Re: [RE-wrenches] question about pole mount interconnection
William, With Tech90 regardless of the conductor size it always comes with a bare #8 included. A 3 conductor #10 (aka 10/3) will have red, white, and black #10 plus the bare#8. A four conductor will have red, white, black and blue. I have only ever seen or been made aware by my suppliers that the bare is a #8, however would not be surprised if a different size bare could be ordered, if you were willing to pay extra and wait a bit longer. We typically pay $15-18ea for the outdoor rated tech connector, which are required outdoors for weatherproofing, however inspectors are fine with an indoor rated flex-connector ($2-3 bucks ea) where weather/moisture will not be an issue. For surface runs you may want to support it at more frequent intervals, especially on horizontal runs as it is not rigid and can look sloppy if not adequately supported. benn Sent from a 'smart' phone, with touch screen keys. Please excuse shortcuts and typos. On 2013-10-08, at 9:40 PM, William Miller will...@millersolar.com wrote: Hilton: Can you get this cable with mixed wire gauges, i.e. 3 #10 (white and two colors) and 1 #8(green or bare)? How does this material look on surface runs? Can you get it to run nice and straight? Thanks in advance. William -Original Message- From: re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org [mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of Hilton Dier III Sent: Tuesday, October 08, 2013 4:28 PM To: re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Subject: [RE-wrenches] question about pole mount interconnection We just did a 4 pole installation using DPW top-of-pole mounts. We used Teck-90 armored watertight cable between the poles and from the poles to the house. The Teck-90 spiral wound metal flex conduit with an everything-resistant black sheath on it pre-stuffed with just about any combo of wires you might want. We cast 2 PVC sweeps into the 36 dia. sonotubes so the cable could enter underground and come up next to the pole. We put PVC end caps on the tops of the sweeps with cable holes in them, just for neatness. Teck-90 is a revelation. We laid out and buried a double run of 100 feet of the stuff in the time it took the excavator to go along the trench. He never got out of the cab. We get it on a 500' spool and mount the spool in the back of a pickup. Then we just run off however much we need, cut it to length, and throw dirt on it. We got it from Graybar for slightly less than the price per foot of the equivalent wire and PVC conduit. I had been meaning to write a post on here about it. We also just did PV on a barn roof and did the spool-it-off-and-clip-it-up routine. Made the run from the roof to the inverter on the north side first floor in about 40 minutes. No conduit bending. The end connectors are kind of pricey, but the time saved is huge. Hilton -- Hilton Dier III Renewable Energy Design Partner, Solar Gain LLC 453 East Hill Rd. Middlesex, VT 05602 ___ List sponsored by Home Power magazine List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Change email address settings: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List rules etiquette: www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm Check out participant bios: www.members.re-wrenches.org - No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 2014.0.4142 / Virus Database: 3604/6704 - Release Date: 09/27/13 - No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 2014.0.4142 / Virus Database: 3604/6722 - Release Date: 10/04/13 ___ List sponsored by Home Power magazine List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Change email address settings: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List rules etiquette: www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm Check out participant bios: www.members.re-wrenches.org ___ List sponsored by Home Power magazine List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Change email address settings: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List rules etiquette: www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm Check out participant bios: www.members.re-wrenches.org
Re: [RE-wrenches] question about pole mount interconnection
I would like to retract the part of my last post on this thread where I was referring to the bare conductor size. My bad, I wasn't thinking clearly when writing that last email. Lots of numbers in my head today. A #8 bare with #10 conductors is way out to lunch :/ The bare conductors are indeed always included and are available in different sizes, to an extent. benn Sent from a 'smart' phone, with touch screen keys. Please excuse shortcuts and typos. On 2013-10-09, at 1:31 PM, Benn At DayStarSolar b...@daystarsolar.ca wrote: William, With Tech90 regardless of the conductor size it always comes with a bare #8 included. A 3 conductor #10 (aka 10/3) will have red, white, and black #10 plus the bare#8. A four conductor will have red, white, black and blue. I have only ever seen or been made aware by my suppliers that the bare is a #8, however would not be surprised if a different size bare could be ordered, if you were willing to pay extra and wait a bit longer. We typically pay $15-18ea for the outdoor rated tech connector, which are required outdoors for weatherproofing, however inspectors are fine with an indoor rated flex-connector ($2-3 bucks ea) where weather/moisture will not be an issue. For surface runs you may want to support it at more frequent intervals, especially on horizontal runs as it is not rigid and can look sloppy if not adequately supported. benn Sent from a 'smart' phone, with touch screen keys. Please excuse shortcuts and typos. On 2013-10-08, at 9:40 PM, William Miller will...