jar546
Forum Coordinator
I found this news story interesting and it is something I did not think about in the past. The type and compatibility of connectors used. Unfortunately, many times we don't see the connectors because the system is already in place and we do one inspection. Only once did I have a contractor loosen and lift a panel in order to see what was beneath and the connection. Usually we just see the finished product, look inside any junction boxes or collector boxes on the roof and then the rest of the installation at ground level. Food for thought.
Making the connection: Fires & electrical balance of systems
Walmart’s allegation that some of the fires in the solar plants on the roofs of its stores were started by connectors echoes concerns the industry has had for some time. And the problems go far beyond one manufacturer or installer.
SEPTEMBER 3, 2019 CHRISTIAN ROSELUND
Much ink has been spilled over the lawsuit filed by Walmart against Tesla, related to the fires at solar installations on the roofs of its stores. But few journalists have asked why these fires happened in the first place, especially with technical literature stating clearly that properly installed solar arrays do not start fires.
And right there is the first clue – that the problems may not be in the arrays themselves, as much as how they were installed. A quick search for “connector” shows that this word appears dozens of times in the summons filed by Walmart on August 20, 2019.
Not only does Walmart allege that the fires at stores in Milpitas and Lakeside, California were started by faulty connectors, but the company also claims that Tesla staff had mated connectors that were incompatible with each other, that they had failed to torque the connectors adequately, and had failed to replace faulty connectors or to properly torque these following inspections, all of which resulted in unsafe conditions.
As revealed in a later report by Business Insider, Tesla had been running an internal program to replace these connectors, which were identified as Amphenol H4 connectors. Amphenol has denied that its connectors had anything to do with the fire, but this latest news is another black eye for the company following SolarWorld’s recall of modules using Amphenol connectors two and a half years ago.
However, pv magazine research indicates that the problems with connectors and their installation is much deeper than any one manufacturer or installer, and that issues with connectors could be a ticking time bomb for the solar industry.
“I would love to say it is a one-off situation, but it is a very prevalent issue in the industry,” notes Brian Mills, product manager – photovoltaics for Stäubli, which under the former name of Multi-Contact supplied connectors for nearly half of the..................
Read the rest of the article here:
https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2019/09...nnection-fires-electrical-balance-of-systems/
Making the connection: Fires & electrical balance of systems
Walmart’s allegation that some of the fires in the solar plants on the roofs of its stores were started by connectors echoes concerns the industry has had for some time. And the problems go far beyond one manufacturer or installer.
SEPTEMBER 3, 2019 CHRISTIAN ROSELUND
Much ink has been spilled over the lawsuit filed by Walmart against Tesla, related to the fires at solar installations on the roofs of its stores. But few journalists have asked why these fires happened in the first place, especially with technical literature stating clearly that properly installed solar arrays do not start fires.
And right there is the first clue – that the problems may not be in the arrays themselves, as much as how they were installed. A quick search for “connector” shows that this word appears dozens of times in the summons filed by Walmart on August 20, 2019.
Not only does Walmart allege that the fires at stores in Milpitas and Lakeside, California were started by faulty connectors, but the company also claims that Tesla staff had mated connectors that were incompatible with each other, that they had failed to torque the connectors adequately, and had failed to replace faulty connectors or to properly torque these following inspections, all of which resulted in unsafe conditions.
As revealed in a later report by Business Insider, Tesla had been running an internal program to replace these connectors, which were identified as Amphenol H4 connectors. Amphenol has denied that its connectors had anything to do with the fire, but this latest news is another black eye for the company following SolarWorld’s recall of modules using Amphenol connectors two and a half years ago.
However, pv magazine research indicates that the problems with connectors and their installation is much deeper than any one manufacturer or installer, and that issues with connectors could be a ticking time bomb for the solar industry.
“I would love to say it is a one-off situation, but it is a very prevalent issue in the industry,” notes Brian Mills, product manager – photovoltaics for Stäubli, which under the former name of Multi-Contact supplied connectors for nearly half of the..................
Read the rest of the article here:
https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2019/09...nnection-fires-electrical-balance-of-systems/
Seems to me an out for laziness. JMO
