Re: [RE-wrenches] generator suggestions

2013-01-30 Thread penobscotsolar
Ray, With over 25 years of installing off grid PV systems I feel like Generac is the only company I've seen who has looked at the needs (cost,reliability, stable output, auto start, 120 VAC output) of the small to medium size off grid PV system and designed an affordable and so far seemingly

Re: [RE-wrenches] generator suggestions

2013-01-30 Thread penobscotsolar
We recommend propane to all our clients in New England simply because in the winter a propane gennie starts without the need for a block heater or special diesel storage. Reliability is preferred over price when it comes to needing charging after a week of cloudy, snowy weather. Many of my

Re: [RE-wrenches] Best racking systems (was Awkward Mid-clamps jigs for installing or removing modules?)

2013-01-18 Thread penobscotsolar
SnapN Rack gets my vote. Great for wire management, good pricing and ease of install. We've tried a lot of flush mounting solutions over the years but if I went back to most of them (or discontinued using SnapN Rac) my workers would mutiny! Daryl DeJoy NABCEP Certified PV installer Penobscot

Re: [RE-wrenches] power monitor hardware

2013-01-16 Thread penobscotsolar
Hi Kirk, Take a look at this...http://powerwisesystems.com/emonitor.html They are made in Maine and seem to be what you are looking for. Not sure of the price Daryl Hello, Does anyone know of a user-friendly monitor, using non-intrusive CT's, for measuring real-time kw and

Re: [RE-wrenches] Commercial design predicament

2012-12-15 Thread penobscotsolar
Thanks for the reply guys. Yes, the utility is saying that it will be at the customers cost run three phase that mile or so. It is prohibitively expensive with the clients business plan. My thought is that multiple smaller, single ph inverters could be used to then tie into a transformer which

[RE-wrenches] Commercial design predicament

2012-12-14 Thread penobscotsolar
Hello fellow wrenches, I am hoping someone here has come across this before and might have a suggestion or two for us. I have a client who has a large piece of land and the financing for a 500 kw solar farm in Maine. The predicament I am in is that the closest three phase primary is more than a

Re: [RE-wrenches] Small PV system/experiment for kids

2012-12-12 Thread penobscotsolar
I donated some 12 watt solar panels to the local grammar schools in my area and got a call from one of the teachers with the same question. The panel was very over sized for the project, but simply taking a small dc fan (or a d motor with blades (propeller?) attached, combined with a colorful

Re: [RE-wrenches] Two Load Questions

2012-12-11 Thread penobscotsolar
Alan, Ditto to Bills last post. I always require a load evaluation as it imposes a certain amount of personal responsibility on the part of the off grid customer. Two years from now when they call you and tell you they think there's something wrong with their system you can take that load form

Re: [RE-wrenches] Fix the Fluorescents: What about LED tubes for late 2012?

2012-12-06 Thread penobscotsolar
I recently built a new home for myself, earth bermed and of course, solar powered (and soon to be solar heated). Every light source in the home is LED. I did a lot of homework, testing bulbs and different fixtures, and am very happy with all of what I decided on. Kitschler makes excellent,

Re: [RE-wrenches] Connecting Two Grid-Battery Backup Inverters to 120/208

2012-11-28 Thread penobscotsolar
Chris, We had a problem similar to this in the Bahamas, only with a Radian instead of an FX series inverter. We used an Acme transformer, 3 ph 208 on one side, single phase 120/240 on the other end. It was about $1200 for the transformer. Acme is in Tennessee I believe and we worked with one of

Re: [RE-wrenches] 3 Phase With 2 Inverters?

2012-11-27 Thread penobscotsolar
Hi Holt, We installed a commercial system a year ago for the National Park Service that was designed by a competitor (?) and signed off on by an engineer. It consisted of 13.2 kw of pv and two Fronius 7000 watt, 208 3 ph. inverters. It sounds a lot like what you are dealing with. I questioned

Re: [RE-wrenches] Enphase voltage out of range errors

2012-11-26 Thread penobscotsolar
Hi William, We have experienced this at one installation using 22 M-215's. There is not yet a conclusion, but here are some things worth looking out for.I printed out a spreadsheet of the incidents and noticed over a one month period that they were all happening at either 8:30 am or 1 pm,

