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Tech Help
Got a question? Take advantage of the knowledge and expertise of other CivicSolar members. Have a special skill or tip to pass on? Consider posting an article and adding to the depth of the CivicSolar knowledge base.
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Latest Activity
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Thanks for the information. A
Answered by elissared on 11/01/2012
Thanks for the information. A professional roofer can make some suggestions about this matter.
Answer
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Great article. I learned a
Added by elissared on 11/01/2012
Great article. I learned a lot from it. I'll be careful when I try to make it.
Comment
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mg,Many installers will just
Answered by SF_Solar on 11/01/2012
mg, Many installers will just transition in junction boxes from the Engage cable to THWN wire for the run to the service panel.
Answer
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The ground wire has to be #8
Answered by SF_Solar on 11/01/2012
The ground wire has to be #8 bare wire for the lay in lugs - the stranded wire just gets smashed in the set screws.
Answer
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Yes there is a handy guide,
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MG,As you saw in the article
Answered by SF_Solar on 11/01/2012
MG, As you saw in the article AC Coupling , there are three options besides the SMA Sunny Island / Sunny Boy combination: Outback, Xantrex and Magnum Energy.
Answer
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I have two strings that each contain 11 230W panels in series. They are 36V, 8amp panels. Each string has its own DC+,DC-,GND
Asked 11/01/2012
I have two strings that each contain 11 230W panels in series. They are 36V, 8amp panels.
Question – 1 comment
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Can you add battery back up without changing the inverter?
Asked 11/01/2012
I read your article on AC Coupling. I have a customer with an 1800 watt grid tied system. He has a Fronius IG 2000 inverter.
Question – 2 comments
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There are a couple of reasons
Answered by SF_Solar on 10/31/2012
There are a couple of reasons not to extend a PV array above the ridge of a sloped roof.
Answer
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What is the best way to combine Enphase circuits (240VAC) on the roof?
Asked 10/31/2012
I am trying to figure out the best way to combine Enphase microinverter branch circuits on a comp shingle roof?
Question – 1 comment
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Is it acceptable for solar panels to extend beyond the ridge of a sloped roof?
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I think there are a lot of
Answered by ghacont@sbcglob... on 10/30/2012
I think there are a lot of factors that go into what a pv system will actually produce.
Answer
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Good article and I like the
Added by mhamon on 10/30/2012
Good article and I like the inclusion of the fault signature FFT figure. There is a point I have to correct and add some more detail.
Comment
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Ghacont,Thanks for your
Answered by SF_Solar on 10/30/2012
Ghacont, Thanks for your observation - corrected for daily usage. I generally rounded up so the count I get is 82 modules, but now we have a ballpark estimate...
Answer
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I disagree with the above
Answered by ghacont@sbcglob... on 10/30/2012
I disagree with the above comment. 33,313kw/365 days in a year = 91.27kw/per day(daily consumption). or 91270 watts/per day using the the assumptions above...
Answer
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To be conservative, allow for
Answered by SF_Solar on 10/29/2012
To be conservative, allow for 77% of the module's STC rating (245W) for its hourly rate of production once it passes through an inverter, or 189W.
Answer
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How many watts will a Suntech STP245-20/Wd produce?
Asked 10/29/2012
If I am using 33313 of kWhs a year, then how many panels are required?
Question – 4 comments
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Thanks for the information. I
Answered by floricecoln on 10/28/2012
Thanks for the information. I think, I'll prefer the fastener.
Answer
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This is a very nice tool for
Added by rjog on 10/25/2012
This is a very nice tool for designing SolarEdge systems: http://www.solaredge.us/groups/us/installer-tools/site-designer
Comment
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mg,Yes, the IEMU-03 can
Answered by SF_Solar on 10/24/2012
mg, Yes, the IEMU-03 can monitor up to 250 micro inverters.
Answer
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Emmett,The fasteners have
Answered by SF_Solar on 10/24/2012
Emmett, The fasteners have about the same pull-out strength, but the stand-off is much more resistant to lateral loads.
Answer
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How does the attachment strength of an Ejot Solar Fastener compare to that of a Unirac standoff?
Asked 10/23/2012
The Ejot Solar Fastener uses only one hanger bolt, whereas the Unirac Standoff uses two lag bolts.
Question – 2 comments
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How many panels can you monitor with a single Enphase Envoy IEMU-03?
Asked 10/22/2012
I am working on a 50 kW solar project where I want to use Enphase micro-inverters.
Question – 1 comment
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Here is the most recent
Answered by SF_Solar on 10/18/2012
Here is the most recent update on connecting the Fronius products for monitoring: http://www.civicsolar.com/node/26156
Answer
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Martha,You might want to
Answered by SF_Solar on 10/17/2012
Martha, You might want to consider using a Soladeck combiner.
Answer