Peter, Be a little more careful in your choice of subjects. You are talking about the SunPower IFF clip. I have not heard this story, but I don't doubt it. There have been significant changes at UL and ETL, the two largest listers of PV modules, in the area of evaluating grounding equipment for PV modules.
Unfortunately, the shift to overly conservative approaches to module grounding has caused huge problems with field installations. To make matters worse, installation manuals from PV modules have been required to get extremely specific about the only methods allowed to ground and bond the module frames. This conservative approach has shut the door on many methods that are far superior to the methods shown, because of the cost of evaluating these products or due to lack of cooperation between UL and ETL. Finally, many of the module manufacturer's installation manuals, the ones we are supposed to believe, actually violate the listings of the products they recommend. The ILSCO GBL-4DBT lay-in lug is the most famous example of these mistakes. Several prominent installation manuals state that a stainless starwasher must be installed under ILSCO lug. Although this will work, it is a violation of the listing of the lug. Yet it is in the installation manual and it is one of only a very few options--and it is wrong. What are we to think of this whole situation? It is out of control and messed up. The problem lies in the poorly worded UL1703 that has not been updated in this area since the changes in application of the standard started some 3 or 4 years ago. There have been several attempts to get this problem resolved, but the attempts have not made it to fruition. There is a new movement afoot to deal with this once and for all, but I'm still a little skeptical. Bill. -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Peter Parrish Sent: Sunday, September 12, 2010 1:49 PM To: 'RE-wrenches' Subject: [RE-wrenches] The Demise of WEEB We were informed a while ago that SunPower no longer "supports" their version of the WEEB clip "due to UL testing changes." (unspecified) and appears to have regressed to the ILSCO GBL-4DBT lugs with SS star washers, lock washer, nut and specific torque requirements. Most people I have spoken with feel that the lug approach, though a competent means of bonding PV modules, is awkward and time consuming, compared to the WEEB clips. What happened wrt UL testing and how is CSA listing affected? I seem to remember a video showing a conventional lug-based bond fail under test as par of a WEEB promo. I hope I can find it and take a look at it again. There also is a Tyco SolKlip that SunPower is apparently looking at but no word yet from SP, and it is not clear that the SolKlip has been affected by "UL testing changes". Any info on the UL testing changes would be much appreciated. - Peter Peter T. Parrish, Ph.D., President California Solar Engineering, Inc. 820 Cynthia Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90065 CA Lic. 854779, NABCEP Cert. 031806-26 [email protected] Ph 323-258-8883, Mobile 323-839-6108, Fax 323-258-8885 _______________________________________________ List sponsored by Home Power magazine List Address: [email protected] Options & 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: [email protected] Options & 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