Re: [RE-wrenches] Best practices for conduit penetration on roof

2012-11-25 Thread penobscotsolar
Try SolaDeck, Rich. It has a din rail inside for mini breakers and a ground as well. We use them all the time with great results. http://www.rstcenterprises.com/soladeck/ Daryl Wrenches, We typically run conduit for roof mounts over the edge of the roof to the eaves, rather than penetrate

Re: [RE-wrenches] Metal roof sealing tape

2012-11-17 Thread penobscotsolar
Chris, We use Eterna-Bond on all our installations, New England and Caribbean. Great stuff, and it comes one side sticky or two. We keep a couple of rolls of each on the truck at all times. Daryl I am putting an attachment base on painted metal trapezoidal roofing and I want to put double

Re: [RE-wrenches] Outback Mate3

2012-10-20 Thread penobscotsolar
Hi Howie, Having installed a half dozen Radians so far I have gotten comfortable fairly quickly with the Mate3. It is much more intuitive than the original Mate and uses a touch pad similar to an Ipod. I have had an issue a couple of times not being well grounded and the touch pad was a bit

Re: [RE-wrenches] American modcos

2012-07-23 Thread penobscotsolar
We have our first order in for Helios 250 watt modules. I have been reticent to sell Chinese modules while my surrounding competition is selling them regularly. I am not against the principle of a world market, but I do not like the lack of environmental regulation in many countries. It does seem

Re: [RE-wrenches] Trace SW4024, 1998 vintage - Still OK for grid-tie?

2012-07-02 Thread penobscotsolar
It would need a GTI (grid tie interface) in order to comply with UL 1741. There might still be some available (Ebay, etc.) I used one made about that time in our home back in . It was the first grid-tie in the county and worked flawlessly for about ten years before we sold it. While it was

Re: [RE-wrenches] Solar NGO's in Haiti??

2012-05-18 Thread penobscotsolar
Hi Bill, I worked in Haiti this last year for a couple of months with an NGO and installed a donated system. Customs took almost ten months to allow the solar panels to pass through. They sat in customs through two different trips down. There is much corruption and many scams. There is a

Re: [RE-wrenches] Boxes and bags

2012-04-24 Thread penobscotsolar
http://www.acetoolonline.com/Custom-Leathercraft-1530-43-Pocket-Tool-Bag-p/clc-1530.htm This is the one I use. I don't like using a tool belt at all if possible. Myself and my workers all use tool vests with large velcroed pockets for essentials. Tool vests work really well as long as they fit

Re: [RE-wrenches] Boxes and bags

2012-04-23 Thread penobscotsolar
We use a CLC (carry lotsa crap) bag from Home Depot. The one we use has a long carry handle as well as shoulder strap, is about 18 inches long and does what it should. The one I've been using is about 5 years old now. Veto Pro Pac XL Love it! Except the outside measuring tape holder

Re: [RE-wrenches] Overcurrent error SW4024

2012-03-29 Thread penobscotsolar
We've seen this type of problem twice with well pumps. Both times, the problem was with a short in the load side close to the pump. One was occasional, the other constant. Interestingly, running a large generator seemed to fix the situation to the customer. In both cases, we found the short,

Re: [RE-wrenches] Off-grid ground mount

2012-03-23 Thread penobscotsolar
We use Direct Power and Water racking for ground mounts. They're engineered for 90/120 mph winds, depending on where you're installing. The two tier mounting is especially nice. Friends: I am curious about what the rest of you are using for off-grid ground mount racks. We need a tilt

Re: [RE-wrenches] Gen start

2012-02-27 Thread penobscotsolar
I'm going to try the Magnum ME-AGS-S. Thanks for the recommendations, guys! Daryl I must second the recommendation for the Magnum Energy AGS-S. Excellent product, great customer support. Works with most simple 3-wire generator controls. We also sell the Atkinson Electronics GSCM module

Re: [RE-wrenches] Gen start

2012-02-27 Thread penobscotsolar
I appreciate that William. The problem is that the system is in Culebra, an island off Puerto Rico. The homeowner is only there for a week at a time about four or five times a year. It gets regular and complete charging from the 5 kw array. The problem is that his AGS is starting the generator all

Re: [RE-wrenches] Community says farewell to solar pioneer Gottlieb - Brattleboro Reformer

2012-02-24 Thread penobscotsolar
I was lucky enough to cross paths with Richard many times in my career. He was an enjoyable and intelligent guy and I know those who knew him, my self included, will miss his quirky and sometimes off beat sense of being Daryl DeJoy NABCEP Certified PV installer Penobscot Solar Design