@millersolar.com wrote: Hilton: Can you get this cable with mixed wire gauges, i.e. 3 #10 (white and two colors) and 1 #8(green or bare)? How does this material look on surface runs? Can you get it to run nice and straight? Thanks in advance. William -Original Message- From: re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org [mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of Hilton Dier III Sent: Tuesday, October 08, 2013 4:28 PM To: re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Subject: [RE-wrenches] question about pole mount interconnection We just did a 4 pole installation using DPW top-of-pole mounts. We used Teck-90 armored watertight cable between the poles and from the poles to the house. The Teck-90 spiral wound metal flex conduit with an everything-resistant black sheath on it pre-stuffed with just about any combo of wires you might want. We cast 2 PVC sweeps into the 36 dia. sonotubes so the cable could enter underground and come up next to the pole. We put PVC end caps on the tops of the sweeps with cable holes in them, just for neatness. Teck-90 is a revelation. We laid out and buried a double run of 100 feet of the stuff in the time it took the excavator to go along the trench. He never got out of the cab. We get it on a 500' spool and mount the spool in the back of a pickup. Then we just run off however much we need, cut it to length, and throw dirt on it. We got it from Graybar for slightly less than the price per foot of the equivalent wire and PVC conduit. I had been meaning to write a post on here about it. We also just did PV on a barn roof and did the spool-it-off-and-clip-it-up routine. Made the run from the roof to the inverter on the north side first floor in about 40 minutes. No conduit bending. The end connectors are kind of pricey, but the time saved is huge. Hilton -- Hilton Dier III Renewable Energy Design Partner, Solar Gain LLC 453 East Hill Rd. Middlesex, VT 05602 ___ List sponsored by Home Power magazine List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Change email address settings: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List rules etiquette: www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm Check out participant bios: www.members.re-wrenches.org - No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 2014.0.4142 / Virus Database: 3604/6704 - Release Date: 09/27/13 - No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 2014.0.4142 / Virus Database: 3604/6722 - Release Date: 10/04/13 ___ List sponsored by Home Power magazine List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Change email address settings: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List rules etiquette: www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm Check out participant bios: www.members.re-wrenches.org ___ List sponsored by Home Power magazine List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Change email address settings: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re
Re: [RE-wrenches] question about pole mount interconnection
Benn: Thanks for the prompt correction, and no harm done, except for to dash my hopes! No to worry, I knew it was too good to be true. The concept of running #8 ground with 20 or 30 amp circuits is now and always has always been ludicrous. Oh well... William -Original Message- From: re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org [mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of Benn At DayStarSolar Sent: Wednesday, October 09, 2013 12:43 PM To: RE-wrenches Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] question about pole mount interconnection I would like to retract the part of my last post on this thread where I was referring to the bare conductor size. My bad, I wasn't thinking clearly when writing that last email. Lots of numbers in my head today. A #8 bare with #10 conductors is way out to lunch :/ The bare conductors are indeed always included and are available in different sizes, to an extent. benn ___ List sponsored by Home Power magazine List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Change email address settings: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List rules etiquette: www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm Check out participant bios: www.members.re-wrenches.org
Re: [RE-wrenches] question about pole mount interconnection
Always value the input of the group William, that's why I ask for it but I admit I am leaning towards the conduit between poles idea. What has your practice been? Kirpal, your points are valid aside from cost which is the big nut to crack these days it seems. Ray, would love to have gone multi-pole, wasn't aware of those - alas, the single pole mounts are already enroute. Ron On 2013-10-07, at 8:32 PM, William Miller will...@millersolar.com wrote: Ron: Sounds like you have already reached a conclusion. Good luck! William -Original Message- From: re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org [mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of Ron @ earthRight Solar Sent: Monday, October 07, 2013 8:08 PM To: RE-wrenches Subject: [RE-wrenches] question about pole mount interconnection Hi Wrenches, I am installing six 8 panel pole mounts in a grid tied system. My question is about preference for cable run between the poles. I am interested in industry best practices. I have been told that running conduit between the poles, i.e. along the axis, will hold the cabling but the poles of course must be precisely aligned. The alternative is to run cabling down the poles, underground and up the next pole. This is wasteful of materials, expensive to the client and in my view presents as many safety concerns as the other option. Hope to hear some ideas. Ron _ ___ List sponsored by Home Power magazine List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Change email address settings: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List rules etiquette: www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm Check out participant bios: www.members.re-wrenches.org ___ List sponsored by Home Power magazine List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Change email address settings: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List rules etiquette: www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm Check out participant bios: www.members.re-wrenches.org
