[RE-wrenches] The Stupid Outlet

. -- Hilton Dier III Missisquoi River Hydro Renewable Energy Design ___ List sponsored by Redwood Alliance Pay optional member dues here: http://re-wrenches.org List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Change listserver email address & settings:

[RE-wrenches] Metal roof

I'm with Jerry Shafer on this one. S-5 clamps with rails work well without punching holes in the metal roof. If the roof is fastened well to beefy steel C channel it should be fine. The S-5 clamps themselves are stronger than the roofing. -- Hilton Dier III Missisquoi River Hydro Renewable

[RE-wrenches] Tesla Powerwall 2.0 - Experience?

time on these? Many Thanks, Hilton -- Hilton Dier III Missisquoi River Hydro Renewable Energy Design ___ List sponsored by Redwood Alliance List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Change listserver email address & settings: http://list

[RE-wrenches] Charging a Bolt with an SW

and the 12 is really 15 or a bit more. I have seen 15 amp plugs and outlets with the hot prong melting plastic around it. The plug on the OEM EVSE is 20A rated but make sure your outlet is as well. -- Hilton Dier III Missisquoi River Hydro Renewable Ene

[RE-wrenches] Supporting heavy flooded batteries

bolts to put it all together. I've never had the opportunity to use it in a battery box but it seems like the right stuff. A number of industrial supply companies sell walkway decking in this kind of material. -- Hilton Dier III Missisquoi River Hydro Renewable Energy Design

[RE-wrenches] Infinia Stirling linear alternators

. Their tech might have been bought by this company (https://www.qnergy.com/) but I'm not sure. Hilton -- Hilton Dier III Missisquoi River Hydro Renewable Energy Design ___ List sponsored by Redwood Alliance List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re

[RE-wrenches] UL/CSA listed battery monitor?

. Any suggestions appreciated. Thanks! Hilton -- Hilton Dier III Missisquoi River Hydro Renewable Energy Design ___ List sponsored by Redwood Alliance List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Change listserver email address & settings:

[RE-wrenches] Mounting on rock

If it were me, I'd buy a case of Red Head A7 anchoring adhesive: https://www.fastenal.com/products/details/0228790 Get an engineer to do the static load calculations and design the attachment disk and bolt pattern. Weld a big disk with holes around the edge and gussets to the bottom of your

[RE-wrenches] has anyone ever had this happen?

. Best of luck, Hilton -- Hilton Dier III Missisquoi River Hydro Renewable Energy Design ___ List sponsored by Redwood Alliance List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Change listserver email address & settings: http://lists.re-wrenches

[RE-wrenches] Sunpower micros and mysterious outages

different electricians there to check the house wiring and it's all solid. Any ideas? Some kind of metal roof capacitance? Many thanks, Hilton -- Hilton Dier III Missisquoi River Hydro Renewable Energy Design 453 East Hill Rd. Middlesex, VT 05602 Tel: 802-223-6652

[RE-wrenches] Stolen modules, what to do?

what will? Obvious video cameras (real or fake) and a sign saying "You are being videotaped" is the best aside from that. -- Hilton Dier III Renewable Energy Design Missisquoi River Hydro, LLC Solar Gain LLC ___ List sponsored by Redwood Allianc

[RE-wrenches] Clients and mates

had done, and opened the battery box. Y'know those old wood-block prints of angry samurai warriors with squinted/bulging eyes? I must have looked kind of like that. I'll say it again: The most important client is the one you turn away. -- Hilton Dier III Renewable Energy Design Partner, Solar

[RE-wrenches] line shading

line shading? I know that we can check the solstice sun angles against the wire height and top and bottom heights of the array. But if the array ends up inside that angle range, how far away does it have to be for that shadow to interfere into a non-issue? Thanks, Hilton -- Hilton Dier III

[RE-wrenches] Acid containment

US Plastic (usplastic.com) carries polyethylene tanks used in industry for acids. You can get them in various sizes - 24 x 36 x 20 deep and larger. They will custom heat weld whatever you want. Kind of pricey (~$300) but heavy duty. Hilton -- Hilton Dier III Renewable Energy Design Partner

[RE-wrenches] Off grid heat pumps

-- 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

[RE-wrenches] To stack or not to stack? Off-grid 240V

Apollo units, stacked Magnums, and stacked Outbacks. I know from experience that the Outbacks require some hundreds of dollars of extra fittings and electronics to make a proper stacked installation. How about Magnum? Any comments on reliability? Many Thanks, Hilton -- Hilton Dier III Renewable

[RE-wrenches] Teck 90

the end of the armor cleanly and as directed and then disassemble the connector and put it on piece by piece. Takes a couple of minutes. Hilton -- Hilton Dier III Renewable Energy Design Partner, Solar Gain LLC 453 East Hill Rd. Middlesex, VT 05602

