Re: [RE-wrenches] Pathfinder vs. Suneye

Dana, I have never compared these two side-by-side, but I do know from experience that it is critical to use the proper cropping margins when transferring images in to the Pathfinder Assistant Software. Slight changes in the margins of the field photographs of the Pathfinder tool can have a sign

[RE-wrenches] SPI 14 Post Show Request for Comments

Gentlemen & Ladies, Anyone who went to the LAS show have any comments? Hopefully, not everything that happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Thanks for sharing, Bill Loesch Solar 1 - Saint Louis Solar 314 631 1094 - No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 201

Re: [RE-wrenches] Passive Battery Venting

I just re-read the original post Drake. These are AGM batteries. Do you have a "belt, suspenders,...then a rocket pack" type of client here? We typically vent our AGM boxes with small louver vents top and bottom to allow the batteries to ventilate for cooling purposes, not H2 concerns. With Regar

Re: [RE-wrenches] SPI 14 Post Show Request for Comments

I too am interested. Especially after the teaser from SMA that they would unveil their solution to the 2014 NEC 690.12 fiasco at the show. I see nothing on SMA's website as of yet. With Regards, Daniel Young, NABCEP Certified PV Installation ProfessionalTM: Cert #031508-90 NABCEP Certified Solar

Re: [RE-wrenches] Passive Battery Venting

I too saw that these were AGMS. The only time excess H venting happens is with severe over voltage for a period of time. How often will this happen? Have any battery wrenches experienced high volume venting of AGM’s? Our experience: There is no NEC requirements for mobile installations. We have

Re: [RE-wrenches] multiple points of grid connection and the opposite end of the bus rule

Al, Will you be relying on the 120% rule for your interconnection (i.e., do you anticipate exceeding the ampacity of the conductors you’re connecting to?)? If not, you don’t have to worry about going to the opposite end of the busbar. If you’re on the 2014 NEC, the feeder taps rules for invert

Re: [RE-wrenches] SPI 2014

Daniel, Here's some of what I learned about solutions for 690.12. Residential rapid shutdown SMA's TL-US series inverters can meet the 10 second requirement in 690.12 without further mediation. Therefore you can meet 690.12 with these string inverters by adding a ground-level rapid shutdown co

Re: [RE-wrenches] SPI 2014

Thanks for the response David, this is what I was kind of expecting. I was hoping for some sort of "magic box" that attached to the first, and last module in the string, and would shut the string down if it lost signal from the inverter. Similar to how solar edge works, but with only 1-2 units/

Re: [RE-wrenches] SPI 2014

Hi Daniel, You should patent that magic box idea. Better yet, patent the J-box with an embedded addressable semiconductor switch: Permissive signal from the inverter = switch closed; no signal from the inverter = switch open. Bob's your uncle. Touch-safe PV modules without undue cost or complex

Re: [RE-wrenches] Pathfinder vs. Suneye

Hi Allen, Thanks for the assessment. I think that makes a lot of sense. I prefer to be conservative with my grid-tied numbers, too. Maybe I'll just round down the Suneye projections. Dana Dana Brandt Ecotech Energy Systems, LLC www.ecotechenergy.com d...@ecotechenergy.com 360.318.7646 On Tue, O

Re: [RE-wrenches] Pathfinder vs. Suneye

Hi William, I like that idea a lot. If you went through and subtracted off the shaded numbers for each of the Pathfinder readings on the same spreadsheet you could get the cumulative shading for a string across those reading locations. The Pathfinder Assistant should be able to do that, too. I lik

Re: [RE-wrenches] Pathfinder vs. Suneye

All – Just a couple of quick comments – we’ve been using both Pathfinders and Suneye’s for several years. We’ve now primarily switched to the Solmetric Suneye for ease of running the full analysis report. A while ago we compared the same sites back to back between the Suneye software and Pathfin

[RE-wrenches] ITC for solar water pumping on a ranch

Does anyone know for certain if a homeowner can qualify for the 30% federal solar tax credit (ITC) if the PV is used for direct water pumping out of a well used for irrigation? To be more specific, there are two wells that will be solarized. One well will provide irrigation water to livestock on

Re: [RE-wrenches] ITC for solar water pumping on a ranch

Eric, My understanding is that it's a residential credit and thus has to be used for a residence, although it's not limited to a primary residence. So in that case, no, an irrigation pump would not be allowed. By the way, solar water pumping is specifically

Re: [RE-wrenches] ITC for solar water pumping on a ranch

HI Eric, The DSIRE website lists the incentives, there is no requirement for grid tie. Have your CPA or attorney verify, you can also query the IRS. Ag systems filing Schedule F qualify for REAP grants from the USDA. I have done several grants and we always add the ITC and depreciation.

Re: [RE-wrenches] Passive Battery Venting

Hi Daniel, I typically vent them the way you do, which will allow any small amount of hydrogen out. The customer is absolutely adamant about venting these to the outside. I will cooperate so long as his method doesn't compromise the system through cooling the batteries unnecessarily in the de

Re: [RE-wrenches] ITC for solar water pumping on a ranch

Reading the code they removed the grid tie only and this opened the door for off grid customers i would say its OK but i always recommend contacting the customers tax accountant as they will sign right next to your customer and they sometimes think different. On Oct 29, 2014 2:13 PM, "SunHarvest"