Re: [RE-wrenches] question about pole mount interconnection
Ron, We also install a lot of top of pole mounts and use conduit similar to what Kirpal describes. We typically will trench and install the conduit before we pour the concrete foundations (at least to the elbow at the pole) as it allows for conduit to sweep up the pole instead of having to come out of the ground and over the top of the concrete before you sweep up. That is all I would add. We always go pole to pole with conduit. Daryl DeJoy NABCEP Certified PV installer Penobscot Solar Design Always value the input of the group William, that's why I ask for it but I admit I am leaning towards the conduit between poles idea. What has your practice been? Kirpal, your points are valid aside from cost which is the big nut to crack these days it seems. Ray, would love to have gone multi-pole, wasn't aware of those - alas, the single pole mounts are already enroute. Ron On 2013-10-07, at 8:32 PM, William Miller will...@millersolar.com wrote: Ron: Sounds like you have already reached a conclusion. Good luck! William -Original Message- From: re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org [mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of Ron @ earthRight Solar Sent: Monday, October 07, 2013 8:08 PM To: RE-wrenches Subject: [RE-wrenches] question about pole mount interconnection Hi Wrenches, I am installing six 8 panel pole mounts in a grid tied system. My question is about preference for cable run between the poles. I am interested in industry best practices. I have been told that running conduit between the poles, i.e. along the axis, will hold the cabling but the poles of course must be precisely aligned. The alternative is to run cabling down the poles, underground and up the next pole. This is wasteful of materials, expensive to the client and in my view presents as many safety concerns as the other option. Hope to hear some ideas. Ron _ ___ List sponsored by Home Power magazine List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Change email address settings: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List rules etiquette: www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm Check out participant bios: www.members.re-wrenches.org ___ List sponsored by Home Power magazine List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Change email address settings: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List rules etiquette: www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm Check out participant bios: www.members.re-wrenches.org ___ List sponsored by Home Power magazine List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Change email address settings: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List rules etiquette: www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm Check out participant bios: www.members.re-wrenches.org
Re: [RE-wrenches] question about pole mount interconnection
Hi Ron, We do a lot of pole mounts, last one was 12' to the bottom of modules, deep snow country. Typically in a system where there are or has the potential to expand into more than the original pole mounted array we run a couple of main PVC conduits underground to a concrete vault, like a C-9, C-24, or maybe even a C-30 vault. From this vault we distribute the conduits to each pole mount, or in a larger field like the 8 poles you're mentioning we might go into a second vault closer to the other end of the field, then branch out to each pole from it too. We use PVC underground, Rigid metal through the concrete and up the pole. Hope this helps. Chris Worcester Solar Wind Works NABCEP Certified PV Installer Office 530-582-4503 Cell 530-448-9692 Fax 530-582-4603 www.solarwindworks.com ch...@solarwindworks.com -Original Message- From: re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org [mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of penobscotso...@midmaine.com Sent: Tuesday, October 08, 2013 5:24 AM To: RE-wrenches Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] question about pole mount interconnection Ron, We also install a lot of top of pole mounts and use conduit similar to what Kirpal describes. We typically will trench and install the conduit before we pour the concrete foundations (at least to the elbow at the pole) as it allows for conduit to sweep up the pole instead of having to come out of the ground and over the top of the concrete before you sweep up. That is all I would add. We always go pole to pole with conduit. Daryl DeJoy NABCEP Certified PV installer Penobscot Solar Design Always value the input of the group William, that's why I ask for it but I admit I am leaning towards the conduit between poles idea. What has your practice been? Kirpal, your points are valid aside from cost which is the big nut to crack these days it seems. Ray, would love to have gone multi-pole, wasn't aware of those - alas, the single pole mounts are already enroute. Ron On 2013-10-07, at 8:32 PM, William Miller will...