Disaster PV Installation - Photos Please ?

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Disaster PV Installation - Photos Please ?

Postby Tracker » Thu Apr 22, 2010 11:23 am

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Elsewhere a discussion was started on total disaster PV installations. :shock:

The greatest interest lies in Formal Installations at schools etc. like the one at Lithgow, suggested to be totally shaded - all day long.

Other photos of dodgy installations could also be included, so that we can all see what some installers have thought that they could get away with.

PS - We don't want to turn this into a bun-fight.. This is just to highlight what dramatic disasters do occur.
and so readers can recognise what IS a disaster and WHY.
The exception to this is Govt. Schools etc. where I for one would want to see the work/site exposed, along with the installing contractors.. This is Tax-Payer money, and generally paid at many times the true value of the installation.

No Private Names or Addresses Please - Suburb/area, perhaps, so that we can appreciate topography etc. ;)

Preferably - No complete home photos.. Crop the photo to minimise the ability to readily recognise the yard/house, whilst showing the nature of the Solar Failure.
again - I suggest that Govt. Buildings are open slather - go for it.

Don't forget that we are having a go at the Installation, whilst sympathising with the poor bloody owner.
( Many of which, would not appreciate that they even had an issue re. a faulty Installation )
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Last edited by Tracker on Thu Apr 22, 2010 9:50 pm, edited 4 times in total.
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Re: Disaster PV Installation - Photos Please ?

Postby Inspector » Thu Apr 22, 2010 2:13 pm

Firstly a disclaimer...

In all cases I have attempted to conceal the location of these installations to protect the owner's identity and I will not be naming installers or associated companies. I will not discuss any details which might identify the location or installer.

Finally, if anyone recognises any of these sites and wishes me to remove them from this thread, then please send me a private message and I will do so. Some of these sites have already been referred to Clean Energy Council for them to review the installation/installer.


Some of the photos are not of panel location, but of inverter location which is just as much a problem in some situations. I don't think I have any photos of inverters mounted in SEALED switchboard enclosures although I have come across quite a few. Other photos are obvious safety issues.

(edit: I changed the post to display links instead of the images, because with alot of images displayed, it slows down page refresh/display time, and also mucks up the forum display layout due to the image width)...



http://www.datazap.net/sites/basshead/s ... 02%29e.JPG

http://www.datazap.net/sites/basshead/s ... 03%29e.JPG


http://www.datazap.net/sites/basshead/s ... 62009e.JPG



I'll add more to this thread after I transfer them to my webspace.
"The standard you walk past is the standard you accept".
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Re: Disaster PV Installation - Photos Please ?

Postby Tracker » Thu Apr 22, 2010 2:43 pm

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I thought the idea of the Bare-Wire on the fuse , was deliberate, so you could connect the pool pump via alligator clips?.. .. . :evil:
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Re: Disaster PV Installation - Photos Please ?

Postby MichaelB » Thu Apr 22, 2010 9:13 pm

Great idea for a topic guys, but I'll just need to ask that you don't display full pics of houses with shonky installs that aren't your own (houses I mean).

Just to clarify, I mean pics that make it easy to identify the house; at least until such time our management has been able to discuss it with our law-talkin' department (potential privacy issues). Yes, I know Google does street view, but this is a bit of a different scenario and we're not Google :).

Inspector, I removed that first link for that reason. Maybe you could crop the pic a bit? It is a good example of a rather severe shading issue!

Thanks for your co-operation in this.
Michael B.
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Re: Disaster PV Installation - The Lithgow School

Postby Baron » Fri Apr 23, 2010 12:45 am

I'll take some better shots this weekend but until then, here is a shot taken on my phone from inside the car. The quality is a bit lacking but you can get the general idea. The roof is north facing.

Lithgow 1.jpg



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Re: Disaster PV Installation - Photos Please ?

Postby Zagloba » Fri Apr 23, 2010 11:53 am

Is this possible that they are using " Thin Film panels " and if so would it made a different?
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Re: Disaster PV Installation - Photos Please ?

Postby rg767 » Fri Apr 23, 2010 9:23 pm

Thin film panels don't work in the shade like they don't work at night.

It is a common industry lie.
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Re: Disaster PV Installation - Photos Please ?

Postby rg767 » Fri Apr 23, 2010 9:24 pm

On that photo you can also see the lack of proper frames.

They will have used unistrut to save money.
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Re: Disaster PV Installation - Photos Please ?

Postby Zagloba » Fri Apr 23, 2010 10:04 pm

Then why are we report them ?
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Re: Disaster PV Installation - Photos Please ?

Postby Baron » Sat Apr 24, 2010 12:32 am

Zagloba wrote:Then why are we report them ?


If you mean "why don't we report them?" then you're right....why don't we?

I am going to have a better look and make some notes.

Stay tuned... 8-)


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