Re: [RE-wrenches] 30 to 35 kW inverters

2012-02-22 Thread penobscotsolar
I'm not sure how many Radians you can stack, but they are a great inverter. Exeltech also makes a buildable line of inverters and you might ask Dan there about them. I also think Apollo is coming out soon with the ability to stack multiple inverters to get there. The redundancy of stackable is

Re: [RE-wrenches] 110Vac LED resistance to weak grids in developing world

2012-02-10 Thread penobscotsolar
My home is 100% LED lighting, Kitchler undercounter, non dimmable Philips Earthlights in closets, dimmable (might help with grid events...) Philips Earthlights for the rest of the inside lighting and I am very happy with all of it. Anything from warm white to daylight is available. They are more

Re: [RE-wrenches] battery buss bars

2012-01-17 Thread penobscotsolar
We've also used the larger Burndy insulated blocks. Busbars can be tricky when they are not insulated and the Burndy blocks have configurations of up to six (I think) conductors and in larger wire sizes. Midnite has a new one:

Re: [RE-wrenches] battery buss bars

2012-01-17 Thread penobscotsolar
Here's one of the 6 port Burndy blocks for up to 600 kcmil, with spec sheet: http://www.burndy.com/site-search.aspx?cx=002899303449139187703%3Ae9jb50hrnuccof=FORID%3A10ie=UTF-8q=insulated+blocksSearchType=PartNumbergo.x=0go.y=0 I've also used the big Polaris insulated tap connectors. I used

Re: [RE-wrenches] Shedding ice

2012-01-16 Thread penobscotsolar
We are currently in Culebra installing a pv system with two Classic 200's. Its a great controller to set up and install. While snow melt is not important here, i did notice after using the setup wizard that it mentions future new features with the snow melt function being one of those mentioned.

Re: [RE-wrenches] Shedding ice

2012-01-16 Thread penobscotsolar
Impressive, Bob, but if one 125 watt panel took 1000 watts of power, what is it going to take to melt my two 1600 watt arrays, pole mounted, (theoretically, of course, and at a 65 degree tilt)? Just wondering as it seems a lot of power to use in the winter for an off grid or solar reliant

[RE-wrenches] OutBack Radian

2011-12-01 Thread penobscotsolar
Hi all, We are looking at a busy winter season and there are several systems I'd like to size using OutBack's Radian. These are all out of the country jobs and I would be interested in any experiences anyone has had so far installing and/or using these seemingly great inverters. I would

Re: [RE-wrenches] OutBack Radian

2011-12-01 Thread penobscotsolar
Thanks Orion, Most of our work in the winter is in the Caribbean and Mexico and they all use 60 hz. I appreciate it, though. Daryl Daryl, We have not had any hands on experience yet with the Radian series inverters, and only minimal interaction with the MATE3. But since you mentioned

Re: [RE-wrenches] Metal roofs

2011-11-22 Thread penobscotsolar
Ian, We have been using this companies products for the last couple of years on different types of metal roofs with success (so far). Look at the variety of products they have for different roofing: http://www.ecofastensolar.com/our-products/eco-series Daryl DeJoy NABCEP Certified PV

Re: [RE-wrenches] Peerless Ranges for Off-Grid Homes

2011-11-22 Thread penobscotsolar
I have used a Premiere Stainless steel Pro Series model at home for the last year and I am very pleased with its performance. Daryl We haves sold these units years ago, but have stopped due to poor quality. We had one ourselves and just got rid of it to save my marriage! My wife hated it.

Re: [RE-wrenches] intermittent battery problem; ...Battery Sulfation

2011-11-17 Thread penobscotsolar
Ron, I'm going to reiterate what Jeff says here. It is similar to what I had said in my email. The charge rate must REGULARLY be C10 on the KS (5000 series) batteries. This means, on KS 25's, a routine bulk charging rate of 135 amps. I find that on these types of hybrid systems, while the

Re: [RE-wrenches] intermittent battery problem; ...Battery Sulfation

2011-11-14 Thread penobscotsolar
Ron, What comes to mind for me is that Surrette 5000 series batteries like to have a regular charge of C10. KS25 cells are rated for 1350 ah, creating a need for a somewhat regularly occurring charge of 135 amps. I do believe the batteries are not ever getting that, except for very rare

