Perhaps as an add on value-relationship building component for your businesses,
go introduce your clients, new and existing to The Energy Detective-
http://www.theenergydetective.com/ted-5002-g
At the very least, you can help them, help you, monitor what they have and
discern between whether their system is optimized and if not, the remedy.
For folks in the industry, they have pricing below MSRP.
Relatively simple device and you can monitor the inverter(s) and the home load
to get a comparative.
They are working on the next gen of their product to be able to get granular on
every load in the home, but this will be a boat load of CT's and MTU's, but I
believe this will allow us all to identify phantom loads and help close the gap
on maintenance and often expensive service calls for folks that are grid
connected.
Keith
________________________________
From: Mark Frye <ma...@berkeleysolar.com>
To: 'RE-wrenches' <re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org>
Sent: Friday, August 19, 2011 7:56 AM
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Out of Warranty Inverter Replacements
Out of Warranty Inverter Replacements
Ray,
Here are the nameplate module rating vs nameplate inverter
rating:
- 24 x 175 W = 4,200 W : IG4000 = 4,000 W : 105
%
- 18 x 175 W = 3,150 W : IG3000 = 2,700 W : 117
%
- 8 x 175 W = 1,400 W : SB1100 = 1,100 W : 127 % (sub-optimal
orientation limits peak power levels)
I think it is fair to say that amps=heat=component aging. The
question is to what extent can the installer rely on the representations
made by manufactures with respect to their ratings and product
life?
For instance, the 24 module system above lands well within the
Fronius specifications for max DC power and is "Good" based on their online
configuration tool, and also well in line the the SMA white paper of many years
ago suggesting a 120% mod/inv ratio as optimal.
And yet, the first unit failed in 4 years and the refurb
failed in 2 year.
Mark Frye
Berkeley Solar Electric Systems
303 Redbud Way
Nevada City, CA
95959
(530)
401-8024
www.berkeleysolar.com
________________________________
From: re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org
[mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of Ray
Walters
Sent: Friday, August 19, 2011 10:26 AM
To: RE-wrenches
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Out of Warranty Inverter
Replacements
Hi Mark;
In cases like that, I let the customer decide. My job
is to present them with two or three streamlined options and let them
decide.
It seems it comes down to cost vs continued warranty (and possible
expandability?). Financial decisions ultimately need to be made by the people
paying the bill.
From a technical perspective, I don't ever present an option
that I wouldn't be comfortable installing, and in the end everyone's happy.
(hopefully)
Just curious; what are the array sizes relative to the
inverter rating? I always wondered if inverters that were run at or over their
rating didn't last as long as inverters that were run well below their rating.
(just my stupid assumption that: more amps = more heat = less
reliability)
Ray
On 8/19/2011 11:03 AM, Mark Frye wrote:
Folks,
>Yesterday I took a trip through my service area and initated 3 inverter
>replacement actions:
>- A 6 year old Sunnyboy 1100W, 5 year warranty expired, $360 for a
>refurbished unit w/ 1 year warranty, new replacement not available
>- A 2 year old Fronius IG4000 refurbished, sent as warranty replacement for
>unit failed at 4 years under 5 year warranty, now out of warranty, est. $ 600
>to refurbish with 1 year warranty
>- A 4 year old Fronius IG3000, under 10 year warranty, warranty replacement
>and service fee provided by Fronius
>I have to decide, what is best for my out of warranty customers:
>- Buy the refurbished units w/ 1 year warranty
>- Buy new replacement units with 10 or 20 year warrranties
>- Buy entirely new equipment such as Enphase or SolarEdge
>What are other folks experiencing as we move well past the 5 year warranty
>horizon for many of our earlier customers?
>Mark Frye
>Berkeley Solar Electric Systems
>303 Redbud Way
>Nevada City, CA 95959
>(530) 401-8024
>www.berkeleysolar.com
>
>
>_______________________________________________
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