Andrew, At some point when that tech has to start pulling up modules, he also is going to have to loosen the ground lug. I don't see the situation where we would loosen all the mounting hardware, and not the ground lug. (I've usually seen solid #6 with the Ilsco lugs, so there's very little wiggle room) Then, as soon as the hardware is loose, not only does the tech need to worry about grounding, he also needs to worry about the module (and himself) sliding or blowing off the roof.
I could see some type of temporary grounding lanyard that not only maintained module grounding while testing, but acted as fall protection for the loose module. Wearing insulated gloves would be a good idea too, as well as checking exposed metal with a multimeter before touching it. (has anyone ever seen a DC voltage sniffer?) R. Walters r...@solarray.com Solar Engineer > 2) My biggest concern with the WEEB Clip is that the moment a top-clamp is > loosened the module is no longer grounded!!! To me that is not a good > grounding method. Mr Wiley is obviously a talented inventor and he makes a > strong argument for the quality of the bond that the WEEB Clip provides when > the clip is installed properly and all mounting hardware is properly torqued. > What I don't understand is the argument that this is as safe of a product as > a properly installed outdoor rated lug for the service tech who has to work > on that array. > > > A tin-plated copper lug with a stainless steel set screw will last. A > service tech working on a faulted array that was grounded with WEEB Clips > might not. > > > > Andrew Truitt > Free agent > Golden, CO. > > > > On Mon, Sep 13, 2010 at 10:04 PM, benn kilburn <b...@daystarsolar.ca> wrote: > Hopefully any crew installing PV, and familiar with this debate (which they > should be) can easily distinguish between the GBL-4 and the GBL-4DBT. The > weight difference is quite noticeable. If it feels light for its size, it's > aluminum, dont use it!!! If it has some distinct weight to it, then it's > most likely the copper DBT, giv'er! > > So what other non-conductive materials are out there that could help resolve > this frame bonding issue? > Sunteck's BIPV SolarBlend module uses a polycarbonate frame which requires > no bonding. Do any of you have any experiences with these? How were they to > handle, install? Do they offer any hope or support for non-metallic module > frames? > > benn > DayStar Renewable Energy Inc. > b...@daystarsolar.ca > 780-906-7807 > HAVE A SUNNY DAY > From: r...@solarray.com > Date: Mon, 13 Sep 2010 11:14:36 -0600 > To: re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org > > Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] The Demise of WEEB > > I didn't do the original install, and I couldn't ID the lug because of the > corrosion. > I believe everyone is correct that this isn't the DBT rated lug, though. > Another reason to use the WEEB: a crew can't accidentally install the wrong > (but almost identical, when new) lug. > I'm sure the non-DBT lugs got mixed together in a bin at some point. > > R. Walters > r...@solarray.com > Solar Engineer > > > > > On Sep 12, 2010, at 5:41 PM, Jamie Johnson wrote: > > That looks like a tin plated aluminum lug (aluminum corrosion) with a plated > steel screw (rusted screw)....... > > Here is an explanation of the differences between both ILSCO GBL 4 lugs from > John Wiles Code Corner in Homepower issue 102 > > "The Ilsco GBL-4DBT is a lay-in lug > made of solid copper, which is then tin-plated. It has a > stainless steel screw to hold the wire. The lug accepts a #14 > (2 mm2) to #4 (21 mm2) copper conductor. It is listed for > direct burial (DB) and outdoor use and can be attached to > aluminum structures (the tin plate). The much cheaper Ilsco > GBL-4 lug looks identical, but is tin-plated aluminum, has > a plated screw, and is not listed for outdoor use." > > Jamie Johnson > NABCEP Certified Solar PV Installer #031310-118 > General Manager > SOLAR POWER ELECTRIC > EC13001765 > > -------- Original Message -------- > Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] The Demise of WEEB > From: "Peter Parrish" <peter.parr...@calsolareng.com> > Date: Sun, September 12, 2010 6:50 pm > To: "'RE-wrenches'" <re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> > > Are you sure that's a ILSCO GBL-4DBT lug? I am pretty sure the set screw is > not SS, which it should be to be the genuine part. > > - 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 > peter.parr...@calsolareng.com > Ph 323-258-8883, Mobile 323-839-6108, Fax 323-258-8885 > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org > [mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of R Ray > Walters > Sent: Sunday, September 12, 2010 3:10 PM > To: RE-wrenches > Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] The Demise of WEEB > > A picture is worth a thousand words, (hopefully this will upload) > Here's a traditional Ilsco Lug after less than 5 years near the ocean: > > > _______________________________________________ > List sponsored by Home Power magazine > > List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org > > 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 > > <bottom.letterhead> > _______________________________________________ > List sponsored by Home Power magazine > > List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org > > 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: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org 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: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org > > 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 > > > > > > -- > "Don't get me wrong: I love nuclear energy! It's just that I prefer fusion to > fission. And it just so happens that there's an enormous fusion reactor > safely banked a few million miles from us. It delivers more than we could > ever use in just about 8 minutes. And it's wireless!" > > ~William McDonough > > _______________________________________________ > List sponsored by Home Power magazine > > List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org > > 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 >
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