@millersolar.com wrote: Ron: Sounds like you have already reached a conclusion. Good luck! William -Original Message- From: re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org [mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of Ron @ earthRight Solar Sent: Monday, October 07, 2013 8:08 PM To: RE-wrenches Subject: [RE-wrenches] question about pole mount interconnection Hi Wrenches, I am installing six 8 panel pole mounts in a grid tied system. My question is about preference for cable run between the poles. I am interested in industry best practices. I have been told that running conduit between the poles, i.e. along the axis, will hold the cabling but the poles of course must be precisely aligned. The alternative is to run cabling down the poles, underground and up the next pole. This is wasteful of materials, expensive to the client and in my view presents as many safety concerns as the other option. Hope to hear some ideas. Ron _ ___ List sponsored by Home Power magazine List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Change email address settings: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List rules etiquette: www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm Check out participant bios: www.members.re-wrenches.org ___ List sponsored by Home Power magazine List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Change email address settings: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List rules etiquette: www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm Check out participant bios: www.members.re-wrenches.org ___ List sponsored by Home Power magazine List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Change email address settings: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List rules etiquette: www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm Check out participant bios: www.members.re-wrenches.org ___ List sponsored by Home Power magazine List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Change email address settings: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List rules etiquette: www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm Check out participant bios: www.members.re-wrenches.org
Re: [RE-wrenches] question about pole mount interconnection
Ron, How do you propose to support the conduit between the poles should you run it above grade? At what height above grade? What type of conduit? You say you are interested in the industry best practice. Speaking as an licensed electrician with 20 years experience, there's no question in my mind that underground conduit, installed as described by the other wrenches responding thus far to your question is the best practice. Maybe you'll find a way to reinvent the wheel. Please keep us posted on your project. Dick Ratico Solarwind Electric --- You wrote: Hi Wrenches, I am installing six 8 panel pole mounts in a grid tied system. My question is about preference for cable run between the poles. I am interested in industry best practices. I have been told that running conduit between the poles, i.e. along the axis, will hold the cabling but the poles of course must be precisely aligned. The alternative is to run cabling down the poles, underground and up the next pole. This is wasteful of materials, expensive to the client and in my view presents as many safety concerns as the other option. Hope to hear some ideas. Ron --- end of quote --- ___ List sponsored by Home Power magazine List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Change email address settings: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List rules etiquette: www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm Check out participant bios: www.members.re-wrenches.org
Re: [RE-wrenches] question about pole mount interconnection
Chrisi like your design with the vaults! Future proof! Do you make your transition to rigid metal conduit in the concrete? Seems solid! Thanks for sharing... Sunny Regards, Kirpal Khalsa NABCEP Certified PV Installation Professional Renewable Energy Systems www.oregonsolarworks.com 541-218-0201 m 541-592-3958 o On Tue, Oct 8, 2013 at 10:24 AM, Chris Worcester ch...@solarwindworks.comwrote: Hi Ron, We do a lot of pole mounts, last one was 12' to the bottom of modules, deep snow country. Typically in a system where there are or has the potential to expand into more than the original pole mounted array we run a couple of main PVC conduits underground to a concrete vault, like a C-9, C-24, or maybe even a C-30 vault. From this vault we distribute the conduits to each pole mount, or in a larger field like the 8 poles you're mentioning we might go into a second vault closer to the other end of the field, then branch out to each pole from it too. We use PVC underground, Rigid metal through the concrete and up the pole. Hope this helps. Chris Worcester Solar Wind Works NABCEP Certified PV Installer Office 530-582-4503 Cell 530-448-9692 Fax 530-582-4603 www.solarwindworks.com ch...@solarwindworks.com ___ List sponsored by Home Power magazine List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Change email address settings: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List rules etiquette: www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm Check out participant bios: www.members.re-wrenches.org
Re: [RE-wrenches] question about pole mount interconnection
