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Solar

Is the drop possibly shielded because it goes over a pool?

Like a protection shielding in case an aluminum pole touches it while in the pool?

Brent.
 
MASSDRIVER said:
Is the drop possibly shielded because it goes over a pool? Like a protection shielding in case an aluminum pole touches it while in the pool?

Brent.
Click to expand...
The metal shield is the neutral.
 
They requested an inspection for a meter release. That's because there are no electricians working for the solar company. They hire a subcontractor to do the service upgrade and they handle the inspections.

 
One of the big problems facing the solar industry is copper wire touching the aluminum frame of modules and the racking system. This company installed bare copper lugs on the module frames and the racking.



They also placed antioxidant compound in the terminals because ......well you all know what happens when you mix copper with copper.

The icing on the cake is the reaction I got when I told them that this is wrong. They have already gone to the office manager to complain that I am picking on them. They gave me snickering and muttered insults.....They are such a bunch of idiots but they were smart enough to get into a government program to do energy audits on residential. Then they insulate, replace windows, install fans, remove asbestos duct, and install four panel PV systems that crank out a 1000 watts. Whoopee were toasting bread for free.

The company is from Arizona. They also install solar water heaters. Now that's a racket. They have never passed an inspection. They took out near 40 permits in my office. After doing a few they just up and stopped. The government was giving them huge money but it wasn't enough.....to do it over a half dozen times.

Their plans always include a purlin and brace to support a 650# water tank on the roof. They never install them.....well almost never. I went in one attic where they blew in insulation three feet thick. I put a picture at the forum but I can't find it now.

What's troubling is that I have a tiny piece of ground to work here in SoCal and I know they are getting away with a lot in many places.
 
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The satellite dish is in the fire dept setback. The plans state that the HO will move it. Fat chance huh.

 
This is the stuff we have to deal with when the legislators know best....Gotta be "green" friendly

STATE OF CONNECTICUT

General Assembly

Committee Bill No. 6435

January Session, 2015

LCO No. 5433

*05433HB06435ET_*

Referred to Committee on ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY

Introduced by:

(ET)

Connecticut General Assembly - January Session, 2015

AN ACT STREAMLINING THE PERMITTING PROCESS FOR RESIDENTIAL SOLAR

PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEMS.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General

Assembly convened:

Section 1. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2015) (a) As used in this section:

(1) "Residential solar photovoltaic system" means equipment and devices

that have the primary purpose of collecting solar energy and generating

electricity by photovoltaic effect, have a nameplate capacity of twelve

kilowatts or less, are installed on the roof of a single-family or multifamily

home, conform to the National Electrical Code, and State Building and Fire

Safety Codes and do not exceed the maximum building height authorized by the

municipality where such home is situated;

(2) "Municipality" means any town, consolidated town and city or

consolidated town and borough;

(3) "Permit" means a permit to install and interconnect a residential solar

photovoltaic system to the electric grid;

(4) "Permit applicant" means a natural person or household seeking a permit

to install a residential solar photovoltaic system;

(5) "Inspection" means a structural, electrical and fire safety inspection

of the permit applicant's residential solar photovoltaic system.

(b) Not later than January 1, 2016, each municipality shall develop a

permitting process for residential solar photovoltaic systems. Each

municipality shall develop and post on the municipality's Internet web site a

permit application for the installation of a residential solar photovoltaic

system. A municipality may allow for electronic submission of such application.

Each municipality may charge a flat fee for such permit, unless the

municipality exempts such systems from payment of permit fees pursuant to

section 29-263 of the general statutes.

© Not more than three business days after receipt of a permit

application, a municipality shall inspect the applicant's residential solar

photovoltaic system. Not more than one inspection is required for each

residential solar photovoltaic system, unless a health or safety issue is

detected during the inspection of such system. A municipality may perform a

separate fire safety inspection if deemed necessary by the municipality. Review

of the permit application shall be limited to whether the residential solar

photovoltaic system meets all health and safety requirements of municipal,

state and federal law. If the municipality makes a finding that a residential

solar photovoltaic system does not meet municipal, state or federal health and

safety requirements, such municipality may require the permit applicant to

apply for a special use permit.

(d) Not more than ten business days after receipt of a permit application,

a municipality shall inform such permit applicant whether such application is

approved or denied.

NOTE: THIS SECTION CONTAINS A FORM/CHART THAT IS NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN A

TEXT FORMAT. PLEASE CALL STATE NET AT 1-800-726-4566 FOR ADDITIONAL

INFORMATION.

Statement of Purpose:

To streamline the permitting process for residential solar photovoltaic

systems.

Co-Sponsors: REP. HOYDICK, 120th Dist.

H.B. 6435
 
steveray

Please start a thread with the legislation posted above so we can comment (murderous intent).

Don't want to clog up this thread
 
Span said:
http://www.strutchannelfittings.com/THK-GBL-4SS-ILSCO-SOLAR-GROUNDING-CONNECTOR-UL2703-CERTIFIED-UNIT-PRICE1000-PCS-MADE-IN-USA_p_1206.htmlWill this help for grounding connection?
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I would like to say yes but the answer is no. We attach a cut sheet from Ilsco to the plans during plan check. It shows the correct lugs with exacting installation instructions. Seldom does anyone read the plans before I get there.

