buckville Energy
> NABCEP Registered Continuing Education Providers™
> 970.672.4342
>
>
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*Tel/Fax 585-229-2083 or Cell 585-748-1870 *
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 ~ E-mail: ch...@solarandwindfx.com
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Re: [RE-wrenches] Enphase Support Non-Responsive

[Chris Schaefer]

Hey Jason,
I agree totally. What works for me here on the East (Right) Coast is I call
just prior to 2000 EST and I am almost assured of being able to talk with
out a long wait time. Most times I get straight through.

Christopher

On Tue, Jul 5, 2016 at 3:46 PM, Jason Szumlanski <
ja...@floridasolardesigngroup.com> wrote:

> It seems like we are talking about inverter and module customer service
> (good and bad) a lot lately.
>
> Has anyone else noticed that Enphase seems to have stopped responding to
> tickets submitted via their website? Hold times are unacceptable, so I gave
> up on that, but nobody gets back to you when you try to contact them via
> their web form for weeks, even about an existing RMA or ticket, and they no
> longer let you update tickets by email. They are very helpful and competent
> if you get them on the phone, but who has time for that?!
>
> I'm also waiting an unacceptable amount of time on a major module
> manufacturer warranty claim right now. I'd love to see Home Power or
> someone do a story on manufacturer responsiveness to dealers. Things are
> generally going down hill it seems.
>
> Jason Szumlanski
> Florida Solar Design Group
>
>
>
>
>
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*Tel/Fax 585-229-2083 or Cell 585-748-1870 *
*5115 South Hill Road ~ Canandaigua New York 14424**www.solarandwindfx.com
 ~ E-mail: ch...@solarandwindfx.com
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Re: [RE-wrenches] grundfos SQFlex

[Chris Schaefer]

I'd suggest a valve restrictor or perhaps a ball valve that you can adjust
over time till you achieve your correct flow rate while making sure your
well is able to recover.

Christopher

On Thu, Jun 30, 2016 at 8:43 PM, jay  wrote:

> Hi All,
>
> Any trick methods to keep a SQflex running on AC power at a given flow
> rate that is less than full power?
>
> I’ve got a well that is just on 1 gpm, around 150’ lift.
>
> the sqflex 3-2 will do it, but at 3gpm with full watts, an amazing 265
> watts.
>
>
> thx
>
> jay
>
> peltz power
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*Tel/Fax 585-229-2083 or Cell 585-748-1870 *
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 ~ E-mail: ch...@solarandwindfx.com
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Re: [RE-wrenches] Radian GSLC

[Chris Schaefer]

BTW, the ROCB also uses both of your AUX relay options. Got called in to
evaluate a 6 Radian AC Coupled configuration with no charger controllers
and 6 Fronuis. What a cluster *%#%(^. The project was a very bad design
from the beginning. That's what happens when you ask a grid tied installer
to give you a battery back up solution.

Christopher

On Fri, May 13, 2016 at 10:37 AM, Drake <
drake.chamber...@redwoodalliance.org> wrote:

> William and Wrenches,
>
> The lack of room in the GSLC becomes much worse when using the factory
> installed AC coupling "solution" using the Remote Operated Circuit Breaker
> or ROCB. This takes up 3 breaker spaces plus puts two relays under the
> breaker column. I had to change out the ROCB twice in the one system I
> installed.
>
> The ROCB "solution" takes AC coupling, which is essentially straight
> forward and complicates it exponentially. Plus the ROCB itself is prone to
> failure, which could ruin a set of batteries. There are numerous other
> *serious* problems with their approach. With "solutions" like this one,
> who needs problems!
>
> Drake
>
> At 02:52 PM 5/12/2016, you wrote:
>
> Wrenches:
> Â
> The recent topic about bypass connections for the Radian is a very
> pertinent issue for anyone designing a Radian system.  The problem is
> exacerbated by what I perceive is one poor design aspect of the GSLC
> cabinet.Â
> Â
> I generally like the Radian series, including the GSLC.  I do find it
> puzzling that installers are expected to make connections to the rear of
> panel mount circuit breakers.  This has to be done blind and in very tight
> quarters.  This is further complicated by the expectation that one will
> install AC *and* DC circuit breakers in the same panel.
> Â
> We have tried leaving slack on the leads so the panel can be rotated, but
> that leaves more lead length than the cabinet will handle.Â
> Â
> Our solution is to move all AC breakers out of the GSLC and into adjacent,
> off-the-shelf load centers.Â
> Â
> We put the minimum PV breakers in the panel, located at the top for
> maximum latitude on tilting the panel out for access.  We also pre-install
> the breakers in the panel in a bench vise with extra lead length and
> install the panel as a unit, hopefully never requiring access to the rear
> again.
> Â
> I applaud the GSLC as a decent product, but it does need improvement in
> this area.
> Â
> Sincerely,
> Â
> William Miller
> Â
> Â
> [image: Gradient Cap_mini]
> Lic 773985
> millersolar.com 
> 805-438-5600
> Â
> Content-Type: image/jpeg; name="image003.jpg"
> Content-Disposition: inline; filename="image003.jpg"
> Content-ID: 
> X-Attachment-Id: 29fc30ce3a67e929_0.1
>
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*Tel/Fax 585-229-2083 or Cell 585-748-1870 *
*5115 South Hill Road ~ Canandaigua New York 14424**www.solarandwindfx.com
 ~ E-mail: ch...@solarandwindfx.com
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Re: [RE-wrenches] Mobile solar trailer