Ron: If you are convinced a putting cabling underground is wasteful, then I am curious, why even consider it as an option? It kind of seems like your mind is made up. William PS: Our practice? We don't run wire, unconduited or conduited through the air or between independently moveable objects. We put the wire in conduit and put it in the ground. I keeps the wire from being damaged and electrocuting someone. I know, it seems like a waste. Wm -Original Message- From: re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org [mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of Ron Young Sent: Monday, October 07, 2013 11:17 PM To: RE-wrenches Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] question about pole mount interconnection Always value the input of the group William, that's why I ask for it but I admit I am leaning towards the conduit between poles idea. What has your practice been? ___ List sponsored by Home Power magazine List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Change email address settings: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List rules etiquette: www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm Check out participant bios: www.members.re-wrenches.org
[RE-wrenches] question about pole mount interconnection
We just did a 4 pole installation using DPW top-of-pole mounts. We used Teck-90 armored watertight cable between the poles and from the poles to the house. The Teck-90 spiral wound metal flex conduit with an everything-resistant black sheath on it pre-stuffed with just about any combo of wires you might want. We cast 2 PVC sweeps into the 36 dia. sonotubes so the cable could enter underground and come up next to the pole. We put PVC end caps on the tops of the sweeps with cable holes in them, just for neatness. Teck-90 is a revelation. We laid out and buried a double run of 100 feet of the stuff in the time it took the excavator to go along the trench. He never got out of the cab. We get it on a 500' spool and mount the spool in the back of a pickup. Then we just run off however much we need, cut it to length, and throw dirt on it. We got it from Graybar for slightly less than the price per foot of the equivalent wire and PVC conduit. I had been meaning to write a post on here about it. We also just did PV on a barn roof and did the spool-it-off-and-clip-it-up routine. Made the run from the roof to the inverter on the north side first floor in about 40 minutes. No conduit bending. The end connectors are kind of pricey, but the time saved is huge. Hilton -- Hilton Dier III Renewable Energy Design Partner, Solar Gain LLC 453 East Hill Rd. Middlesex, VT 05602 ___ List sponsored by Home Power magazine List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Change email address settings: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List rules etiquette: www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm Check out participant bios: www.members.re-wrenches.org
Re: [RE-wrenches] question about pole mount interconnection
I use Teck a lot in my off-grid installations and I agree it is very cost effective and safe. It was originally designed for mining application and can even lay on top of the ground with vehicle traffic if necessary although I wouldn't recommend it as a practice. Two to three feet of supported Teck 90 between pole mounts is easily as safe as Teck 90 or conduited wire running down a pole then up the next and down, then up the next. I can think of scenarios where idiots could find a way to defeat either practice and electrocute themselves (William) but maybe that's just Darwin coming to the rescue. I'm still weighing the pros cons but it's been a useful discussion for the most part, I respect and value the depth of knowledge here as being a small operator I don't get the opportunity to get nearly the experience represented. Thank you all! Ron Young On 2013-10-08, at 4:28 PM, Hilton Dier III hiltond...@gmail.com wrote: We just did a 4 pole installation using DPW top-of-pole mounts. We used Teck-90 armored watertight cable between the poles and from the poles to the house. The Teck-90 spiral wound metal flex conduit with an everything-resistant black sheath on it pre-stuffed with just about any combo of wires you might want. We cast 2 PVC sweeps into the 36 dia. sonotubes so the cable could enter underground and come up next to the pole. We put PVC end caps on the tops of the sweeps with cable holes in them, just for neatness. Teck-90 is a revelation. We laid out and buried a double run of 100 feet of the stuff in the time it took the excavator to go along the trench. He never got out of the cab. We get it on a 500' spool and mount the spool in the back of a pickup. Then we just run off however much we need, cut it to length, and throw dirt on it. We got it from Graybar for slightly less than the price per foot of the equivalent wire and PVC conduit. I had been meaning to write a post on here about it. We also just did PV on a barn roof and did the spool-it-off-and-clip-it-up routine. Made the run from the roof to the inverter on the north side first floor in about 40 minutes. No conduit bending. The end connectors are kind of pricey, but the time saved is huge. Hilton -- Hilton Dier III Renewable Energy Design Partner, Solar Gain LLC 453 East Hill Rd. Middlesex, VT 05602 ___ List sponsored by Home Power magazine List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Change email address settings: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List rules etiquette: www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm Check out participant bios: www.members.re-wrenches.org ___ List sponsored by Home Power magazine List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Change email address settings: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List rules etiquette: www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm Check out participant bios: www.members.re-wrenches.org
Re: [RE-wrenches] question about pole mount interconnection
