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  • westbranch
    westbranch Solar Expert Posts: 5,183 ✭✭✭✭
    edited March 2018 #32
    The time of day that wire got fried was just as the   controller was putting in MAX AMPS and MAX VOLTS...it worked fine for 2 years because I did not have all the panels up. Added 4  more  PV's  and 'where is that smell coming from?' about an hour later.

     
    KID #51B  4s 140W to 24V 900Ah C&D AGM
    CL#29032 FW 2126/ 2073/ 2133 175A E-Panel WBjr, 3 x 4s 140W to 24V 900Ah C&D AGM 
    Cotek ST1500W 24V Inverter,OmniCharge 3024,
    2 x Cisco WRT54GL i/c DD-WRT Rtr & Bridge,
    Eu3/2/1000i Gens, 1680W & E-Panel/WBjr to come, CL #647 asleep
    West Chilcotin, BC, Canada
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,615 admin
    #33
    It can take months to years for electrical connections to fail (wet, lose, a bit too much current for connections, etc).

    I have had 120/240 vac neutral bonds fail from just a few drops of water over multiple winters (10+ years since electrical remodel in my present home).

    It may have caused the final failure, but i bet the connection was slowly failing over months, at least.

    Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • Dave Angelini
    Dave Angelini Solar Expert Posts: 6,894 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    #34
    Earthquakes also along with sonic booms or ordinance going off. All it takes is a jolt and cable fastening screws can back off a pinch and the cycle begins. Remember Loma Prieta Bill ? Not sure if you were in the city then but down in San Jose we had all kinds of weird electrical at the HP plant on Stevens Creek Blvd.  Apple sent people home for a week as there were flickers...

    Up here in Mariposa we have a military base 250 miles away across the Sierra in Nevada,  they set off all kinds of bombs and then the mining industry also does things along with people blowing up rock to grade a pad for a house. Another reason not to put solar on a roof....
    Imagine being up there when 4 sticks go off at once?

    Once you have been through this and retorqued you are usually good. I think people also do not know how to slowly torque a connection and they never really set it right to begin with. Checking it later and again a nice slow (30 seconds or more) application up to the correct torque. 
    "we go where power lines don't" Sierra Nevada mountain area
       htps://offgridsolar1.com/
    E-mail offgridsolar@sti.net

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  • softdown
    softdown Solar Expert Posts: 3,901 ✭✭✭✭
    #35
    As BB was discussing, a 3000 watt inverter on a 12 volt system is similar to a 12,000 watt inverter on a 48 volt system. Which, as BB mentions, requires gigantic copper wires. There are several sizes larger than 4/0 but they sure don't seem to pop up very often. I have never heard anyone calling for such a size here.....from memory. I once mentioned they are available....somewhere. Certainly not at a typical hardware store. 

    I don't think equalizing should have caused this unless your current was too strong for your wires.....which BB alluded to. 

    I may have missed something....feeling distracted by other challenges. 
    First Bank:16 180 watt Grape Solar with  FM80 controller and 3648 Inverter....Fullriver 8D AGM solar batteries. Second Bank/MacGyver Special: 10 165(?) watt BP Solar with Renogy MPPT 40A controller/ and Xantrex C-35 PWM controller/ and Morningstar PWM controller...Cotek 24V PSW inverter....forklift and diesel locomotive batteries
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,615 admin
    #36
    I (and my wife) were at work in San Jose during that quake... Not much happened at my place (had just gone through an earthquake proofing of the work place--Large shelves, equipment, etc. all bolted/tied down, etc. in a relatively new office park). City streets were stop and go/really backed up as people headed home... Freeway (at least 101 north bound) was completely open and the average speed was something like 85 MPH... That was a nice (and fast) drive home on the freeway.

    Had one office mate whose old house in Oakland fell off foundation. Another lived up in the hills near "ground zero"--The refrigerator was thrown across the kitchen and all of the plates on that wall were thrown to the floor too (no other damage to structure).

    The Loma Prieta quake produced higher lateral G forces that had been measured/estimated than any other quake before.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • softdown
    softdown Solar Expert Posts: 3,901 ✭✭✭✭
    #37
    Following up on xl cable. 4/0 weighs ~.80 lbs/ft. 250 mcm weighs ~ 1/lb/ft. Not a real big difference.
    350 mcm has pretty majestic pricing and limited availability.
    First Bank:16 180 watt Grape Solar with  FM80 controller and 3648 Inverter....Fullriver 8D AGM solar batteries. Second Bank/MacGyver Special: 10 165(?) watt BP Solar with Renogy MPPT 40A controller/ and Xantrex C-35 PWM controller/ and Morningstar PWM controller...Cotek 24V PSW inverter....forklift and diesel locomotive batteries
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  • Dave Angelini
    Dave Angelini Solar Expert Posts: 6,894 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    #38
    BB. said:
    I (and my wife) were at work in San Jose during that quake... Not much happened at my place (had just gone through an earthquake proofing of the work place--Large shelves, equipment, etc. all bolted/tied down, etc. in a relatively new office park). City streets were stop and go/really backed up as people headed home... Freeway (at least 101 north bound) was completely open and the average speed was something like 85 MPH... That was a nice (and fast) drive home on the freeway.

    Had one office mate whose old house in Oakland fell off foundation. Another lived up in the hills near "ground zero"--The refrigerator was thrown across the kitchen and all of the plates on that wall were thrown to the floor too (no other damage to structure).

    The Loma Prieta quake produced higher lateral G forces that had been measured/estimated than any other quake before.

    -Bill
    It was a fun earthquake for our neighborhood. We all slept on the lawns in tents and the beer was cold for the first day....
    Yea the laterals were up there!  We watched Apple computer plant literally roll. I think they watched us as we both were in the lawsuit mode over touch screen technology.

    You were driving 85 on HW 280 right?
    "we go where power lines don't" Sierra Nevada mountain area
       htps://offgridsolar1.com/
    E-mail offgridsolar@sti.net

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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,615 admin
    #39
    No--Just major streets in San Jose and Highway 101 up to Highway 92.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • Dave Angelini
    Dave Angelini Solar Expert Posts: 6,894 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    #40
    Hwy 92 out to half moon bay?  Or did you live on 92 between 101 and 280 in the burbs? I always wonder if we met in one of those afterwork watering holes? I spent some time around corporate on Page Mill Road commuting to home Blossom Valley. 

     Talk about collusion with the Russians. They were all over and we were in and out of security clearances on a monthly basis. The big contracts often did not include HP until they realized we were the only one who made it :) Bill and Dave were all about making lots of money and regarded the Government as a last resort in business.

    Fun times, I miss the people then also. 
    "we go where power lines don't" Sierra Nevada mountain area
       htps://offgridsolar1.com/
    E-mail offgridsolar@sti.net

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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,615 admin
    #41
    I live near 92&101.

    Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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