Re: [RE-wrenches] Will SolarEdge optimizers work with other string inverters?

[Sam Haraldson via RE-wrenches]

The Solaredge "Key" and "Safety & Monitoring Interface" have cut sheets
dated 2014 and 2016 - so take their feasibility with a grain of salt -
indicate that at some point SE optimized systems could be paired to third
party inverters.  Based on a quick read it looks like this technology
requires optimizers that have "IndOP" built in (independent optimization)
and if I was to venture a guess that's not what is on the roof you're
looking to work on.

https://www.solaredge.com/uk/products/retrofit/solaredge-key#/
https://www.solaredge.com/products/retrofit/safety-and-monitoring-interface#/
https://www.solaredge.com/products/retrofit/power-optimizer-indop#/
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Re: [RE-wrenches] REC modules - review?

[Sam Haraldson via RE-wrenches]

Our experience with REC is similar to previous respondents.  We almost
solely installed REC modules for the better part of a few years and have
over 12,000 (4.31 mW) of them in the field.  Ironically enough our first
warranty claim for one was a couple weeks ago (failed diode).  The
information submission process involved multiple email exchanges (partially
due to lack of proper information provided by our technician but also
partially due to REC requesting further information they didn't initially
ask for).  That was a minor stumbling block and the issue was resolved
quickly.  They didn't mail a new module but instead provided us a credit so
we can pick up a replacement at the local Greetech distribution facility
which is pretty handy.  Not sure yet about labor reimbursement.

Sincerely,
Sam


[image: OnSite Energy]


SAM HARALDSON
Operations Specialist
(406) 551-6135
1515 N. Rouse Ave Bozeman, MT 59715
Locally owned and operated since 2012
[image: B Corporation]

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Re: [RE-wrenches] alte gone?

[Sam Haraldson via RE-wrenches]

Nicholas,

If we take a deep dive into this issue we may be able to close the loop on
whether the industry is in lock step to leverage its synergy and make the
necessary paradigm shift to pivot.  Alternatively if there aren't the
necessary boots on the ground nor tools in the tool kit to think outside of
the box then the issue may just get tabled.

So long and thanks for all the fish,
Sam Haraldson
Montana

#happyfriday
#re-bitching
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Re: [RE-wrenches] Plaques

[Sam Haraldson via RE-wrenches]

Lou,

It was mentioned among the myriad responses you got to this question but
it's definitely worth trying the custom placards from PVLabels.com.

https://www.pvlabels.com/custom-placards/

You upload a simple graphic through their website and they'll ship them out
within a day or two.  We only use this service for when we need a directory
placard (e.g. a site map) which are 4x6 or 5x7 and cost around $30 to $45
per placard.

For textual-only custom labels we own a Hellermann-Tyton thermal label
printer that we bought six or seven years ago and has served us well.
Those together with standard PV label stickers are all we need for the work
we do.

- Sam

[image: OnSite Energy]


SAM HARALDSON
Field Operations Director
(406) 551-6135
1515 N. Rouse Ave Bozeman, MT 59715
Locally owned and operated since 2012
[image: B Corporation]

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Re: [RE-wrenches] SMA 22 series inverters, resetting AFCI fault

[Sam Haraldson via RE-wrenches]

>
> ...Can’t believe SMA thought this was a good way to do this.
>
>
The confused silence on the other end of the phone when you're talking to a
homeowner about resetting this error message themselves as you describe
bashing the inverter with your knuckles directly on the screen about as
hard as you can.  And then the awkward conversation that transpired waiting
for the five minute start-up period to pass because they missed the ten
second window to hit it and they have to try it again.

- Sam
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Re: [RE-wrenches] Clamping CTs Around Live Conductors - White Paper References and/or Anecdotal Information Requested

[Sam Haraldson via RE-wrenches]

A quick note of thanks to the wide variety of responses I received last
week regarding my question about safely clamping CTs around live
conductors.  I genuinely appreciate the supportive responses.