This particular numbskull has tried five other times to pass inspection. He started with Crouse-Hinds lugs that are not UL2703. Next was Burndy which also lacks UL2703. Then there was a lug made of aluminum with no identification. Amphenol showed up installed wrong. And the time before this it was Ilsco installed with a star washer between the lug and the rails/module frames. Each time I showed him the cut sheet that is part of the plans. The company has been informed about keeping the bare copper wire secured away from the aluminum components and they stuck bare copper lugs all over it. To top it off they have been to my office to complain about me. Apparently nothing satisfies me.

So how dumb are they? They paid $5.60 apiece for the bare copper lugs. They bought 100 of them to get a better deal.
 
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The state government of California gave us this to speed up the permitting process. It is 82 pages of how to go about he business of a building dept. It's gonna make us real fast.

California Solar Permitting Guidebook http://www.opr.ca.gov/docs/California_Solar_Permitting_Guidebook_2014.pdf

Here's where the state got carried away. http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201320140AB2188

This is in there:

(2) The checklist and required permitting documentation shall be published on a publically accessible Internet Web site, if the city, county, or city and county has an Internet Web site, and the city, county, or city and county shall allow for electronic submittal of a permit application and associated documentation, and shall authorize the electronic signature on all forms, applications, and other documentation in lieu of a wet signature by an applicant.
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(2) “Electronic submittal” means the utilization of one or more of the following:(A) Email.

(B) The Internet.

© Facsimile.
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(h) For a small residential rooftop solar energy system eligible for expedited review, only one inspection shall be required
Click to expand...
 
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I had a solar contractor screaming at me today. He called me an A-hole. I reckon I'll choke the bastard with corrections.











 
The contractor got angry at the last attempt for a final inspection. We require smoke and co detectors when solar goes on the roof. You know.....the building code and a permit gets you detectors. Well he hadn't installed any and there were none. He had a bunch on the truck so it wasn't like he had to go to Home Depot. He says, "You didn't say anything about detectors the other four times that you have been here". I said "Hey now let me save you a trip... go ahead and put them in and get the plaster work done.....when I come back after it's stuccoed, for the final inspection, you don't have to be here."



They always wait until I say something about the detectors before they will install them. I usually hear "Oh this jurisdiction requires detectors...can you wait....I have them on the truck...it'll only take me five minutes". Even when I tell them at the rough inspection, they still don't do it...maybe they are banking on getting a different inspector that might miss it. They do the same thing with the labels and that plaque.

I guess he showed me. Since I couldn't get the door open, I couldn't see the labels. Okay angry little man lets do better next time.
 
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My office manager is damned determined to allow a C-46 Solar Contractor a permit to install service upgrades. The head of the electrical section has said absolutely not but many of the satellite office managers don't pay any attention to the el. section head. When they are given an office to run, it goes straight to their heads. All of the sudden, they know what's best for everybody, every time, in every situation. They don't believe me when I tell them that these outfits don't know Jack Shlt.

A stumbling block for these managers is that they are all civil engineers. So who knows better than a civil engineer? They think the Shlt out of it and can't be reasoned with.

 
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Here is a "reason" that the Civil Engineer can be challenged. "Have you considered your legal obligation to follow state laws that if you intentionally ignore them you are committing criminal misdemeanor?" Civil service employees sign a statement upon entering employment that they will obey all state laws and enforce those that are required of their position.
 
The hole that the red wire passes through is a problem. The whole thing is listed.



Here it is with the cover in place.



I described it as a fatal flaw
 
This is a listed lay-in lug. There is a specific torque in the installation instructions for the mounting hardware.



One small problem is that a socket can't be used.

 
They should make them with a snap-bolt that will sever when they hit a certain torque. Automatically tells you if it's correctly tightened.

Brent.
 
MASSDRIVER said:
They should make them with a snap-bolt that will sever when they hit a certain torque. Automatically tells you if it's correctly tightened.Brent.
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That makes too much sense to gain traction in the solar industry.
 
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California is finally being forced to do something about these solar scams:

Originally Posted by California Contractors License Board Newsletter

CSLB is now receiving three times the number of complaints

involving solar contracting than any other type of licensed

contracting. Consumers who file a solar-related complaint with

CSLB most commonly claim that energy savings claims did not

match what had been promised, or that companies that handle sales

and installation took government rebates meant for them.

This is a common theme among those who work in the field and

those who help regulate it. “With all the sales pitches claiming

everything is free and Wall Street financing most of the systems, it is

very common to see production not matching what was promised,”

said Pete Gregson, whose Advance Power Inc. solar business outside

of Ukiah manufactures and installs solar equipment. Gregson,

who also serves as a subject matter expert (SME) for CSLB, urged

contractors to make sure their solar projects produce the amount

of power they claim, taking into account the variables of design,

equipment, installation, and site location. ¹
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As the true-up bills come in it's obvious this isn't working, I think I'll go to the next Board meeting and propose that they make all contractors installing solar put the amount of savings in the contract and put up a $1 million bond guaranteeing those savings so defrauded people have a way to recoup their losses. Too bad we can't make the building departments pay too for aiding and abetting this scam.

¹ http://www.cslb.ca.gov/Resources/New...er_2014-15.pdf
 
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