Re: [RE-wrenches] federal tax credit

2011-11-12 Thread penobscotsolar
Jonathan, Close to half of the systems that we installed that I previously spoke of using the Federal Tax Credit used batteries. I believe if they are installed as part of the initially installed system that they qualify as just that and receive the full 30%. Daryl Can any say for sure if

Re: [RE-wrenches] federal tax credit

2011-11-11 Thread penobscotsolar
I read your post and I am far from an expert on tax issues, but one thing I am sure of is that the home does not have to be the primary residence. We have at least a dozen clients whose summer homes have benefited from this incentive and early this question came up. All of these clients have since

Re: [RE-wrenches] Canadian Solar blemish

2011-11-09 Thread penobscotsolar
Thanks for that Allan, I should add that there does not appear to be any cracking of the cell to the customer when compared to non-effected cells. It is just that strange shape ,shading , design underneath the glass on that particular panel and cellsthis is according to the customer, who is

Re: [RE-wrenches] Battery / no-battery

2011-10-27 Thread penobscotsolar
Never heard of anything like that...a solar urban myth perhaps? At least for now.? Daryl htmlbodyspan style=font-family:Verdana; color:#00; font-size:10pt;divThat one is news to me but I can see a small value in it as an upgrade path.br/divdivbr/divdivLarrybr/div blockquote

Re: [RE-wrenches] Three-phase off-grid

2011-10-22 Thread penobscotsolar
Ray, The nice thing about the Exeltech (and what made me decide to use them) is that they are not large. They are simply an array of 1 kw inverters, allowing for multiple redundancy. Essentially, a 30 kw three phase inverter is 31 small inverters, which, with the removal of two nuts, can be

Re: [RE-wrenches] Push-in Wire Connectors

2011-10-21 Thread penobscotsolar
That has been my experience as well, Drake. Typically in these Enphase installations the 3R rated box is mounted under the last panel in the string and attached to the rack. This makes it very unlikely to ever see wet conditions when properly installed. As we all know, ultimately the

Re: [RE-wrenches] Push-in Wire Connectors

2011-10-20 Thread penobscotsolar
We use Burndy insulated blocks for transitioning with Enphase. Inside the connector they use the same blue silicone that is used in the wet rated twist on's only with a pretty reliable long term connection.They tighten with a hex wrench. They aren't cheap, but security rarely is. They are also not

Re: [RE-wrenches] Push-in Wire Connectors

2011-10-20 Thread penobscotsolar
William, I believe this is the line of insulated multitap connectors: http://www.burndy.com/products/product-by-category/mechanical/mechanical-aluminum.aspx Daryl Daryl: You got a part number on those connectors (and a link to a web page)? William At 11:56 AM 10/20/2011, you

Re: [RE-wrenches] Push-in Wire Connectors

2011-10-20 Thread penobscotsolar
Sorry William. There are indoor and outdoor rated connectors there. The outdoor are a bit larger, but I think you have got the right one. Daryl: Thanks. The link indicated a broad category of connectors. Apparently when you copy a link for a specific product it takes you back to the main

Re: [RE-wrenches] Midnight Classic

2011-10-05 Thread penobscotsolar
I'm surprised that more wrenches don't use Apollo's T80HV. It's a solid unit that seems to perform at least as well as competitors. We have many of the regular T80's installed in the Caribbean that have proven very reliable. 5200 watts of PV for a 48 volt system is pretty darn good in my opinion.

Re: [RE-wrenches] mixing aluminum and galvanized steel

2011-10-05 Thread penobscotsolar
We use ss anchor (L) bolts when we need to bolt to pillars. Remember to use an anti seize compound when installing initially. Daryl This is an amazingly timely post for me! I was just thinking of asking the same question since i have a couple of ground mount installs coming up with

Re: [RE-wrenches] mixing aluminum and galvanized steel

2011-10-05 Thread penobscotsolar
And I would agree with Ray's reply. We install on islands in Maine, the Bahamas, Lesser Antilles, USVI and Mexico, almost always within 150 of the ocean, and high quality stainless won't react negatively with aluminum, at least compared to other metals. I have seen galvanized zinc fasteners rusted

Re: [RE-wrenches] Invert first?

2011-10-02 Thread penobscotsolar
Dan, Is the Xantrex controller available/released yet? I've used the Classic 250 and the Apollo HV but have yet to see/use a Xantrex 600 Voc controller.will anyone who has used one chime in and share their experience ? Hi Eric; I'll be very interested to hear what others on this list

Re: [RE-wrenches] Invert first?