[Chris Schaefer]

Hey Jason,
Sorry to hear that. Any chance you can share a couple of pix so we can
build it ourselves? What were the trailer dimensions?
Thanks,
Christopher

On Mon, May 9, 2016 at 5:34 PM, Lones Tuss  wrote:

> Hello sir
>
> You might also want to look into
>
> http://www.mobilesolarpower.net/
>
> I hope this helps
>
> Take Care
>
>
>
> Lones Tuss
>
> Applications Engineer
>
> OutBack Power Technologies
>
> 17825 59th Ave NE, Suite B, Arlington, WA 98223
>
> 360.618.4383 Office | 425.213.8794 Cell
>
> www.outbackpower.com
>
>
>
> *From:* RE-wrenches [mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] *On
> Behalf Of *Dave
> *Sent:* Monday, May 09, 2016 1:02 PM
> *To:* 'RE-wrenches'
> *Subject:* Re: [RE-wrenches] Mobile solar trailer
>
>
>
> Wrenches,
>
>
>
> I have a customer looking for a tow behind solar trailer with the
> following specs:
>
> Major features should include
>
> · 120/240Vac output
>
> · sealed Out Back inverters (because of moist and possibly dusty
> conditions)
>
> · approx. 12,000 Watt Hours of rated battery storage.  Thought is
> that (8) AGM 6v 250AH batteries would work
>
> · approx. 1,500W PV Array
>
>
>
> I am requesting a quote from Patriot Solar (Albion, MI)
> http://patriotsolargroup.com/products/solar-parent/solar-child/solar-trailers-2-4kw/
>
>
>
> Does anyone know of other trailers that are in this class, new or used?
> Hopefully cost effective units? Something like the tow behinds that Jason
> Szumlanski made at AMP Systems would be appropriate.
>
>
>
> David Palumbo
>
> Independent Power LLC
>
> 462 Solar Way Drive
>
> Hyde Park, VT 05655
>
> 802-371-8678 cell
>
> 802-888-4917 home
>
>
>
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*Tel/Fax 585-229-2083 or Cell 585-748-1870 *
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 ~ E-mail: ch...@solarandwindfx.com
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Re: [RE-wrenches] Helical Anchors for Ground-Mount

[Chris Schaefer]

All,

These helical ground screws are 6 foot in length and are allowed
to be installed by any post hole attachment mounted to a skid steer or mini
excavator. With Zilla they have a truss that mounts to two helicals and then
you attach the rails to the truss.

I'm looking for another manufacturer of ground mounts that
attaches to helical ground screws. Again this is only because Zilla refuses
to provide the truss broken down as an option, which would significantly
reduce shipping.

 

Thanks,

Christopher

 

From: RE-wrenches [mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] On
Behalf Of Christopher Warfel
Sent: Thursday, 31 March, 2016 18:29
To: re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Helical Anchors for Ground-Mount

 

We've been using Krinner helical ground screws with good success. There are
other similar brands available. I want to make sure that your term of
anchors is the same as for screws. What we call helical ground anchors has a
very different shape and wouldn't use them for solar. Chris

On 3/31/2016 2:38 PM, Chris Schaefer wrote:

Eric,

I've been researching this for almost two years now and finally
decided to go with Zilla for a 40 module system. I have a heavy clay soil
and nothing has been required for permitting or the AHJ. I will have to
purchase their adapter to fit any pto post hole digger for about $500 but
expect to make that back over a couple of projects. However the real issue
came when I got the finalized numbers from them and a normal freight of
around $400-600 was expected. Surprise, the cost was just shy of $1,500!
Ouch. Well there goes the margin. Apparently because they provide their
truss system as a pre-fab which makes them extremely difficult for the
shipper and puts them in a higher freight class. So I asked that they
provide an option with the truss broken down. We can do the assembly on
site. This is something at this time they are unwilling to do without
additional fees. While the customer service response has been timely it is
obvious to me that this is something that they clearly do not want to do. Of
course this has always been our albatross here on the east coast with most
racking system being fabricated west of the Mississippi. So while I look
forward to trying the helical pier until they come up with a breakdown
option of their ground racking system I suggest you look elsewhere. I hope
this helps. Let me know who else out there has a helical pier product.