Sincerely,
Sam

>
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Re: [RE-wrenches] TPM Search

[Sam Haraldson via RE-wrenches]

Adding in my vote for MT Solar.  Quality product, quality customer service.
I saw someone mention Wattsun as well but their product is trackers not
simply pole mounts.  They too have superb customer service but not for
static racking.

- Sam
OnSite Energy, Inc.
Bozeman, MT
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[RE-wrenches] Clamping CTs Around Live Conductors - White Paper References and/or Anecdotal Information Requested

[Sam Haraldson via RE-wrenches]

Dear Wrenches,

I'm trying to determine whether or not it is acceptable to clamp monitoring
CTs around hot conductors.  For this question please assume the CT wires
are landed in their proper terminals and that proper PPE/safety protocol is
employed.  The monitored currents in question are residential services of
600A or less. Is there harm to the CT by clamping them around a hot
conductor?

The physics of a CT from my brief research states that,* "...the secondary
of a current transformer should not be disconnected from its burden while
current is in the primary, as the secondary will attempt to continue
driving current into an effective infinite impedance potentially generating
high voltages and thus compromising operator safety."  *This begs the
question how I can use my DMM clamp meter w/o causing damage or is the
italicized text related to very high current applications from the world of
medium and high voltage equipment and not as pertinent to the residential
and light commercial world I work in?

I suspect this is a no-brainer answer for the seasoned professionals on the
list and I'll be most appreciative for any proof (no matter how brief) you
wish to share.  Ultimately we wish to minimize the need to perform power
shut downs and interrupt client service when installing load monitoring CTs
to a home but only wish to do so if it is part of a safe and non
equipment-harming process.

Sincerely,
Sam Haraldson

[image: OnSite Energy]


SAM HARALDSON
Field Operations Director
(406) 551-6135
1515 N. Rouse Ave Bozeman, MT 59715
Locally owned and operated since 2012
[image: B Corporation]

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[RE-wrenches] Solarworld Warranty Claims Through Sunpower

[Sam Haraldson via RE-wrenches]

Wrenches,

A colleague is inquiring about how to proceed with Solarworld warranty
claims after its 2018 acquisition of the Solarworld brand.  If anyone can
provide successes or failures along those lines I would appreciate being
able to share that info with my colleague.  If I am able to determine more
detail elsewhere and anyone on this list would like to have that info
shared with them please let me know off-list.

Sincerely,
Sam

[image: OnSite Energy]


SAM HARALDSON
Field Operations Director
(406) 551-6135
1515 N. Rouse Ave Bozeman, MT 59715
Locally owned and operated since 2012
[image: B Corporation]

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Re: [RE-wrenches] Automatic load control

[Sam Haraldson via RE-wrenches]

We have two Sol-Ark / Fortress deployments just finished/in progress and
one uses seven Lumin panels for load shedding and the other has SPANs.  In
retrospect the Lumin project should have used SPAN since it was a new
construction project and the Lumin is more of a retrofit product in my
opinion.  We have been pairing Lumin panels with Tesla Powerwalls for at
least five years as a way of using a single PW to provide whole home backup
and it's a very solid product with excellent support.  I think we're going
to see more and more standard electrical panels being built as "smart"
panels that will include load shedding capabilities as demand management
becomes more and more of a smart financial decision with rising energy
costs.  But for now it's still niche products like these.

- Sam
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Re: [RE-wrenches] Fortress remote monitoring

[Sam Haraldson via RE-wrenches]

Here is an official communication from Fortress that we received recently
when inquiring about monitoring Fortress batteries as an Installer.  Some
of you may find the info relevant.

-- Forwarded message -
From:  
Date: Mon, Dec 4, 2023 at 12:37 PM
Subject: Re:[## 5635 ##] Remote Monitoring Access
To: -@---.com


Hi -,

As of right now, the Guardian app is designed to be used by the end user
only and does not have "fleet management" capabilities as you have
described. This is a highly demanded feature so we are working on getting
this added by Q2 2024.