2011-10-02 Thread penobscotsolar
Hi Eric, Look at your design parameters. There is no reason you can't run DC 250'. You are better with some small amount of DC loss than with AC loss, particularly if you intend to sell back to the utility. Use a Classic 250 or 200 or Apollo Solar's T80HV. You can configure your panel series

Re: [RE-wrenches] Salt Aluminum vs Galvy

2011-09-27 Thread penobscotsolar
Hi Jeff, There is no doubt that aluminum will stand the test of time better in a marine environment than galvanized steel. The galv. will show rust in an amazingly short time. We have had DPW marine grade aluminum mounts within 50 feet of the water in the Bahamas installed now for more than ten

Re: [RE-wrenches] Salt Aluminum vs Galvy

2011-09-27 Thread penobscotsolar
Thanks for reminding me RayJeff, we use ss transition boxes instead of pvc. You can find 6x6x4 or 4x4x4 boxes for a reasonable price considering their superiority when it comes to longevity. Obviously use at least 3R rated boxes at a minimum. Daryl DeJoy NABCEP Certified PV installer

Re: [RE-wrenches] High PSF Mods?

2011-09-27 Thread penobscotsolar
and if you're considering a panel for the Bahamas be sure to make sure they don't void the warranty for a marine environment...read the small print! The Canadian Solar CS6P's and SolarWorld 245 Monos are rated to 113 PSF. I don't really like the 31MM frame on the SW from a wind/snow load

Re: [RE-wrenches] High PSF Mods?

2011-09-27 Thread penobscotsolar
its a busy Wrench List day for meWe have many REC's in the Bahamas for that reason Jeff. Both systems on Cat Island that we had were hit with 130 mph winds by Irene and except for one charge controller getting wet on one of the systems, they both survived. One system was roof mounted, the

Re: [RE-wrenches] Sharp modules

2011-09-12 Thread penobscotsolar
I have just started dealing with 1SolTech, manufacturing in Texas, and am impressed with what I see so far. I am using them to replace the Sharp's I had originally intended to use on a job in Mexico. From others on the wrench list, it seems the warranty is void if the Sharp panels are installed in

Re: [RE-wrenches] Leaving metal roofs?

2011-09-10 Thread penobscotsolar
I'm with you Carl. Gotta love the Soladeck! Daryl Penobscot Solar Design Jesse, Another good option is the Soladeck. If you don't splice inside it you can actually hide it under the array, making an uber clean look. Seal it down with Eternabond or similar product. Carl On Sep 10, 2011

Re: [RE-wrenches] Sharp modules

2011-09-10 Thread penobscotsolar
Just wondering what everyone (anyone) whose used these Sharp modules thinks of them for salt air environments? Does this lack of seal compromise their ability to hold up in this type of environment? Any first hand experience out there? Daryl DeJoy NABCEP Certified installer Penobscot Solar Design

Re: [RE-wrenches] Long-term Backup Power; was AC Coupling

2011-09-04 Thread penobscotsolar
Twenty years ago 100% of our installations were battery based, off grid. That is all there was, at least here in Maine. Nowadays, we are installing about 75% grid tie. Of that, about 25% use batteries in their system with a critical loads sub-panel. The remaining 25% of our clients are off grid

Re: [RE-wrenches] Large, off grid

2011-08-16 Thread penobscotsolar
Darryl, Bob and everyone else who helped, After careful consideration and much research and advice from all you wrenches, my decision is to use Exeltech MX series inverters. They have an almost tailor made solution for this system, redundancy built in, no down time replacement of separate

[RE-wrenches] Large, off grid

2011-08-12 Thread penobscotsolar
Hello wrenches, We have an opportunity to install a very large (60 kw) off grid system in Mexico. It is currently three phase. I do have the option of changing out the air conditioners (36 of them) to 120 single phase, but it is an added layer of complexity/cost that it would be nice to avoid.

Re: [RE-wrenches] pole mounts

2011-07-27 Thread penobscotsolar
We have more than 70 pole mounted systems, including one of my own that is 16 years old, and I have not seen any problems. Our oldest pole mount installation is 20 years old and at least visibly, is not showing any signs of wear and tear.I inspected it last time I was there, less than a year ago.