 

Christopher

Chris Schaefer's

  SolarWindFX

Tel/Fax 585-229-2083 or Cell 585-748-1870  

 5115 South Hill Road ~ Canandaigua New York 14424

www.solarandwindfx.com ~ E-mail: ch...@solarandwindfx.com








cid:image002.jpg@01D18DB1.C20413F0
cid:image003.jpg@01D18DB1.C20413F0


cid:image004.jpg@01D18DB1.C20413F0

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thomas Jefferson, the author of our great Constitution, once said,
"democracy" will cease to exist when you take away from those who are
willing to work and give to those who would not."

 

 

From: RE-wrenches [mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] On
Behalf Of e...@harvesthesun.com
Sent: Thursday, 31 March, 2016 13:19
To: RE-wrenches
Cc: ian.isb...@thatsbyers.com
Subject: [RE-wrenches] Helical Anchors for Ground-Mount

 

We're considering moving away from concrete footings where appropriate on GM
projects. I am have not used any helical anchor systems and am curious about
the efficiency of the helical anchor system in resi applications.
Specifically, am I going to need soil compaction tests and/or geo survey
with a P.G. stamp? What is the AHJ going to be looking for? As always, I
appreciate any input! 

 

Eric Stikes

Founding Director & CEO

Good Sun Solar, A CA non-profit corp.

www.goodsun.life

(530)798-3738





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-- 
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ENTECH Engineering, Inc.
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Re: [RE-wrenches] "Solar-Pack 100"

[Chris Schaefer]

Nicely done. A little more detail on the black bar of which the module
mounts to. So more photos (perhaps side view with & w/o module) of it and
what it is made of?

Christopher

-Original Message-
From: RE-wrenches [mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] On
Behalf Of Phil Forest
Sent: Tuesday, 23 February, 2016 16:30
To: re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org
Subject: [RE-wrenches] "Solar-Pack 100"

Wrenches,
It took 2 years of pondering, we finally made a backpack to carry modules up
a ladder. The goal was safer and easier on the body than our other methods.
It works. We used it for the first time yesterday, carried (16) 96 cell
panels up to a two story roof. Attached are a few photos of the Kilty
external frame backpack, retrofitted to carry panels, in landscape. 
I'm so relieved to have a safer, better way than all the other manual ways
we've tried. Both hands are on the ladder, we don't get as tired when
hauling.  
Please let me know if you have any suggestions for improvements. 


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Re: [RE-wrenches] Aquion Batteries, Was LiFePO4

[Chris Schaefer]

To All,

Great insight on the lithium movement. I do am looking for anyone 
dealing with the new Aquion batteries. I’ve got a couple of potential clients 
that have inquired about them. Saw them at a NABCEP training session last 
spring and while the idea is moving I wasn’t impressed. Perhaps it’s time to 
start a new thread, “Aquion batteries”.

 

Thanks,

Christopher

 

From: RE-wrenches [mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf 
Of d...@energysolarnow.com
Sent: Friday, 29 January, 2016 00:49
To: Dan Fink
Cc: re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] LiFePO4; WAS Availability of Powerwall Batteries

 

Thanks for sharing your experience with these batteries, Dan.

I have similar SOC issues with an off-grid customer who has the Aquion Hybrid 
Ion batteries.

It has difficulty reaching full charge from solar, requiring the genny to kick 
on each morning even in the summer.

This is even worse in cold winter weather.

Your explanation of the change in Peukert's exponent above 80% SOC with NiFe 
batteries sounds like what is happening here as well. 

Do you have any experience with Aquion batteries that you can share?

 

Thanks

Don Barch 

Energy Solar

d...@energysolarnow.com

 

Message: 2
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 2016 15:51:26 -0700
From: Dan Fink 
To: RE-wrenches 
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] LiFePO4; WAS Availability of Powerwall
Batteries
Message-ID:

Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

Hello Mark;
My NiFes went in last March, I'm almost at a year living with them off the
grid.
To avoid writing a novel here I'll group my comments into Oddities,
Advantages and Disadvantages.

