I have used UL Product Spec and find it extremely useful. Are there any online tutorials available so that I can demonstrate to others the broad search capabilities of this powerful tool?
Yes, recently UL has developed several You Tube videos to demonstrate the features of this important tool. Links to these “How to” videos can be accessed at www.ul.com/psvideo . The web page includes several short videos that demonstrate specific searches as well as an overview video of all the search functions.
UL product spec is the next generation of the UL White Book and so much more. This search engine covers a wide range of electrical and building construction materials, equipment and fire-resistance rated assemblies and systems. UL Product Spec provides the flexibility to search UL’s exclusive technical information or specifications and find results with these five robust search methods:
Installation Code – Search over 20 of the most popular North American Installation Codes.
Product Type – Search using common industry keywords and terms.
Products, Systems and Assemblies – Search by browsing through intuitive groups of UL systems and assemblies.
UL Category Codes – Search by entering traditional four-character UL category codes.
Master Format Number – Search using Construction Specifications Institute’s (CSI) Master Format Numbers.
Simply visit www.ul.com/productspec to start your search today. Save it to the home screen on your smart phone or tablet and it will act just like an app.
Are PV connectors evaluated to mate to other manufacturer’s PV connectors?
No, photovoltaic (PV) connectors used to interconnect different components of a PV system such as PV modules and combiner boxes are not evaluated for interconnection of different manufacturer’s connectors. There are no industry standards for the construction and connector configurations of PV connectors as there is with general use attachment plugs and receptacles. UL Certified (Listed) general use wiring devices (e.g., attachment plugs and receptacles) are required to comply with industry standard ANSI/NEMA WD 6 Wiring Devices—Dimensional Specifications, in order to assure compatibility between devices of the same configuration. This assures certified (Listed) attachment plugs and receptacles use the appropriate wiring device configuration and that a plug from one manufacturer will correctly mate with a receptacle from another manufacturer and provide complete interchangeability.
Presently there is no industry standard for PV connector configurations so there is no assurance that PV connectors from one manufacturer will interconnect properly with another connector manufacturer, even if the connector configurations appear similar.
PV connectors presently are not certified (Listed) for assembly onto cables or different components of PV systems. They are UL component recognized and intended to be assembled to UL certified (Listed) PV system components such as PV modules, combiner boxes and PV wiring harness assemblies where the acceptability is determined in the end product certification (Listing) investigation of the product that is utilizing the connector.
UL certifies (Lists) wiring harness for PV systems that may incorporate these PV connectors factory assembled to the wiring harnesses under the product category Distributed Generation Wiring Systems and Harness (QHZS), located on page 416 of the 2015-16 UL White Book PDF which can be viewed or downloaded at www.ul.com/whitebook and can also be viewed on UL Product Spec at www.ul.com/productspec and enter QHZS at the category code search field.