[RE-wrenches] question about pole mount interconnection

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

[RE-wrenches] SHW - parallel tanks

in a rainy summer you'll never get a call. Hilton -- Hilton Dier III Renewable Energy Design Partner, Solar Gain LLC 453 East Hill Rd. Middlesex, VT 05602 Tel: 802-223-6652 ___ List sponsored by Home Power magazine List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re

[RE-wrenches] PV Assist - customer management

. At the very least it will put them on notice that the reality of the situation is not ideal. Good luck. Hilton -- Hilton Dier III Renewable Energy Design Partner, Solar Gain LLC 453 East Hill Rd. Middlesex, VT 05602 ___ List sponsored by Home Power

[RE-wrenches] 2500 W inverter for $300

discrete components they could source. Talk them down off the ledge. 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

[RE-wrenches] Inverter for UPS

-wired inverter/charger I can find. Preferably sine wave. Not one of those auto parts store models. Any ideas? Thanks, Hilton -- Hilton Dier III Renewable Energy Design Partner, Solar Gain LLC 453 East Hill Rd. Middlesex, VT 05602 ___ List sponsored

[RE-wrenches] Tri Star MPPT

, and then get starved again. Perfect storm. Tell her that she needs a new set of matched batteries. If she balks, politely tell her you can't help her, and let someone with less judgement deal with it. Good luck, Hilton -- Hilton Dier III Renewable Energy Design Partner, Solar Gain LLC 453

Re: [RE-wrenches] outback fx service work

to smoke anything. Good luck. 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

[RE-wrenches] Orphan Dankoff pump - controller?

that turns 24/48 VDC into some kind of 3-phase power. It also has a pressure switch input and a low water input. Thanks. Hilton -- Hilton Dier III Renewable Energy Design Partner, Solar Gain LLC 453 East Hill Rd. Middlesex, VT 05602 ___ List sponsored

[RE-wrenches] Defective modules

? And the big question: How do we deal with this? I can imagine the fossil fuel and nuclear industries promoting this story with enthusiasm. Thanks, Hilton -- Hilton Dier III Renewable Energy Design Partner, Solar Gain LLC 453 East Hill Rd. Middlesex, VT 05602

[RE-wrenches] Defective modules

% in the first three years. No mention of absolute failures. Allan Sindelair's and Jim Duncan's points about vertically integrated companies are good. Better chance of survival and better control over inputs. Hilton -- Hilton Dier III Renewable Energy Design Partner, Solar Gain LLC 453 East Hill

[RE-wrenches] PV-direct electric water heating

I believe my PV-water-heating friend has an Outback in diversion mode, so the charge profile is stepped, as Conrad noted. He has a 4 kW PV system and a frugal household, so in the summer it takes care of about a third of his DHW needs. Hilton -- Hilton Dier III Renewable Energy Design

[RE-wrenches] PV-direct electric water heating

or during a windy spell) the element comes on. That way, instead of just a PWM shutoff and wasted energy, he gets some benefit. I wouldn't deliberately install PV just for hot water, but in an off grid situation where the excess would go to waste, it makes sense. Hilton -- Hilton Dier III

[RE-wrenches] Battery boxes

and remarkably strong. They look tidy and are easy to drill into for conduit fittings, hinges, latches, etc. I've used them a few times for small 4 x 12V battery banks, but you could link two of them for 8 x 6V. Hilton -- Hilton Dier III Renewable Energy Design Partner, Solar Gain LLC 453 East Hill Rd

Re: [RE-wrenches] outback fx series inverters

as opposed to a copper box. (Actually, widely spaced battery cables can be a source of RFI, so I wasn't totally spoofing her.) Good luck, Hilton -- Hilton Dier III Renewable Energy Design Partner, Solar Gain LLC 453 East Hill Rd. Middlesex, VT 05602

[RE-wrenches] Teck 90 cable

, wrenches! 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

[RE-wrenches] Inverter Ramp times

mitigation for PV as an application, as well as ramp mitigation for wind. http://www.beaconpower.com/solutions/other-flywheel-applications.asp Hilton -- Hilton Dier III Renewable Energy Design Partner, Solar Gain LLC 453 East Hill Rd. Middlesex, VT 05602

[RE-wrenches] Remote SW control

A friend of mine has an old Xantrex SW 4024 installed in a less-than-accessible location. He's looking for one of their remote control and monitoring panels. If you have one of these kicking around, or know of one, please contact me off line. Many thanks, Hilton -- Hilton Dier III Renewable

