Solar install turning out really bad - looking for some help/advice please.

[Ian S]

And finally again the lining up...would it have killed them to mount everything lined up instead of zig zag like this?

Probably just doing it to annoy you at this point. I think it's called passive-aggressive behavior. So, party this weekend?

[HX_Guy]

Probably just doing it to annoy you at this point. I think it's called passive-aggressive behavior. So, party this weekend?

Haha wouldn't surprise me. The offset rows are annoying but honestly I'll never see them so should be fine. If I'm bored one weekend I guess I can get up there and scoot them over a few inches, I'll see.

[HX_Guy]

Can you scoot those panels up a few inches so the rainwater runoff will go into the gutter?

Yeah, I don't see why not. There is a limitation of how much, because the landscape panels above still need to overlap by bottom rail by a certain amount, but as you can see now, it overlaps the bottom rail more than the top rail, so there is room to move it up for sure.

[HX_Guy]

Just finished making a 1" hole in the roof decking and piecing the parts together with this diagram to make sure I'm not missing anything. Looks like I have everything I need to get it all installed in the attic tomorrow. Now I have to get up into the attic space above the garage and make a second hole there.

[HX_Guy]

Finished up for the night, drilled the second hole above the garage attic space and popped the conduit thru, worked out perfectly right next to the rafter so it can be secured with a clamp. Then fed the flexible conduit up through the hole in the garage wall and brought it over to the other conduit. I'm thinking I don't even need that other flex between the T body and this flex, I can just run the T body straight off the conduit through the roof deck, no?

[Living Large]

Better Business Bureau - Accredited vs non-accredited Ratings - my opinion

I believe to be accredited, you have to be a member (PAY DUES).

In my experience, if you are accredited, you get an A or an A+ rating. Period.

If you are not accredited (DON'T PAY RANSOM), you get whatever rating they believe you deserve, based on multiple factors.

The usefulness to me of the BBB is in assessing non-accredited businesses. I have had good luck on two occasions of getting the BBB to help me get restitution from NON accredited businesses. One of those businesses told me "we hate dealing with the BBB". Probably for good reason.

Just my .02. When I see a business is accredited, I totally ignore its rating as being non-meaningful.

Looks like good progress on your project.

[foo1bar]

Finished up for the night, drilled the second hole above the garage attic space and popped the conduit thru, worked out perfectly right next to the rafter so it can be secured with a clamp. Then fed the flexible conduit up through the hole in the garage wall and brought it over to the other conduit. I'm thinking I don't even need that other flex between the T body and this flex, I can just run the T body straight off the conduit through the roof deck, no?

Probably.

Are you making sure that the conduit is fastened to something in reasonable spacing?
(ex. there's a conduit strap holding it in place)

I don't know the requirements for strapping/support of FMC - that's something you should go look up. And make sure you look up requirements for longer runs vs. strapping at endpoints.

the EMT sections you have will need support too - Probably since they're so short anywhere you can get a clamp/strap on them will work.
I think for EMT it's within 3' of the ends and at least once every 10 feet (if you have long runs, which you don't)
But FMC I'm sure needs more support.

[HX_Guy]

Install is complete!!! But, it doesn't quite work yet.

Everything got finished, we powered up the inverter, all systems ok...then got an error message:

AC Voltage Too High

The manual says that means the output voltage (from the inverter to the house service panel) measured a surge. Problem is, it killed the installer's test meter and that was that, couldn't try it again. Oh so close. They said they are coming back out tomorrow with a new meter. I called SolarEdge and they said we need a new meter to run some tests...it could be a faulty inverter transformer, would be my luck.

Anyway, progress photos from today...

Started out by finishing up the roof penetration for the conduit...


Used the same sealing method that I did on the standoffs...


Bit more goo inside the hole for extra measure...


And some more on top too, finished product...


Inside the attic I secured the conduit to a rafter and put some sealant from this side too.


For the other one though, it didn't end up next to a rafter, so I put in a piece of 2x4 between the rafters to secure the conduit.


Ran the FMC through the wall and then the wiring was pulled by the installer.


Wiring all pulled and connected inside the combiner box.


I took a voltage reading at the 11 panel string and got 11.1VDC, just like I should. With the power optimizers, they output 1v each until the inverter is turned on. Makes it safe and easy to make sure all the panels in the string are properly wired.


Now back to the panels above the gutter from yesterday...

Not only were they above the gutter, but they didn't install the mid-clamps correctly.


These are supposed to go vertically, not horizontally, so that the sharp ends puncture through the anodized coating and ground the panel, like this...


So with that, we redid all of them, put the clamps the correct way, moved them up and all looks great now.

[HX_Guy]

And finally I made them redo the conduit on the outside. Even with me watching as close as I could the whole process, the guy still snuck in 3/4" conduit instead of 1" like the permit says. Could not believe it. I even saw him with a piece of 1" in his hand, so figured it was good, and I went up on the roof to do my thing with the penetrations and when I came back down, the 3/4" was already in.

It should be fine, the conduit fill is 34% and the permit says max allowed is 31%, but old NEC code was 40% so I don't see why it would't be ok. We'll see what the inspector says, if he's good with it, I'm good with it.

At least it came out looking nice, now I have to redo my irrigation conduit because it looks like ass.

[HX_Guy]

Probably.

Are you making sure that the conduit is fastened to something in reasonable spacing?
(ex. there's a conduit strap holding it in place)

I don't know the requirements for strapping/support of FMC - that's something you should go look up. And make sure you look up requirements for longer runs vs. strapping at endpoints.

the EMT sections you have will need support too - Probably since they're so short anywhere you can get a clamp/strap on them will work.
I think for EMT it's within 3' of the ends and at least once every 10 feet (if you have long runs, which you don't)
But FMC I'm sure needs more support.

I'll be working on clamping the FMC to the rafters a bit later today. I ran 1" FMC like the permit specified so all should be good there.

[HX_Guy]

Secured the FMC to the rafters so all finished up in the attic. Also made some labels for the conduit as someone on another forum recommended to do.







Also apparently I'm good on the conduit fill even with the 3/4" the installer used outside, the permit says max allowable is 40% and I'm at 34%.




On a side note, since I was up in the attic, I notice that the people who installed my radiant barrier only cut out holes for the roof vent in 2 of the 6 spots, with one being half done. Took a few minutes and fixed all of them so now all 6 vents are open to the attic.

[foo1bar]

Secured the FMC to the rafters so all finished up in the attic. Also made some labels for the conduit as someone on another forum recommended to do.

If that attic space is accessible, I think that conduit running horizontally at a few feet above the floor is not allowed by code.
I believe the reasoning is that people might see that as a handy place to hang some clothes-hangers from for clothing their storing away for the winter/summer/whatever.

It looks fairly un-finished - so maybe it is considered not accessible and maybe you're fine.
(and I'm not sure about the rule for conduit - I know there's a rule for romex.)

[HX_Guy]

Yeah I guess it's accessible as in there's an access opening but there is literally almost no space up there, I can't even stand up straight in there at the highest point.

[Volusiano]

I notice in a pic where your conduit comes in from the roof to the attic, that area doesn't have a radiant barrier. Is there a reason why there's no radiant barrier there?

[HX_Guy]

I notice in a pic where your conduit comes in from the roof to the attic, that area doesn't have a radiant barrier. Is there a reason why there's no radiant barrier there?

It's over the garage, the radiant barrier people said it would be pointless to put in there too.