Advantages:
~ at least 25 year lifespan
~ 10 year warranty
~ Can add more parallel strings at any time/age, just drain and replace
electrolyte of old batteries
~ 80% depth of discharge no problem, so can size smaller amp-hour capacity

Oddities:
~ alkaline electrolyte, neutralize spills and clean tops with white vinegar
~ Specific gravity of electrolyte does not change with state of charge so a
hydrometer is useless
~ Charge / discharge efficiency changes greatly with state of charge.
Sometimes my Magnum ME-BMK amp hour meter matches the Midnite Whizbang Jr
exactly, sometimes they are way off from each other. For ground truth, the
state of charge vs. voltage curve from the battery manufacturer seems right
on, not counting false readings when the batteries are not at rest for a
couple hours.
~ Fooling PV MPPT charge controllers into dealing with NiFes involves
setting a very long and high Absorb voltage
~ Charge efficiency is great up to 80% state of charge, but after that
drops way off. Above 80% SOC these batteries want to see 1.65v per cell to
really fill up. No problem for modern MPPT PV controllers, but-
~ Some inverter / chargers (Magnum here) freak out and shut down at 1.6v
per cell, so the solution from the battery manufacturer is-
~ Run fewer cells during times of year when charging is frequent from the
generator, put the extra cells back in the string during times of year when
the charging is mostly PV. Sitting uncharged does not damage these "extra"
cells.
~ So I am running a 10.8v battery bank right now, will bring it back to 12v
this spring. No big deal, but does affect inverter surge capacity. Would
not be as much of a problem at 24v or 48v.
~

Disadvantages:
~ The high Absorb voltage to get that last 20% SOC efficiently bubbles
through a lot of distilled water. My schedule is 1-2 gallons every 40 days,
and the company sends a reminder email at that interval.
~ The bubbling gets the tops dirty fast. A cleaning every 40 days is about
right.
~ High cost
~ Twiddling with string voltages semi-annually. This would not be an issue
if most charging is from PV.

My thoughts:
My overall impression of being married to NiFes way off the grid has so far
been favorable.In a grid standby situation, I think string voltage
twiddling would be a non-issue, who cares about the last 20% of SOC charge
efficiency in that situation? Off the grid with daily cycling, generator
use, etc, I would not consider these to be batteries for off-grid
beginners. But anyone who has been off grid for a few years with lead acid
batteries will immediately appreciate the advantages and only occasionally
curse the quirks of Nife.
Plans here: Increase my PV by about 30%. Cheap and easy, no more taking
cells in and out of the string, and less winter generator run time. Get 'em
to 80% on genny during tough snowbound times and let PV do the rest. Figure
out some Arduino solution for monitoring when Peukert's exponent changes
depending on SOC. Complain to inverter/charger manufacturers to make them
work better with NiFe.

Best regards;

Dan Fink
Adjunct Professor, Ecotech Institute
IREC Certified Instructor? for:
~ PV Installation Professional
~ Small Wind Installer
Executive Director, 

Re: [RE-wrenches] Load testing Lithium battery bank

[Chris Schaefer]

 

 

From: RE-wrenches [mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf 
Of Jerry Shafer
Sent: Wednesday, 18 March, 2015 21:57
To: RE-wrenches
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Load testing Lithium battery bank

We use elite batteries with BMS no problems, the BMS sensor does seem to run 
warm we are now setting up 4, 100 Ah banks with no problems so far.
Jerry

Not at all. The EMS boards are well built and are protected under a cover with 
the terminals. I have not had any failures of the EMS boards or any failure to 
communicate with them.



Larry 

 

 

On Mar 18, 2015 1:52 PM, Bruce Erickson br...@mendocinosolar.com wrote:

If a communication failure with a single cell (not even an actual fault) can 
cause total battery shutdown, does that lead to a lot of nuisance tripping?

 

Bruce Erickson

Mendocino Solar Service

PO Box 1252

Mendocino, CA 95460

707-937-1701

707-937-1741 fax

br...@mendocinosolar.com

 

Celebrating 20 Years in Solar! 1994-2014

 

 

 

 

On Mar 18, 2015, at 8:57 AM, Larry wrote:





Hi Jarmo,

I agree and recognize your urgency in making us aware of the proper use and 
charging of Li-ion batteries as well as the dangers of mistreating them. As an 
early adopter myself, I am very cautious in my approach even to the point of 
refusing to sell to some customers. Lithium battery technology is in a state of 
rapid evolution. 

Not wanting to harp on the GBS brand that I sell, but one of your points goes 
to prove the safety of their integrated approach. You said, ...all it takes is 
one poor connection or broken temp sensor on one cell. The GBS EMS system has 
cell level sensors for temperature (and other data) and each sensor board 
requires constant communication with the CPU. If the EMS fails to communicate 
any information with any cell, the CPU immediately shuts down both safety 
solenoids, disconnecting the battery. With the non integrated systems, failures 
that don't report information to the management system could lead to disaster.

