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Solar

Well they fixed it. The roof is new too....and not a cheap one either.











The correction said to install the flashing "shingle fashion". It should have said "Get the Hell off of this roof and go back to work setting chokers"
 
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Did they cut the shingles with a torch or a chainsaw? I am arguing with Lowes right now about the need for "shingle style" positive flashing on a wood sided window replacement job instead of just caulk....
 
I like the custom paint job, adds something to the job.

This is what we used on motor homes to seal screws penetrating the aluminum skin.

http://www.crlaurence.com/crlapps/showline/offerpage.aspx?Productid=12453&GroupID=19978&History=30587%3A19747%3A19758%3A19954&ModelID=19978

It is 3/8 round butyl sealant. Pinch off a bit and put it under the metal or plastic, where the fastener hole will be. Run the screw down into the roof. The screw will pull the sealant through the hole and seal the hole. Much better than silicone sealer globbed on top of the screw. When we need to install sheetmetal steps on a restaurant roof, that is our method of installation.
 
The solar crew was in the attic. They said that the fan vent was not connected to the fan before they went in the attic. I said, "Well now you've made me feel bad for making you fix it".

 
You know, there's really not that much to know when it comes to installing solar. Articles 690 and 705. There's more in the rest of the code but scant little of it applies to what a solar installer does.

Last Friday I met the entire district office of a mid-sized solar company at a job site. There were six workmen and three supervisors. They were there to discuss corrections.

I am certain that they pass inspection with few corrections in most jurisdictions but failed dramatically in mine. Hence the meeting. They came away from it with a free education that will most likely be ignored as they continue to install the equipment wrong because it's less expensive and they get away with it in most places.

Many times I get a response to a correction that sounds like this, "I know about the plastic wire tie." When I ask, "If you know that they aren't allowed, why did you use them?" They reply "Theres only a few places that don't allow them."

Several of the corrections that I wrote were absolutely foreign to them and it's not a new company.

What can be gleaned from this information? For starters, inspectors aren't doing their job. Competent electrical contractors have avoided the solar craze. The entrepreneurs that dominate the industry are willing to sacrifice safety to make more money. It's not like they couldn't do the work with professionals and still make plenty of money.....they are greedy and it shows.

One would think that as the industry develops, it would mature and improve. That's not happening with solar. I can point to only one major player that has gotten better and many more flakes are coming to the party.
 
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ICE said:
Solar contractors can be difficult to work with. The company will have a C-10 or B license so they will install a new service along with the solar equipment. I wish that they wouldn't.
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Ya i do agree with you.. Solar contractors are difficult to work with even I have faced similar problem earlier..
 
These solar customers are really getting ripped off, especially those who lease them, if they go to sell the FHA and other GSEs will not finance with leased solar on them, and from what I hear there are horrendous penalties if the lease is paid off early. I saw a strange letter to the editor the other day from a guy who bought his:

Contra Costa Times said:
Solar users need to know all the factsI was persuaded by low prices when I was first solicited and encouraged to switch to solar power.

When I investigated and purchased solar for my home, I had high hopes that this would reduce my power bills. However, what the solar power company didn't tell me was the accumulation of fees I would be obligated to pay PG&E once the cycle was over.

While my monthly bill is lower each month, I was slammed with an abnormally large bill that I owed to PG&E without any warning whatsoever. I was simply told nothing, then expected to pay.

Truthfully, I don't even fully understand the process, and am disappointed with the solar power company for the information they withheld. We deserve to know exactly what we're getting into!

Larry Miller

Concord¹
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I don't know what he's talking about and he apparently doesn't either.

¹ http://www.contracostatimes.com/letters/ci_26559086/sept-19-letters-editor
 
They did it again. Left everything wide open and they're gone.



Here's something new. They painted the GEC.



 
The inspection request said "rough electrical" and it was....rough that is. There are permits for the solar and a service upgrade.

As usual, I started on the roof. The kid in charge told me that they only wanted the service upgrade inspected and not the rooftop solar.

I explained that we do a rough inspection of the solar as well. He told me that they never get a rough inspection of the rooftop solar and that I can inspect that at final. I said "suit yourself but the modules will have to be removed for that rough/final inspection." He got on the phone and was able to assure me that his project manager is positive that we don't require a rough solar inspection and I should get off the roof and inspect the service.

Then he says "You're the first inspector that's ever come up with this s h i t." I'm not going to tell where I hid his head.









Before I returned to the office, the project manager called the office manager to complain about corrections that I wrote. I love it when the managers get together and complain about the inspector. As it turns out, I should not have written corrections on the rooftop solar because I wasn't there to inspect it. I recommended that they toss out the correction slip and wait till I am there to inspect the rooftop solar. Now see how easy that was...Hell I'm management material.
 
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But he's in violation of both state and federal law by not being tied off, in fact our Tiger can't go up there to inspect the installation without being in violation of the law. Around here inspectors never go up on roofs anymore, even nailing inspections, for what they are worth, are done from underneath.
 
conarb said:
But he's in violation of both state and federal law by not being tied off, in fact our Tiger can't go up there to inspect the installation without being in violation of the law. Around here inspectors never go up on roofs anymore, even nailing inspections, for what they are worth, are done from underneath.
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When it comes to inspections, I always get my money's worth in Hillsborough, Sacramento, and some of the small towns. Others...windshield inspectors. Why even bother showing up?

"Yep. There is definitely some short of sheet product up there".

Brent.
 
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