Sales Engineer from Boulder, CO

[Walt_Solartown]

Howdy all - this is my first post on Solarpaneltalk.com. I work as a Sales Engineer for Solartown.com and have been working in the industry for the past year. We can provide systems to do-it-yourselfers across the country. I'm a big fan of Enphase's micro-inverters and you can see how my system is performing here: http://enlighten.enphaseenergy.com/p...stems/GGkg2993. I've learned a lot this year and I enjoy learning new things. I hope this forum will help us all learn more about solar energy - how to design it, install it, and make a meaningful contribution to future generations!

[MarineLiner]

[Mike90250]

Howdy all - this is my first post on Solarpaneltalk.com. I work as a Sales Engineer for Solartown.com and have been working in the industry for the past year. We can provide systems to do-it-yourselfers across the country. I'm a big fan of Enphase's micro-inverters and you can see how my system is performing here: http://enlighten.enphaseenergy.com/p...stems/GGkg2993. I've learned a lot this year and I enjoy learning new things. I hope this forum will help us all learn more about solar energy - how to design it, install it, and make a meaningful contribution to future generations!

As sales engineer, do you have a degree in marketing or is it electronics ? Just wondering what level to converse with you at.
Welcome to the board, and we'll have a fine time learning.

[Walt_Solartown]

At this point I would say 'no' - the M190s are still around $195/each, but there is a new D380 that connects two panels at a time. I haven't installed any yet but I think its a good sweet spot - SolarTown sells them for $379. As I understand it, the twin packs have all the benefits of single panel microinverters but you only install half as many on an array. We had a bad panel fail on a customer installation and it was easy to start the RMA/return process with the manufacturer thanks to the data on the Enphase site.

[Walt_Solartown]

Physical Engineer - definitely not. I've taken 3 or 4 classes with SEI and have my NABCEP certificate of knowledge but I am not NABCEP certified. Most of my career has been working as a QA Engineer - mostly database stuff. I wanted to get out an interact more with people and am enjoying work again with SolarTown!

[MarineLiner]

More technical question.

Thanks for the responses.

Again i need your help to reply at:

Home made panels connected to enphase inverter - Solar Panel Help Desk

http://www.solarpaneltalk.com/showthread.php?p=10971#post10971

Thanks in advance.

[Sunking]

Physical Engineer - definitely not. I've taken 3 or 4 classes with SEI and have my NABCEP certificate of knowledge but I am not NABCEP certified.

So you have no experience, license, education, or knowledge selling the stuff? Sounds like you need to be in politics.

[Walt_Solartown]

I figured I take some lumps for my reply. But I've installed 8 systems and sold 6 others. I still don't like the breaker box but solar doesn't have to be too difficult. Politician? I prefer do-it-yourselfer...

[Sunking]

I still don't like the breaker box but solar doesn't have to be too difficult.

That clearly demonstrates you have no understanding of even the most basic electrical principles or application. SEI and NABCEP has no recognition in the industry or local jurisdiction. All you can do is try to BS DIYer's into thinking you know something and sell them something.

[crxvfr]

That clearly demonstrates you have no understanding of even the most basic electrical principles or application. SEI and NABCEP has no recognition in the industry or local jurisdiction. All you can do is try to BS DIYer's into thinking you know something and sell them something.

Sunking, ...geesh.

We all know you can squish us with your solar knowledge.
...at least give us peasants some credit for trying.

EDIT ADD: I do see your point about protecting the board from solicitation, but I don't see where he was trying to sell anything.

[Sunking]

Sunking, ...geesh.

You are right, and I apologize. What set me off was:

We can provide systems to do-it-yourselfers across the country.

and

I still don't like the breaker box but solar doesn't have to be too difficult.

To me that sounds like a recipe for disaster. I know sales people do not have to know everything about the products they sell, but they should at least know some of the basics like safety issues.

[Walt_Solartown]

If I'm afraid of heights does it mean I can't climb a mountain? I was hoping this forum would be a place to brainstorm and learn. If I make a bad post I'm sure the community will call me on it. Sorry I didn't go to your engineering school.

[MarineLiner]

It's grid-tied, and it is definitely producing power. Unfortunately, it's all bought and paid for, I just can't seem to get the monitoring to work.

enphase monitoring - Solar Panel Help Desk

http://www.solarpaneltalk.com/showthread.php?p=10153#post10153

That is the origin post that i picked up the questions of "BlacNight".

I think it need also a further discussion.

[crxvfr]

If I'm afraid of heights does it mean I can't climb a mountain? I was hoping this forum would be a place to brainstorm and learn. If I make a bad post I'm sure the community will call me on it. Sorry I didn't go to your engineering school.

I wouldn't worry about it. Sunking is far and above where the rest of us see things from. He's not just an engineer, rather Master of Science in Electrical engineering with enough experience in the field to make just about anybody a peon.

He thinks like an engineer, ....but he's not ALL bad, haha. Stick with it and you will see. I got off on the wrong foot with him too. Since then I have come to admire him as a super smart curiosity. hehe. I think he thinks I am a bit of a curiosity too so it's all good. You'll not meet anybody better to learn or brainstorm from so far as solar power goes. Just be prepared to have every single idea shot down, From that, you get to hear about all the bad ideas that might cause you problems, and you can refine the idea that YOU have faith in. I've been working against the grain from the git go, doing everything backwards but I'm getting it done. I have a pretty good idea about what I'm doing, but most of what I've learned is from Sunking and Mike90250 telling me why this or that is a bad idea. They are smart, and sometimes gruff, but I am grateful for the help they offer. Hopefully, I will have over 2 kilowatts flowing by the end of the month and 3 by the end of August. One, maybe a little more, will be from panels I made myself.

One last think, ...so far as solar power forums go, you'll not get away from SK.
He is prolific.

btw, haha, welcome to the board.

So anyways, ...I believe MarineLiner was trying to change the subject....

[Mike90250]

Since the term "sales engineer" is as meaningful as "domestic engineer", I've going to ignore the "title".

So what is it that your are looking for ? anything specific? Difference between PWM and MPPT harvest circuits ? Grid Tie inverter pros & cons ? Winter Sun angle, summer harvest, how to read string sizer charts for inverters ?
We're here to help, but don't try to baffle us with BS.