Please keep offering us the knowledge you are gaining as I am a firm believer 
that Lithium technology is a large part of the inevitable replacement the aged 
lead battery.



Larry Crutcher
Starlight Solar Power Systems
 

On 3/17/15 6:11 PM, jarmo.venalai...@schneider-electric.com wrote:

Hi: 

I may sound like I'm a detractor against using Lion, but that's not it. 

What I want to bring to light is that, being as the technology is new, not all 
the issues are known and there are things to learn for all early adopters in 
the foreseeable future. 

From what I can gather the framework for the issues lies in that Lion 
technology is based on intercalation, that is, a reversible insertion and 
removal of Li molecules into compounds with microscopically layered 
structures.  This predicates that there must be no chemical reaction in the 
battery, but rather only the shelving of the highly reactive Li ions.  If 
there are any chemical reactions taking place, then in the least the battery 
performance is compromised and in the most there is a thermal event or worse 

There are some very robust Lion battery packs, a favorite of mine being from a 
local company from Vancouver, (well Richmond, which is a suburb of Vancouver).  
It's a small company, but they have designed, developed, built and successfully 
approved their 6 kWh Lion pack for use in large car ferries in Scandinavia.  
The ferries have stacks of these packs in the 100's, in the MWh size.  It can 
be done. 

What I'm advocating is that its best to work with companies that have the time, 
interest and resources to work through the wrinkles, and if not, then carefully 
put in reliable and precise BMS circuitry which includes things like fail safe 
circuits for single point failures of critical sensing circuits, the foremost 
of which is cell temperature.  When you're pushing large currents, all it takes 
is one poor connection or broken temp sensor on one cell.. 

Here's a link to the Lion battery pack manufacturer, Corvus, 

 http://corvus-energy.com/ http://corvus-energy.com/ 

I know they do a good job, but they're not cheap, for now... 

JARMO 


Jarmo Venalainen  |   Schneider Electric   |  Xantrex Brand  |   CANADA  |   
Sales Application Engineer 
Phone: +604-422-2528 tel:%2B604-422-2528   |   Tech Support: 800-670-0707  |  
 Mobile: +604-505-0291 tel:%2B604-505-0291  
Email:  mailto:jarmo.venalai...@schneider-electric.com 
jarmo.venalai...@schneider-electric.com  |   Site: http://www.xantrex.com/  
www.Xantrex.com  |   Address: 3700 Gilmore Way, Burnaby, BC V5G4M1 


 http://www.xantrexrebate.com/ Mail Attachment.gif 


 http://www.xantrex.com/ Mail Attachment.gif 

 https://www.facebook.com/Xantrex Mail Attachment.gif 

 https://twitter.com/Xantrex Mail Attachment.gif 

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Re: [RE-wrenches] Programmable Battery Charger

[Chris Schaefer]

Larry, have you tried http://www.quickcharge.com/ 

 

Christopher

 

From: RE-wrenches [mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] On
Behalf Of Larry
Sent: Wednesday, December 17, 2014 09:51
To: RE-wrenches
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Programmable Battery Charger

 

boB and Jarmo, thanks for great explanations...So, let's dump that idea
and go back to square one: a programmable 1.5kW charger for 12 volt
batteries. I have been checking with all the charger manufacturers I can
find and no one makes this product. Argus said no, Pro Charging said no, a
few others, no.

Brian, an inverter/charger and remote will work great but that still
represents $1000 cost and about $1350 to my customer for a 100 amp charger.
But, so far, this is my only option.

A few years ago Magnum Energy told me they were working on a stand alone
programmable charger but nothing yet. It probably does not cost much less to
build than the inverter/charger does.

Thanks to all for the answers.




Thank you,
 
Larry 

On 12/16/14 2:19 PM, b...@midnitesolar.com wrote:


Jarmo, you are absolutely correct.   This is another great reason  NOT to
use an MPPT charge controller
as an AC sourced battery charger.   Also, if my instructions are not
followed to a TEE, the CC WILL blow up !

The input capacitors are going to wear out MUCH sooner than a real charger
because of the 60Hz or 120
Hz ripple shown in Jarmo's graph.  Capacitor ripple abuse was one answer to
one of Larry's questions about long term
reliability.


Also, if the input diodes short, you are applying AC directly to the input
capacitors and
will go POOF as well as the power section.