If you would like to view the info from their Guardian, you can use their
login info and log in using their credentials on your phone.

Best,
- --
Applications Engineer II
Fortress Power
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Re: [RE-wrenches] Metal Truss Roofs

[Sam Haraldson via RE-wrenches]

James,

I can think of one install I performed in 2017 that was a metal roof over
metal purlins and we opted to through-bolt the entire array using one
installer on a ladder inside and another on the roof.  We employed butyl
mastic and large fender washers to attach a strut frame to the roof, and
then we installed traditional L-feet and rails atop the strut.  I have zero
experience working with tile so I don't know what your best methodology is
there but I can attest that the through-bolting has held up well at that
site the past five years.

Sincerely,
Sam Haraldson

[image: OnSite Energy]


SAM HARALDSON
Field Operations Director
(406) 551-6135
1515 N. Rouse Ave Bozeman, MT 59715
Locally owned and operated since 2012
[image: B Corporation]

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[RE-wrenches] Back Issues of SolarPro Magazine

[Sam Haraldson via RE-wrenches]

Wrenches,

I have a dusty stack of SolarPro magazines and am curious if there are
folks on the list who might want them.  At a glance I see issues from 2014
and 2017 and presumably they're all from around that time.  There are also
some copies of Home Power in there.  Please contact me off list if you're
interested.

Sincerely,
Sam

[image: OnSite Energy]


SAM HARALDSON
Field Operations Director
(406) 551-6135
1515 N. Rouse Ave Bozeman, MT 59715
Locally owned and operated since 2012
[image: B Corporation]

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Re: [RE-wrenches] Snapnrack end caps

[Sam Haraldson via RE-wrenches]

> ...Kevin at S was wondering if this is a common occurrence. Is it
> something we are doing, is it freezing and thawing or is it the design of
> the caps.
>

Can confirm.  We receive email from customers on the regular that these are
popping off.  I haven't attempted to draw a correlation between when the
systems were installed and the effect of freeze/thaw but that was the
assumption I've made.

- Sam

>
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Re: [RE-wrenches] AC coupling with Solar Edge, pre HD Wave

[Sam Haraldson via RE-wrenches]

Good Morning, Dave,

Take a look at this pdf and see if the info about setting up "Grid
Protection" gets you anywhere.  Starting on page three it shows how to make
the Vmin/max and Fmin/max for screened inverters.  What I can't verify for
you is whether the A series has the same menu structure as highlighted in
this document or not.

https://knowledge-center.solaredge.com/sites/kc/files/viewing_grid_protection_values.pdf

Cheers,
Sam


[image: OnSite Energy]


SAM HARALDSON
Field Operations Director
(406) 551-6135
1515 N. Rouse Ave Bozeman, MT 59715
Locally owned and operated since 2012
[image: B Corporation]

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Re: [RE-wrenches] Metering

[Sam Haraldson via RE-wrenches]

The following are brands I have used and trust.

eGauge - https://www.egauge.net/
Emporia Vue - https://www.emporiaenergy.com/how-the-vue-energy-monitor-works

Verify there is available space within the main service to install the
current transformers for the mains.  Also verify there is space and a
raceway provision (if necessary) for wiring the CT(s) measuring the solar
backfeed.  Lastly, verify there is an available space for powering the
device.

Cheers,
Sam

On Thu, May 11, 2023 at 2:21 PM Larry Brown via RE-wrenches <
re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:

>
> Does anyone have a recommendation for a high quality meter that can be
> installed near the Main 200 Amp Electric Service Panel at the Point Of
> Interconnection in the Main Service Panel for a Grid Tied System
>
> The client wants to be able to track the electricity the household is
> actually using
> And how much the solar electric system is producing
>
> In the net metering arrangement with Central Hudson in NY, all the client
> gets to see on their bill is the net result of the solar credits subtracted
> from the actual usage. In this case, the solar generated credits is
> consistently zero because the usage exceeds the production
>
> Thanks
>
> Larry Brown
> Sun Mountain
>
>
>
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Re: [RE-wrenches] Xantrex AC Fault 186.6v

