Disaster stuck at Medina, Ohio’s Public Safety Center when lightning hit the center’s communication tower in 2013. The surge traveled from the tower to the IT and communications racks and onward through the system. It blew out two-thirds of the dispatch center including radios and computers, damaged other electrical appliances
The 2017 NEC has incorporated sweeping changes in the way it deals with PV systems and related systems that will resonate into the future for many years.
The search for the proper charge cable and the power supply block or cube-style charge adapter that you plug into the ac voltage source seems never-ending.
US residential builders installed copper-clad aluminum (CCA) building wire for residential branch circuits in tens of thousands (perhaps even hundreds of thousands) of single family homes, condominiums and apartments.
Whether you are an electrical or building inspector, a general contractor, a PV professional or an educator, the fast pace of this evolving industry can either keep you up at night or be the morning jolt you need with (or in lieu of) that first cup of caffeine.
This article will cover some of the behind-the-scenes activities that occur along with the more formal process of developing the Code and the UL standards for PV systems.
Almost ten years ago, I had the pleasure of working on and testing new concept inverters for a large manufacturer at a facility called PVUSA (Photovoltaics for Utility Systems Applications).
Sunlight is our most valuable resource and, when properly used, it can provide all of the energy the world needs for future generations. The PV module through the photovoltaic effect is the device that allows us to convert sunlight directly into electricity and that solar-generated electricity has some unique characteristics.
This article will focus on the details of large-scale support structures for PV and some of the unique challenges for those who build and inspect these large PV projects.
This article addresses the possible pitfalls in the construction and installation of privately owned generating substations as well as some other unique types of installations.