And you would NOT know that you needed an input power resistor first or
possibly where
to even find one of the correct resistor values and power ratings if the
input source is stiff.
This is the scariest problem in my mind  Too high of input max power
voltage, overcurrent
and then, battery voltage regulation will overshoot without that resistor.

I would just spend the extra money and do this right in the first place and
don't try to
cut corners on price.

Brian Teitelbaum had the best idea I think...  Just buy an inverter with a
power factor corrected
charger like the newer Schneider SW inverter/charger (I think that was the
one ?) or one of
the MSW Magnums.  Or, a decent charger if one exists.  Haven't seen the
Argus/Alpha one.

MPPT charge controllers are really just NOT designed for this.  (although
they might work for a while).

In fact, Ryan from MidNite Solar blew up several Classics at first.

But knowing that some folks are going to try this, I thought it best to give
at least some directions.

Thanks,
boB


On 12/16/2014 12:34 PM, jarmo.venalai...@schneider-electric.com wrote:

Hi: 

I'm enjoying learning many new ways of looking at things and of practical
solutions on this forum.  In that spirit, the only thing I would add to this
discussion is that the power factor as seen by the AC source will be very
poor.  In that regard, the larger the caps, the more stable the DC
voltage, but the poorer the PF. 

This will show up as much lower charging efficiency due to the way in which
AC current is drawn by the bridge rectifier/capacitor circuit.  Here's an
actual graph of how a bridge rectifier connected to a capacitor draws AC
current, 



The graph is from my past life a couple of decades ago back when I was
studying.  It's not a conventional phase-shift PF problem, but rather a form
factor PF problem.  It shows the current drawn by a 13 PC monitor of that
era, before PF correction was mandated for all new products.  In this
example the 'crest factor', (peak current as measured versus what it could
have been if the current was drawn throughout the AC pulses, was about 4x).
Depending on the size of capacitor, it can be as high as 7x. 

The practical effect on the wires and devices including the diodes and
charge controller, is that a lot of heat is generated in their power
components.  The source of the energy for that heat is the AC source and in
cases where the AC source is a generator that translates to much higher fuel
consumption, (in some cases over 30% more). 

Out of my tests back then, I also discovered one practical recommendation.


If you are using bridge rectifiers connected to capacitors, do not have any
length of wire and in particular no loop area in the wires between the
bridge rectifier and capacitors.  Having wire/loop area introduces
inductance into the circuit which behaves somewhat like an ignition coil due
to the high speed reverse recovery period of the diodes; and this happens
four times every AC cycle.  Given the right conditions the voltage spikes
caused by that inductance/ignition coil like effect will make short work of
the diodes and other components which are on the circuit. 

The voltage spikes wont be a problem if the bridge rectifier is as close as
possible to the capacitors, but due to reverse recovery effect, you'll still
be stressing the parts 

Re: [RE-wrenches] Quantifying power quality, 50 mf capacitor

[Chris Schaefer]

-Original Message-
From: RE-wrenches [mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] On
Behalf Of Ray Walters
Sent: Sunday, October 12, 2014 16:21
To: RE-wrenches
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Quantifying power quality

Hi Dan;

I, like Larry, must be amazingly lucky then, because we've solved power
quality issues for many years with 50mf caps.  Usually, its been front
loading washers not running on Trace SW inverters, but also Grundfos CP
pumps, too.  Never had a problem, and some of these have been running that
way for over 15 years.
I never had a power quality issue with an Exeltech, so I've never used this
trick with your inverters.

R.Ray Walters
CTO, Solarray, Inc
Nabcep Certified PV Installer,
Licensed Master Electrician
Solar Design Engineer
303 505-8760

On 10/12/2014 12:58 PM, Exeltech wrote:
 Wrenches,

 Be careful about connecting *any* capacitors across an inverter's AC
output.  It's not a smart thing to do.

 While a capacitor may help in some cases when a load has a substantially
poor power factor due to significant inductance, there are two serious
concerns here:

 1. The power factor seen by the inverter will be equally bad in the
opposite polarity when the inductive load turns off, and IF the capacitor is
still connected across the lines.  Larry implied the capacitor he connected
was disconnected when the load turned off.

 2. Larry shot-gunned a solution.  He guessed, and got lucky.  We don't
know how much actual capacitance was needed in this specific situation.
Capacitors connected across an inverter's AC output can destabilize its
voltage control loops, leading to erratic AC voltage, resulting in possible
damage to the inverter, the load(s) .. or both.

 Power factor is one of the most misunderstood aspects of electricity.

 Dan
 (Professional inverter design engineer .. among other things...)