[Sam Haraldson via RE-wrenches]

I visited this site this morning and found AC and DC voltages at the
inverter terminals to be within expected range (432 Vdc and 246 Vac).
Since the error code on the inverter specified it being an AC problem I
removed the upper cover of the inverter and traced all the terminal and
soldered connections "upward" as far as I could until the current path
disappeared somewhere into the inverter's circuitry.  My readings were 246
Vac the entire way.  I verified continuity on both of the "buss" fuses in
the machine and they tested properly.  Unless someone has further
suggestions troubleshooting this issue I of the opinion the equipment has
reached the end of its life.  Not bad considering it's been kicking away
for 16 years of Montana summers and winters.

Cheers,
Sam

[image: OnSite Energy] 

SAM HARALDSON
Installation & Service Manager
Office: (406) 551-6135 <+14065516135>
1515 N. Rouse Ave Bozeman, MT 59715
Locally owned and operated since 2012
[image: B Corporation] 


On Thu, Dec 8, 2022 at 2:13 PM Sam Haraldson 
wrote:

> Howdy Wrenches,
>
> Any "old timers" here care to chime in with some basic info on what I
> might be heading out to see at a 10+ year old ground mount?  It's a Xantrex
> displaying the message AC Fault 186.6v.  I'm prepared to head out there and
> troubleshoot blind if no one has anything to offer up but figured why not
> post a quick message here in case anyone has insight they wish to share
> with me prior to my visit next week.
>
> Subsequently since this is a ground mount it doesn't need rapid shutdown
> so if the inverter has failed I probably have some decent options to
> replace it.  If you've had good luck with a particular brand to use for
> swaps please share that intel as well.  I don't know how big the array is
> so all I'm looking for is brands and not models.
>
>
>
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Re: [RE-wrenches] Xantrex AC Fault 186.6v

[Sam Haraldson via RE-wrenches]

Barton, Jerry, Ron, and Drake,

Thanks for adding your initial insight into this situation. It provided me
a few perspectives I hadn't considered right off the bat. There were also
questions that some of you posed that I don't have the answers to yet as I
haven't visited the site nor spoken with the client. If what I encounter is
something I think the group will find interesting (such as Barton's "end of
the line scenario") then I'll write up a follow-up message to everyone. If
it's just an old inverter that finally broke I'll consider sparing you all
the story

Sam Haraldson 
Installation & Service Manager



| o. (406) 551-6135








On Fri, Dec 9, 2022 at 11:07 AM Sam Haraldson 
wrote:

> That sounds like an expensive lesson!  About six months ago I had really
> good luck with NWE verifying a half dozen different transformers all the
> way down a long dirt road in the foothills by the Crazies.  I stood by my
> guns that a wildly fluctuating voltage couldn't be the inverter's fault and
> they ended up tracing the issue back to a malfunctioning part in a
> substation.
> Sam Haraldson 
> Installation & Service Manager
> 
>
> m. (406) 249-6841 | o. (406) 551-6135
> 
> 
> 
> 
>
> 
>
>
> On Fri, Dec 9, 2022 at 11:02 AM Barton Churchill 
> wrote:
>
>> Hi Sam, while the client name sounds vaguely familiar I was not involved
>> in the project. The situation I described was known by Sarah, we wound up
>> digging up the mains and installing a couple hundred feet of 250 kcmil to
>> minimize voltage rise at the inverters. A lesson in wire size I’ve never
>> forgotten. Hopefully it’s just the inverter! We installed loads of xantrex,
>> at the time they weren’t worse than anything else available but are
>> probably ageing out now. Good luck!
>> --
>> *From:* Sam Haraldson 
>> *Sent:* Friday, December 9, 2022 10:23:10 AM
>> *To:* Barton Churchill 
>> *Subject:* Re: [RE-wrenches] Xantrex AC Fault 186.6v
>>
>> Barton,
>>
>> In case you're curious the site in question is an IPS client, Brad Dirckx
>> that Conor installed so you may have laid eyes on it at some point too.
>>
>> Sam Haraldson 
>> Installation & Service Manager
>>
>> 
>>
>> m. (406) 249-6841 | o. (406) 551-6135
>>
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>>
>>
>> 
>>
>>
>>
>>
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[RE-wrenches] Xantrex AC Fault 186.6v