Hilton: Can you get this cable with mixed wire gauges, i.e. 3 #10 (white and two colors) and 1 #8(green or bare)? How does this material look on surface runs? Can you get it to run nice and straight? Thanks in advance. William -Original Message- From: re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org [mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of Hilton Dier III Sent: Tuesday, October 08, 2013 4:28 PM To: re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Subject: [RE-wrenches] question about pole mount interconnection We just did a 4 pole installation using DPW top-of-pole mounts. We used Teck-90 armored watertight cable between the poles and from the poles to the house. The Teck-90 spiral wound metal flex conduit with an everything-resistant black sheath on it pre-stuffed with just about any combo of wires you might want. We cast 2 PVC sweeps into the 36 dia. sonotubes so the cable could enter underground and come up next to the pole. We put PVC end caps on the tops of the sweeps with cable holes in them, just for neatness. Teck-90 is a revelation. We laid out and buried a double run of 100 feet of the stuff in the time it took the excavator to go along the trench. He never got out of the cab. We get it on a 500' spool and mount the spool in the back of a pickup. Then we just run off however much we need, cut it to length, and throw dirt on it. We got it from Graybar for slightly less than the price per foot of the equivalent wire and PVC conduit. I had been meaning to write a post on here about it. We also just did PV on a barn roof and did the spool-it-off-and-clip-it-up routine. Made the run from the roof to the inverter on the north side first floor in about 40 minutes. No conduit bending. The end connectors are kind of pricey, but the time saved is huge. Hilton -- Hilton Dier III Renewable Energy Design Partner, Solar Gain LLC 453 East Hill Rd. Middlesex, VT 05602 ___ List sponsored by Home Power magazine List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Change email address settings: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List rules etiquette: www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm Check out participant bios: www.members.re-wrenches.org - No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 2014.0.4142 / Virus Database: 3604/6704 - Release Date: 09/27/13 - No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 2014.0.4142 / Virus Database: 3604/6722 - Release Date: 10/04/13 ___ List sponsored by Home Power magazine List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Change email address settings: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List rules etiquette: www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm Check out participant bios: www.members.re-wrenches.org
Re: [RE-wrenches] question about pole mount interconnection
Hi Kirpal, We do go to Sch 80 PVC into the concrete to a rigid steel (RMC) sweep 90, then up the pole with the RMC to the disco. We run Sch 40 PVC underground, unless we are going under a road or through a lot of rock, then it's back to the Sch 80. We also run a #4 bare solid copper next to the conduit, more earth contact the better, it is nice to set the ground rod in the vault too. Then you tie off to it with future arrays also, easily. Chris Worcester Solar Wind Works NABCEP Certified PV Installer Office 530-582-4503 Cell 530-448-9692 Fax 530-582-4603 www.solarwindworks.com ch...@solarwindworks.com From: re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org [mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of Kirpal Khalsa Sent: Tuesday, October 08, 2013 2:08 PM To: RE-wrenches Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] question about pole mount interconnection Chrisi like your design with the vaults! Future proof! Do you make your transition to rigid metal conduit in the concrete? Seems solid! Thanks for sharing... Sunny Regards, Kirpal Khalsa NABCEP Certified PV Installation Professional Renewable Energy Systems www.oregonsolarworks.com 541-218-0201 m 541-592-3958 o On Tue, Oct 8, 2013 at 10:24 AM, Chris Worcester ch...@solarwindworks.com wrote: Hi Ron, We do a lot of pole mounts, last one was 12' to the bottom of modules, deep snow country. Typically in a system where there are or has the potential to expand into more than the original pole mounted array we run a couple of main PVC conduits underground to a concrete vault, like a C-9, C-24, or maybe even a C-30 vault. From this vault we distribute the conduits to each pole mount, or in a larger field like the 8 poles you're mentioning we might go into a second vault closer to the other end of the field, then branch out to each pole from it too. We use PVC underground, Rigid metal through the concrete and up the pole. Hope this helps. Chris Worcester Solar Wind Works NABCEP Certified PV Installer Office 530-582-4503 Cell 530-448-9692 Fax 530-582-4603 www.solarwindworks.com ch...@solarwindworks.com ___ List sponsored by Home Power magazine List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Change email address settings: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List rules etiquette: www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm Check out participant bios: www.members.re-wrenches.org
[RE-wrenches] question about pole mount interconnection
Hi Wrenches, I am installing six 8 panel pole mounts in a grid tied system. My question is about preference for cable run between the poles. I am interested in industry best practices. I have been told that running conduit between the poles, i.e. along the axis, will hold the cabling but the poles of course must be precisely aligned. The alternative is to run cabling down the poles, underground and up the next pole. This is wasteful of materials, expensive to the client and in my view presents as many safety concerns as the other option. Hope to hear some ideas. Ron ___ List sponsored by Home Power magazine List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Change email address settings: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List rules etiquette: www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm Check out participant bios: www.members.re-wrenches.org