Re: [RE-wrenches] Module Racking Attachment to SIP Roof

2011-07-26 Thread penobscotsolar
Hi Gary, We've done several SIP projects and I've done the same research you are now likely doing. What I ended up designing was a system of aluminum plates (8x8) that screwed into the roof sheathing at four points with 1/4 ss lag screws, then using 1/2 threaded rod that ran through the center

Re: [RE-wrenches] Battery interconnect cable length

2011-06-06 Thread penobscotsolar
Hi Ben, We've done a lot of this type of system using Surrette KS series batts. I haven't ever asked the question you did, but experience told me that differing battery lengths are more important than some give credit for. I actually use slightly longer (16 cables) and , in cases where we run

Re: [RE-wrenches] REC Modules

2011-05-11 Thread penobscotsolar
Hi John, We have many, many REC panels installed, from Maine to Antigua. They are a heavy panel, but also with a heavy frame, good for snow loading and high winds. They are similar in efficiency to Evergreen. The 240's these days weigh in at about 48 pounds each. Beside REC's recall of 2008

Re: [RE-wrenches] Dangerous installs/installers..

2011-05-07 Thread penobscotsolar
This sounds more like many of the owner-installed systems we see. If the customer paid a professional for a job like that it is partially that clients fault. Those potential clients who don't do their homework often get what they pay for.. Daryl DeJoy NABCEP Certified PV installer Penobscot

Re: [RE-wrenches] tax credit on batteries

2011-04-14 Thread penobscotsolar
We have about a dozen battery based systems that the clients have taken advantage of the 30% Fed. Tax Credit. They haven't had any response that would indicate a problem. Daryl DeJoy NABCEP Certified PV installer Penobscot Solar Design A commercial customer of ours, who is an attorney,

Re: [RE-wrenches] galvanized barn roofing

2011-04-07 Thread penobscotsolar
Does anyone have experience mounting arrays on barns with 24 wide galvanized roofing (not standing seam)? It is flat, not corrugated, but has an overlapping edge on either side. It's pretty much a standard on barn roofs around here, but I hesitate to penetrate any metal roof. How have others dealt

Re: [RE-wrenches] Standby power draw

2011-03-10 Thread penobscotsolar
Hi Bob, I believe it's about 30 watts. Can't you just leave it in search mode? That will use considerably less power... Daryl Can anyone tell me the standby power draw on a Xantrex SW 4048 plus? I am betting it's 25 to 50 watts just sitting there doing nothing, all this inverter does

Re: [RE-wrenches] (no subject)

2011-02-17 Thread penobscotsolar
Hi August, For small systems such as you are planning here we have had great luck with the Morningstar MPPT controller, Suresine inverter and Morningstar control module. We build them into a little powerpanel on a backing board and take them out to the job pre-wired. We have five or six of these

Re: [RE-wrenches] Generator for off grid

2011-01-25 Thread penobscotsolar
We only recommend propane for our customers in cold weather. Propane burns cleaner and certainly starts very reliably on even the coldest nights when installed properly. We have inherited customers with diesel gennies that over time eventually switched over to our recommendation of propane and are

Re: [RE-wrenches] Generator for off grid

2011-01-24 Thread penobscotsolar
We do about 50/50 grid tie and off grid and from our experience I second Dana'a comment below about water cooled and particularly about low rpm. Daryl DeJoy NABCEP Certified PV installer Penobscot Solar Design I use Onan more than Kohler but water cooled and low RPM are the ticket. Dana

Re: [RE-wrenches] Apollo TSW inverters experience

2010-12-21 Thread penobscotsolar
I tested an early beta model which had a lot of issues, but Apollo is a solid company and I suspect they have made the requisite improvements. We have the first two T-80's off the line on a small island in the Bahamas and they have performed flawlessly now for (four?) years. We have a total of 12

Re: [RE-wrenches] Outback tech support; was Generator auto start

2010-10-16 Thread penobscotsolar
Thanks for all the great feedback guys. This thread was not intended to knock OutBack. I live with and our office is powered by OutBack and I like their products very much. I just don't trust their AGS from experience (and obviously others have had similar experiences) and will continue my search

[RE-wrenches] Generator auto start

2010-10-15 Thread penobscotsolar
Can anyone point me in the direction of a good, autonomous generator auto start. We have an off grid system with a substantial array (8 kw) and using a dual OutBack 3648 PP, but we have not had good luck with generator auto start using the relays and Mate within the OutBack equipment. I would like

Re: [RE-wrenches] paralleling amp hour meters on one shunt?