Re: [RE-wrenches] RF interference XW

The only time I ever dealt with this it was bad grounding in the house wiring. Same deal, AM radio interference. I can't remember whether it was a soft ground or a ground loop, but that's where I'd look. Hilton -- Hilton Dier III Renewable Energy Design Partner, Solar Gain LLC 453 East Hill

Re: [RE-wrenches] Battery EQ question, Xantrex XW system (Dan Fink)

me before you do stuff? Let's go through this again... -- 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

[RE-wrenches] Module holders

both under one module, then shift them over when the first module is clamped from one side. You could cut them out of 3/4 ply for a particular job. I like these because they are adjustable. Hope this helps reduce rooftop profanity for someone. Hilton -- Hilton Dier III Renewable Energy

[RE-wrenches] Awkward Mid-clamps jigs for installing or, removing modules?

one module at a time as long as the rail is s -- Hilton Dier III Renewable Energy Design Partner, Solar Gain LLC 453 East Hill Rd. Middlesex, VT 05602 Tel: 802-223-6652 ___ List sponsored by Home Power magazine List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re

[RE-wrenches] Heat Tape

the process. 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 Options settings: http://lists.re

[RE-wrenches] EMT in attic - vs FMC vs armored cable

end fittings? 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 Options settings: http

[RE-wrenches] Off-grid 1nverter replacement for 3 HP

thanks. Hilton -- Hilton Dier III Renewable Energy Design Partner, Solar Gain LLC 453 East Hill Rd. Middlesex, VT 05602 Tel: 802-223-6652 ___ List sponsored by Home Power magazine List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Options settings: http

[RE-wrenches] Direct PV-EV charging: possible?

packs. Given the efficiencies of modern high voltage utility tied inverters, your client isn't really losing a lot. He'd probably lose as much through a DC charge controller. Hilton -- Hilton Dier III Renewable Energy Design Partner, Solar Gain LLC 453 East Hill Rd. Middlesex, VT 05602

[RE-wrenches] Metering a whole house Outback system

120VAC outputs and the stacked Outbacks are putting out 240VAC on two legs. Aside from dropping $600 on an e-Gauge, is there any way to get around this? Many thanks, Hilton -- Hilton Dier III Renewable Energy Design Partner, Solar Gain LLC 453 East Hill Rd. Middlesex, VT 05602

[RE-wrenches] S-5! Question

of safety is not all that huge. The cost, as a percentage, is not that huge either. And you'll sleep better. Hilton -- Hilton Dier III Renewable Energy Design Partner, Solar Gain LLC 453 East Hill Rd. Middlesex, VT 05602 ___ List sponsored by Home

Re: [RE-wrenches] Very unbalanced DC wiring

is twice as long as the other, which happens all the time at the array. Any thoughts most appreciated! -Nathan -- Hilton Dier III Renewable Energy Design Partner, Solar Gain LLC 453 East Hill Rd. Middlesex, VT 05602 ___ List sponsored by Home Power

[RE-wrenches] Solar flares

of electricity. Hilton -- Hilton Dier III Renewable Energy Design Partner, Solar Gain LLC 453 East Hill Rd. Middlesex, VT 05602 Tel: 802-223-6652 ___ List sponsored by Home Power magazine List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Options settings

[RE-wrenches] Boxes and bags

is that the hinges are broken and the partitions have deteriorated to uselessness. I need a new case. This one wasn't ideal, so I'm looking for suggestions. Thanks, Hilton -- Hilton Dier III Renewable Energy Design Partner, Solar Gain LLC 453 East Hill Rd. Middlesex, VT 05602

[RE-wrenches] Autotransformer caution

a second (or so) after it gets actuator power before energizing. In that case you'd want to adjust the pressure switch to come on a few PSI higher than usual so the customer doesn't experience a momentary loss in pressure. Best, Hilton -- Hilton Dier III Renewable Energy Design Partner, Solar

[RE-wrenches] Multiple angle conundrum

? Many thanks, 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 Options settings: http://lists.re

[RE-wrenches] Unusual Module

high-current Solarex module. -- Hilton Dier III Renewable Energy Design Partner, Solar Gain LLC renewabledesign.com ___ List sponsored by Home Power magazine List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Options settings: http://lists.re

Re: [RE-wrenches] AC Coupled

in the trenches making it all happen. Larry -- Hilton Dier III Renewable Energy Design Partner, Solar Gain LLC ___ List sponsored by Home Power magazine List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Options settings: http://lists.re-wrenches.org

[RE-wrenches] Apparent Power's reasonably smart inverter

anyone can offer on the impact of PV on an island grid, I would be very interested to hear. I am going to write an article on my blog and in print on how other islands are benefiting from solar, so anything you can tell me will help to build this story. Chris Mason -- Hilton Dier III Renewable