Re: [RE-wrenches] question about pole mount interconnection
Ron: Sounds like you have already reached a conclusion. Good luck! William -Original Message- From: re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org [mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of Ron @ earthRight Solar Sent: Monday, October 07, 2013 8:08 PM To: RE-wrenches Subject: [RE-wrenches] question about pole mount interconnection Hi Wrenches, I am installing six 8 panel pole mounts in a grid tied system. My question is about preference for cable run between the poles. I am interested in industry best practices. I have been told that running conduit between the poles, i.e. along the axis, will hold the cabling but the poles of course must be precisely aligned. The alternative is to run cabling down the poles, underground and up the next pole. This is wasteful of materials, expensive to the client and in my view presents as many safety concerns as the other option. Hope to hear some ideas. Ron _ ___ List sponsored by Home Power magazine List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Change email address settings: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List rules etiquette: www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm Check out participant bios: www.members.re-wrenches.org
Re: [RE-wrenches] question about pole mount interconnection
Ronwe do a lot of pole mount installations and we always run down each pole and up the nextschedule 80 pvc conduit and a junction box at the top. It is solid, and should last as long as the array---at least 25+ yearsobviously to do this right the conduit should be installed prior to the concrete as it then comes up vertically right along the pole.definitely takes a bit longer to set up but you can be assured that it is going to last for the long hauladditionally if you are ever going to have the arrays adjustable on the top of pole mounts it will be tricky to adjust if the cabling is in free air spanning from one sub array to the next.as each array will be dependent on the positioning of the other Good luck Sunny Regards, Kirpal Khalsa NABCEP Certified PV Installation Professional Renewable Energy Systems www.oregonsolarworks.com 541-218-0201 m 541-592-3958 o On Mon, Oct 7, 2013 at 8:08 PM, Ron @ earthRight Solar solarea...@solareagle.com wrote: Hi Wrenches, I am installing six 8 panel pole mounts in a grid tied system. My question is about preference for cable run between the poles. I am interested in industry best practices. I have been told that running conduit between the poles, i.e. along the axis, will hold the cabling but the poles of course must be precisely aligned. The alternative is to run cabling down the poles, underground and up the next pole. This is wasteful of materials, expensive to the client and in my view presents as many safety concerns as the other option. Hope to hear some ideas. Ron ___ List sponsored by Home Power magazine List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Change email address settings: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List rules etiquette: www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm Check out participant bios: www.members.re-wrenches.org ___ List sponsored by Home Power magazine List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Change email address settings: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List rules etiquette: www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm Check out participant bios: www.members.re-wrenches.org
Re: [RE-wrenches] question about pole mount interconnection
That's too many separate poles, they get to be a real hassle at more than two (and costly too). I'd go to a multipole mount arrangement, (here's one:http://www.dpwsolar.com/index.php/applications/commercial/9-commercial/17-multi-pole-mounts-g2-mpm-g2 and then all your cabling won't have to jump up and down, it can just run the length of the array framing. This is more how all large ground mount systems are going these days. Otherwise, you need to bring all the poles into a centrally located combiner, possibly at one of the poles. R.Ray Walters CTO, Solarray, Inc Nabcep Certified PV Installer, Licensed Master Electrician Solar Design Engineer 303 505-8760 On 10/7/2013 9:08 PM, Ron @ earthRight Solar wrote: Hi Wrenches, I am installing six 8 panel pole mounts in a grid tied system. My question is about preference for cable run between the poles. I am interested in industry best practices. I have been told that running conduit between the poles, i.e. along the axis, will hold the cabling but the poles of course must be precisely aligned. The alternative is to run cabling down the poles, underground and up the next pole. This is wasteful of materials, expensive to the client and in my view presents as many safety concerns as the other option. Hope to hear some ideas. Ron ___ List sponsored by Home Power magazine List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Change email address settings: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List rules etiquette: www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm Check out participant bios: www.members.re-wrenches.org ___ List sponsored by Home Power magazine List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Change email address settings: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List rules etiquette: www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm Check out participant bios: www.members.re-wrenches.org