2010-10-01 Thread penobscotsolar
Todd, We've paralleled TriMetric meters many times. I have not tried the Pentametric, but the orginal TriMet works well. Daryl !DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC -//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN html head meta content=text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1 http-equiv=Content-Type

Re: [RE-wrenches] 48v small controllers

2010-09-09 Thread penobscotsolar
Hi Jay, We really like Phocos controllers for smaller applications. Check out The DIngo. http://www.phocos.com/datasheet_cc_dingo.html Daryl DeJoy NABCEP Certified PV installer Penobscot Solar Design HI All, Any recommendations on a small 7-10 amp 48v controller, preferably

Re: [RE-wrenches] Delta LA's

2010-09-03 Thread penobscotsolar
Take a look at Citel lightning protection. They install on a din rail. We are installing a 15 kw array for Acadia National Park and they were spec'd for the project. It will be our first time using them but they look promising. http://www.citelprotection.com/ac_surge.htm Daryl I've also

Re: [RE-wrenches] Inverter for fire protection pump

2010-08-28 Thread penobscotsolar
Joel, We are currently in the middle of installing a 7 kw off grid system with just these requirements. The client is a retired Chicago firefighter and insisted on this commercial fire suppression system. After much research the logical conclusion we reached was the same as William's

[RE-wrenches] Haiti, what a mess.....

2010-06-19 Thread penobscotsolar
Hi all, I've just returned from relief work in Haiti in the town of Leogane. It was hit particularly hard by the earthquake and will not have any real semblance of electricity other than generators for the next couple of years. Water and septic will likely be longer before repairs can be made.

Re: [RE-wrenches] Off-Grid Diesel Generators

2010-04-12 Thread penobscotsolar
Ben, Here in Maine we don't install diesel gennies in off grid applications. Typically, diesel gennies require a block heater which can use as much as 1000 watts. Unless this is a tremendously large off grid system it won't be a good idea to go that way. Why not just use a propane gennie.

Re: [RE-wrenches] Outback Grid Problems

2010-04-04 Thread penobscotsolar
That's a great tip Steve. Is there a downside to changing this setting? Daryl Ray, If you go to the Status FX Sell menu what is the disconnect reason when it does this? Also have you set the Grid Tie Authority from IEEE to User, when customers are all the way out at the end of the line

Re: [RE-wrenches] AC modules verses codes and safety

2010-04-03 Thread penobscotsolar
Hi Jeff, We were contacted the other day by Lowes, who asked if we would be interested in installing their (highly overpriced) plug and play systems. They are selling Andalay Solar's 3kw package (they us Enphase). I told them we would at an installed price much higher than we usually charge.

Re: [RE-wrenches] Utility Transformers (was Outback Grid Problems)

2010-04-01 Thread penobscotsolar
Thanks Joel. I would also add that the utility also ran a much larger feeder line from the transformer to my house, likely to cover all their bases. Daryl Ray, I think Daryl is on to something. I would suspect a line problem (under-sized feeder, bad connections, failing transformer, trees

Re: [RE-wrenches] Outback Grid Problems

2010-03-31 Thread penobscotsolar
Ray, Believe me when I say I have gone through all the exercises described so far by our esteemed colleagues. I think you will find the problem is with the customers transformer. I continue to make impressive amounts of kwh since the swap out last week. Daryl Battery bank is in great shape,

Re: [RE-wrenches] Outback Grid Problems

2010-03-30 Thread penobscotsolar
Hi Ray, It's very funny this comes up with you now. I have a 3500 watt array running my home. For years I sold between 10 and 16 kwh per day, depending on the time of year, on a sunny day. I should mention the panels are in a south facing field on pole mounts. Suddenly I was noticing a

Re: [RE-wrenches] Missing MC4 Connectors?

2010-03-25 Thread penobscotsolar
Hi Jeff, Try Todd at Solar Electric Distributors. 877 778 0009 or 303 778 0300 Daryl We normally keep a good supply of pre-made module MC4 M/F cables in stock, but several recent large projects really lowered our inventory. No problem, I will just call our suppliers and order more.

