Re: [RE-wrenches] Very small PV systems for surveillance or other micro loads

2014-01-21 Thread Jason Szumlanski
That's the answer I thought I'd get from most. It's hard to explain the days of autonomy and extended bad weather to people. Most just say, why don't you just make a recommendation. That puts me in a spot where I want to overbuild, which drives up cost. The other challenge is getting people to

Re: [RE-wrenches] Outback 200 RE

2014-01-21 Thread Tom Duffy
Chris Yes they seem to be a well-made good quality battery, and we have not had any problems in properly designed and programed systems. Kind regards Tom Duffy Senior Solar Design Engineer [Real-logo-X-195] E-Mail: t...@thesolar.biz Panama Office: 507-6126-1253 Direct Toll Free: 888-503-6772

Re: [RE-wrenches] Very small PV systems for surveillance or other micro loads

2014-01-21 Thread Ray Walters
On these small projects, its very important to nail down the exact load, to keep the pricing sane. I list on the estimate what the system is designed to do; for instance 18 w load 24 hrs/ day. Then if something goes wrong and they are running more than they should you just gently point out

Re: [RE-wrenches] Very small PV systems for surveillance or other micro loads

2014-01-21 Thread Dan Fink
I also see lots of load creep Rayoh, forgot to tell youwe need to add some all-night LED area lighting to the system. It won't use much power.. Dan Fink On Tue, Jan 21, 2014 at 10:22 AM, Ray Walters r...@solarray.com wrote: On these small projects, its very important to nail

Re: [RE-wrenches] NEC 2014 690.12 Rapid Shutdown

2014-01-21 Thread Drake
Bill, It is good to see that energized conductors are going to be disconnected near the arrays. I've been an advocate of disconnecting these conductors by ground fault sensing equipment since ground fault detection was first implemented in the code. If contactors are to be installed on

Re: [RE-wrenches] Very small PV systems for surveillance or other micro loads

2014-01-21 Thread Ray Walters
Exactly. That's why I always have a load profile for each system on file, and as soon as they're doing something different, we're off the hook. It opens the door smoothly towards upgrading the system for their new loads. And yes a new load profile, until they add even more in 5 years.

Re: [RE-wrenches] Very small PV systems for surveillance or other micro loads

2014-01-21 Thread Exeltech
+1 on Ray's comment about exact load. +1 on Ray's recommendation of measuring it yourself. +2! on Dan's load creep comment. I own a fairly respectable solar trailer, with adequate power and reserves for many needs. Three years ago, I provided solar power for an environmental chili cook-off

Re: [RE-wrenches] Very small PV systems for surveillance or other micro loads

2014-01-21 Thread Jason Szumlanski
I'm well aware of load creep. After installing a 6kW off-grid system I went out to a site to diagnose performance issues. The owner had purchased a six-seat electric golf cart and was charging it off the inverter. I had to bite my lip to avoid hysterical laughter over this small unmentioned load.

Re: [RE-wrenches] Very small PV systems for surveillance or othermicro loads

2014-01-21 Thread Kevin Pegg
I ask the client to ship me all the hardware, camera, routers, modem etc and set it up and datalog to ascertain precisely how much energy is required, and if there are any efficiencies to be gain ie DC direct vs Inverter. Many cameras, at least in the cold north here, also have small heaters in

Re: [RE-wrenches] Very small PV systems for surveillance or other micro loads

2014-01-21 Thread Chris Mason
You can use the systems designed for solar street lights. TIny controllers, small panels and everyhting mounted on a pole. On Tue, Jan 21, 2014 at 9:07 AM, Jason Szumlanski ja...@fafcosolar.comwrote: That's the answer I thought I'd get from most. It's hard to explain the days of autonomy and

[RE-wrenches] NEC 2014 690.12 Rapid Shutdown

2014-01-21 Thread David Brearley
Drake, The language in 690.12 is the compromise solution that was reached to ensure continued industry stability. The alternative to the combiner-level shutdown was module-level shutdown. It took a consolidated industry effort to push the module-level requirements out one more Code cycle—for

Re: [RE-wrenches] Very small PV systems for surveillance or othermicro loads

2014-01-21 Thread Ray Walters
Kevin is right on about this too. I just passed on a project, where the customer insisted they needed a 3 Kw array, but wouldn't share the load calculations (and they expected a 5 yr warranty!) I knew if we were having trouble communicating now, it would only get ugly when they were sitting

Re: [RE-wrenches] NEC 2014 690.12 Rapid Shutdown

2014-01-21 Thread Brian Mehalic
It was suggested to me that since 690.12(5) requires the equipment to be listed and identified, and there is no standard for rapid shutdown equipment to be listed to then 90.3 (.4?...oh why isn't the NEC on my iPad...)says 'revert to the previous version of the NEC' and presto, no need to

Re: [RE-wrenches] NEC 2014 690.12 Rapid Shutdown

2014-01-21 Thread Ray Walters
Hi Brian; Invoking 90.4 is a decent idea; the only problem is those smarty pants over at Midnite have been working on their Birdhouse disconnect system for several years already in anticipation of this requirement. I'm not up on all of this (still waiting for my copy of the 2014 Handbook)

Re: [RE-wrenches] Very small PV systems for surveillance or other micro loads

2014-01-21 Thread jay peltz
HI Jason, My only thing to add is the smaller the system the more care I take in design. And on most of my systems I install a KwH meter. Makes it very easy to see what they really use a month etc. Good luck, jay peltz power On Jan 21, 2014, at 11:14 AM, Jason Szumlanski wrote: I'm well

Re: [RE-wrenches] NEC 2014 690.12 Rapid Shutdown

2014-01-21 Thread Bill Brooks
Brian, The requirement is generic. A listed contactor can meet the requirement. A standard is only necessary for products that want to be innovative in meeting the 30V, 240VA. Killing all power is an option with existing listed equipment. NEC 90.4 does not apply. Bill. From:

Re: [RE-wrenches] NEC 2014 690.12 Rapid Shutdown

2014-01-21 Thread Mark Frye
OK. So I will have a high rate of acceptance if it buy an Tyco vacuum relay, and mount it in a Hoffman enclosure, and then put it on my roof? On 1/21/2014 5:45 PM, Bill Brooks wrote: Brian, The requirement is generic. A listed contactor can meet the requirement. A standard is only necessary

Re: [RE-wrenches] NEC 2014 690.12 Rapid Shutdown

2014-01-21 Thread Bill Brooks
Mark, If that relay you mention is rated for the dc voltage, current, AIR, and temperature it will see, you are good to go. The enclosure would have to be NEMA 4 or mounted in a vertical NEMA 3R box. Then there is always the question of how much experience do you have with that product in that