 
 On Sun, 10/12/14, Starlight Solar Power Systems la...@starlightsolar.com
wrote:

 Hi William,

 If you recall a couple years ago we had some discussion here about a
problem with a specific make appliance being powered by a Magnum inverter.
The problem, it was discovered, was the appliance input PF was creating
current demands that the transformer based inverter could not keep up with.
When I powered the load with a low cost, high frequency inverter, it worked
fine. Apparently the HF inverter can keep up with the current changes faster
than the Magnum.

 To fix the problem, a 50mf run type capacitor was installed in the
appliance so that it was applied across the AC input when powered on.
Everything worked fine then because the cap was taming the wild current
created by the low PF.

 Try looking at the current and voltage waveform together (AC shunt, dual
trace scope) at the UPS input. If the current is displaying large spikes
and/or is out of phase, you may have found the problem is with a non linear
load from the UPS. It may be the SI, like the Magnum, can not keep up and so
the UPS input circuits are throwing a fit.

 Or, something else you can try, connect a high frequency inverter and try
to power the UPS. This can be a portable 12 volt battery and inverter. If
the problem disappears, well, you take it from there.

 Larry

Hi William,

Power quality, in your case, refers to how close to 60 Hz (frequency
component), 120/240 VAC RMS (amplitude component) your voltage waveform is.
Every waveform is the superposition of different frequencies, amplitudes
etc.  Power quality requirements for a devices input or output are usually
defined in total harmonic distortion (THD %) and in voltage ranges.  THD is
an attempt to quantify harmonics on a waveform.  It is the ratio of the sum
of all harmonics to the fundamental frequency (60Hz in your case).
A Sunny Island has THD and amplitude tolerances similar to that of the grid
(3%, 105-132VAC).  I have found that most generators aren't as close and the
distortion in a waveform is easily discernible.

My approach to your problem might be to ask for the power quality
requirements for the UPS not to beep.  Document that the Sunny
Islands/Generator system is delivering these requirements during beep events
using a power quality analyzer.  Put problem back on UPS guy if you can
prove that your system is delivering adequate power quality.  This is how
our utility deals with alleged power quality problems.

If the SI system has enough reserve, run it totally off-grid with the grid
as backup. Then they will never see any transitions.

A Sunny Island that switches to and from grid power probably does not
transfer smoothly enough to protect sensitive equipment, but if it is online
all the time, using solar to charge the batteries, I would not bother with a
UPS.

On Sun, Oct 12, 2014 at 11:27 AM, toddc...@finestplanet.com wrote:
perhaps i am not understanding the set-up, but why feed a ups with a ups?
doesnt the sunny island already provide ups capabilities for the loads
connected to it?
 
todd

On Sun, Oct 

Re: [RE-wrenches] 2v metal cased cells

[Chris Schaefer]

I too am a big fan of Surrette and what I’d be worried about is the sweating 
and/or moisture that would build up on the steel @ high humidity’s or high dew 
points.

 

Christopher

 

From: RE-wrenches [mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf 
Of jay peltz
Sent: Saturday, July 12, 2014 09:13
To: RE-wrenches
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] 2v metal cased cells

 

Hi all

 

Yes good points. 

However I have good reason to believe that the dual plastic case batteries ( 
rolls or Trojan) act like good insulation. 

I'm working on some designs for the deep tropics and heat build up is a huge 
problem. 

 

Whether I use fans, water, or AC Units, I think that individual steel cased 
cells will have greater surface area and cool faster than other batteries. 

 

But maybe others have different ideas?

 

Jay

 





 


On Jul 12, 2014, at 5:01 AM, Tump t...@swnl.net wrote:

Why would you NOT use the Surrette batteries. Far easier to move, up to 2400 
Has@20 hr rate. Steel CONDUCTIVE/ RUSTING cases never made sense to me. The 
only reason I would use something steel would be the AGM when seismic security 
was required.

On Jul 11, 2014, at 11:51 AM, jay peltz wrote:





Hi All,

I'm wondering what options people are using for steel cased individual 2v 
industrial cells.

thanks

jay





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 207-832-7574   Cl. 610-517-8401
  

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Re: [RE-wrenches] PSX-240 wiring question

[Chris Schaefer]

I've got a similar situation with an old SW-4024. The house is wired
entirely for 120vac and is still an off-grid home but at some point the new
owners received grid power which they want to use as a back-up. They also
want to add a back-up 240vac genny. At first I thought of doing as Dan
suggest, using two X240's. But as I mulled over the design I decided to use
a single manual transfer switch and one X240. The transfer switch is 1/2 the
price of the 2nd PSX240. Thus on the primary of the transfer switch will be
either the grid or genny with the secondary side of the switch to be the
PSX240. I'm doing the upgrade next week.