Re: [RE-wrenches] Fwd: Apollo charge controllers

2010-03-23 Thread penobscotsolar
We installed the first two released Apollo T-80's on a job in the Caribbean three years ago. I was out on that island two weeks ago and went out to check on the system and it is still performing remarkably well. The home is actually on a bluff overlooking the ocean with the BOS components

Re: [RE-wrenches] Evergreen EC 110

2009-12-02 Thread penobscotsolar
Hey Tump, Evergreen still makes these. I suspect Gro or one of the other Evergreen dealers stocks them. Daryl Anyone have one of these around? Please contact me off list. THANKS mailto:t...@swnl.net t...@swnl.net http://www.swnl.net/ www.SWNL.net Solarwinds

Re: [RE-wrenches] Nabcep - grid tie---Off grid

2009-11-24 Thread penobscotsolar
I try to do more lurking here than participating, simply because there are many experienced installers here with similar experience and knowledge. I do agree with the earlier post that maintains the best experience with off grid systems is living with off grid solar. Our office is 100% off grid as

Re: [RE-wrenches] Equipment shortages, long lead times?

2009-11-23 Thread penobscotsolar
Here, here Bob-O. We, too, have seen no decrease in our off grid market as well. It is rapidly becoming a specialized field here in Maine.(not talking about you, Tump) Even our largest competitor is now sending off grid business to us as they have had too many problems training competent

Re: [RE-wrenches] Xantrex XW CC availability

2009-11-13 Thread penobscotsolar
Ryan, If you haven't tried the Apollo Solar controller you might consider it. We have many installed and they seem, after an intially rough start, to be a superior product. I have yet to use the high voltage model but plan to at the first opportunity. You can configure the panels to 200 VDC OC.

Re: [RE-wrenches] RE-wrenches Digest, Vol 2, Issue 1099

2009-10-27 Thread penobscotsolar
All REC modules manufactured in 2008 are being recalled. The have a problem with thermal cycling over a period of time weakening a contact in the j box. We have installed REC and think they are a good panel. REC is paying us to go to Cat Island in the Bahamas to replace 16 modules we have

Re: [RE-wrenches] Canadian Solar modules

2009-10-15 Thread penobscotsolar
We have installed about 20k of these modules, largely off grid. I would make these recommendations: Install on good quality mounting. We have almost exclusively been installing these on DPW top of pole mounts. The frames are not particularly beefy but they are not flimsy, either, and a good

Re: [RE-wrenches] Pitched EPDM Roof Attachment

2009-09-08 Thread penobscotsolar
Carl, In the past we have had 8x8x 1/4 aluminum plates made up by the local machine shop for about $9 each and used them to distribute the compression for L feet on SIP roofs. It works very well and allows you to adequately tighten the lags and not compress the foam. For more specifics give me

Re: [RE-wrenches] Dealing with snow

2009-08-14 Thread penobscotsolar
Hi August, Here in Maine we get pretty decent amounts of snow. There isn't any foolproof way to keep your panels clear without doing it manually because we sometimes get sticky, half ice, half snow type of precipitation, but here's some of the things we do. 1. Do you typically mount arrays

Re: [RE-wrenches] Craftsman 82062 DC/AC Amp Clamp

2009-07-22 Thread penobscotsolar
I've dropped my six year old Fluke 337 three times, once off a second story ladder onto a gravel driveway, and I'm still using it without ever sending it off for repair. Daryl DeJoy NABCEP Certified PV installer Penobscot Solar Design Don't know about the rest of you, but I can and

Re: [RE-wrenches] squirrel problems

2009-05-19 Thread penobscotsolar
We are in Northern Coastal Maine and have red squirrels, gray squirrels and flying squirrels and in 21 years have never had a squirrel problem. Daryl Penobscot Solar Design I am in the real Northern New York, (not the city) and have no problem with chipmunks or squirrels or anything else

Re: [RE-wrenches] pay for sales leads

2009-04-22 Thread penobscotsolar
These all seem to be just more people trying to make money from the solar bandwagon. I ignore all of these. It takes less time to hit delete than to try to follow up with them. Don't waste your time IMO. We tried one a while back, and 95% of them were something like we are interested in

Re: [RE-wrenches] Solar power on Truck?

2009-04-06 Thread penobscotsolar
Hi Ryan, There are a number of thin film products that can be laminated onto a truck roof, but when it comes to running an air conditioner it will only be something he imagines runs his ac unit. UniSolar makes a long, thin roof laminate but it must be adhered to Galvalume or Zincalume roofing

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