[Sam Haraldson via RE-wrenches]

Howdy Wrenches,

Any "old timers" here care to chime in with some basic info on what I might
be heading out to see at a 10+ year old ground mount?  It's a Xantrex
displaying the message AC Fault 186.6v.  I'm prepared to head out there and
troubleshoot blind if no one has anything to offer up but figured why not
post a quick message here in case anyone has insight they wish to share
with me prior to my visit next week.

Subsequently since this is a ground mount it doesn't need rapid shutdown so
if the inverter has failed I probably have some decent options to replace
it.  If you've had good luck with a particular brand to use for swaps
please share that intel as well.  I don't know how big the array is so all
I'm looking for is brands and not models.

Most appreciated,
Sam
Sam Haraldson 
Installation & Service Manager



| o. (406) 551-6135






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Re: [RE-wrenches] Sunpower Performance Warranty Claim

[Sam Haraldson via RE-wrenches]

*> Was surprised by one manufacturer who advised us to read that bypass
diodes were not an warranty defect *
*> even though the module was making half power.*

Forgive me if I'm daft but someone please tell me WHAT IS a module defect
if a failed diode ISN'T?!?

Unacceptable.
Sam Haraldson 
Installation & Service Manager



| o. (406) 551-6135






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Re: [RE-wrenches] IQ8 "line noise" issues?

[Sam Haraldson via RE-wrenches]

> ...A cheap solution that we have had some success
> with is to put ferrite core snap together chokes around L1 and L2 PV

Lars,

If your company installs SMA Core1 inverters you'll find these ferrite
chokes inside every box of them in the bag with the amphenol connectors and
other miscellaneous parts.  I have a small collection of them for sites
where I don't need to use the choke on an ethernet cable inside the
inverter.

Cheers,
Sam Haraldson 
Installation & Service Manager



| o. (406) 551-6135








>
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[RE-wrenches] Megger Recommendations

[Sam Haraldson via RE-wrenches]

Wrenches,

In order to step up our commissioning and testing game and to take
proactive steps to spot isolation faults and test insulation resistance
prior to our systems getting PTO it is time to invest in a Megger.  I am
looking for your recommendations for being able to test both AC (single and
three phase) and DC (600 to 1000 Vdc) conductors in a wide range of sizes
typical to both residential and commercial systems.  Ideally the equipment
has the option to test to either bare copper or use MC4 leads.

Am I foolish to look for a single unit that tests both AC and DC or should
I focus on two pieces of equipment?  What is your experience with
insulation resistance testing through RSDs, MLPEs, and modules?  Are there
brands that specifically state this is a no-go?  Are there testers that can
assist in providing a percentage from + or - to help point out the trouble
spot or am I only going to find string-level detail?

Any recommendations

Sam Haraldson 
Installation & Service Manager


m. (406) 249-6841 | o. (406) 551-6135






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Re: [RE-wrenches] Direct to decking racking attachments

[Sam Haraldson via RE-wrenches]

Carl,

We are fans of the Rooftech RT Mini product for applications that don't
allow us to employ rafter attachments.  We are primarily a SnapNrack
installer and the RT Mini base works well with the SNR uppers.  We have
been using them for perhaps four years, maybe five and have seen no issue
in that (albeit somewhat short) period of time.

Another option might be looking into Ironridge XR1000 rails which have much
higher spans than the normal 48" (up to 12' depending on snow loading).

https://www.ironridge.com/component/xr-rails/

Sincerely,
Sam Haraldson 
Installation & Service Manager


| o. (406) 551-6135







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