Christopher

-Original Message-
From: re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org
[mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of
d...@foxfire-energy.com
Sent: Saturday, September 07, 2013 16:00
To: al...@positiveenergysolar.com; RE-wrenches
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] PSX-240 wiring question

I'd just launder the tool thru the sw wid another X240 on its own switch. db

 Original Message 
Subject: [RE-wrenches] PSX-240 wiring question
From: Allan Sindelar al...@positiveenergysolar.com
Date: Sat, September 7, 2013 2:56 pm
To: RE-wrenches re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org

Wrenches,
 Here's a small issue on which I need help. It concerns the best functional
way to wire up an Outback PSX-240 balancing autotransformer for a specific
purpose.
 
 I have somehow succeeded in transferring the wiring diagram on page 6 of
Outback's PSX-240 installation manual into this message. This is for a
step-down/generator balancing function. 
 
 The situation: 8kW 240V AC generator serving an older system with a single
Trace SW4024. The 240V from the generator enters the PSX240 as wired
according to the diagram. The primary role of the generator is to provide
occasional backup charging to the batteries through the inverter. The
specific issue is that the client also wants 240V AC from the generator to
be available to a single shop receptacle to run a stationary woodworking
tool. The generator is not large enough to both run the tool and charge at
full (33A @120V AC / 120A @24V DC) AC2 amps in setting, and we don't want to
reduce the charge rate, as it's currently ideal for the new HUP industrial
flooded batteries.
 
 We initially tapped 240V off of the generator feed ahead of the 25A
two-pole breaker in the PSX-240. We instructed the customer to turn off this
25A breaker when using the power tool (the tool circuit has its own separate
two-pole breaker). What we discovered, which is obvious in hindsight, is
that one of the generator's 120V AC legs continues to feed the inverter AC2
input with the breaker off. This causes the inverter to try to draw too much
current from that AC generator leg only.
 
 My question: could I solve this by simply moving the 120VAC to Neutral
output feed (now tapped off of L2) shown on the drawing below to the other
side of the 25A circuit breaker; that is, to point 4 in the drawing? It
seems to me that this would work, and would not intrinsically overload
either of the two 25A poles of the breaker. The 120V AC output to the
inverter could in theory draw 50A; 25A from L2 and 25A through the windings
of the transformer. But this solution seems almost too simple. What am I
missing, please?
 
 
  
 
 -- 
  Allan Sindelar
 al...@positiveenergysolar.com
 NABCEP Certified PV Installation Professional  NABCEP Certified Technical
Sales Professional  New Mexico EE98J Journeyman Electrician  Founder and
Chief Technology Officer  Positive Energy, Inc., a Certified B CorporationTM
 3209 Richards Lane
 Santa Fe, New Mexico 87507
 505 424-1112 office 780-2738 cell
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Re: [RE-wrenches] Whisper Parts

[Chris Schaefer]

Had to share the link below with everyone on the list (I'm not a member of
the wind list so someone send there to). But even more fun is the comments
at the end of the article. Primus is just the AIR products. No Whisper
parts. If anyone finds the parts please share the source.

http://azdailysun.com/news/local/last-days-for-local-turbines/article_316629
58-c28d-5af4-99ee-8f0e6f19f595.html 

 

Christopher Schaefer

Solar  Wind FX, Inc.

 

From: re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org
[mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of Chris Daum
Sent: Friday, April 05, 2013 11:57
To: 'RE-wrenches'
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Whisper Parts

 

Folks:

 

I may be incorrect, but I think a company called Primus Windpower took over
a chunk of SWWP - 928-607-7034.

 

Good luck.

 

Chris Daum

Oasis Montana Inc.

 

  _  

From: re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org
[mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of Ryan
Sent: Friday, April 05, 2013 9:44 AM
To: re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Whisper Parts

Last I saw the building is locked by the landlord, So SWWP may not have
access to these parts?

Ryan



On 4/5/2013 11:29 AM, toddc...@finestplanet.com wrote:

in addition, i am looking for a spare blade set for the same unit (whisper
100). i heard there was a warehouse full of these parts when swwp went out
of business... why they dont answer emails or phone messages is a mystery.
i'd think they would want to sell what they can. if anyone has any ideas on
this please contact me off list.

 

todd

 

 

 

 

On Friday, April 5, 2013 8:21am, Jeremy Rodriguez- All Solar Inc.
mailto:allso...@scswifi.net allso...@scswifi.net said:

 If anyone has a Whisper 100 (H40) controller, a good EZ WIRE would do,
please
 contact me off list
 
 Jeremy
 All solar
 Sent via BlackBerry. Sorry for typos and shorthand!
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