eps magazine, february 2011

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FEATURES6 Is Your Solar Array Trying to Tell You Something?

Measuring PV Array Performance Helps Ensure Optimum ProductionBy Paul Hernday

14 Guard TerminalBy Jeff Jowett

CASE STUDY24 A Match Made in Solar

Family Owned Electrical Contracting Business Sees Significant Growth with the Addition of SolarBy Joe Bono

DEPARTMENTS

2 Electrical Products & Solutions • February 2011

CONTENTS

6

32 Product Focus

40 Ad Index

ON THE COVER

PUBLISHERDanny J. Salchert

OFFICE MANAGERAnita Salchert

NATIONAL SALES MANAGERJerry DiChiara

[email protected]

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Derek Gaylard

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSPaul Hernday, Jeff Jowett, Joe Bono

CIRCULATION DIRECTORPam Fulmer

PRESIDENT Danny J. Salchert

Executive and Advertising Offices3591 Cahaba Beach Road

Birmingham, AL 35242toll free: 800.981.4541 phone: 205.981.4541

fax: 205.981.4544www.epsmag.net • [email protected]

Electrical Products & Solutions™ is publishedtwelve times a year on a monthly basis by ABDCommunications, Inc., 3591 Cahaba Beach Road,Birmingham, Alabama, 35242, USA. ElectricalProducts & Solutions™ is distributed free to qualifiedsubscribers. Non-qualified subscription rates are$57.00 per year in the U.S. and Canada and $84.00per year for foreign subscribers (surface mail). U.S.Postage paid at Birmingham, Alabama and addi-tional mailing offices.

Electrical Products & Solutions™ is distributed toqualified readers in the electrical contracting industry.Publisher is not liable for all content (including edito-rial and illustrations provided by advertisers) of adver-tisements published and does not accept responsibilityfor any claims made against the publisher. It is the ad-vertiser’s or agency’s responsibility to obtain appro-priate releases on any item or individuals pictured in anadvertisement. Reproduction of this magazine inwhole or in part is prohibited without prior written per-mission from the publisher.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes toABD Communications, Inc., P.O. Box 382885

Birmingham, Alabama 35238-2885

P R I N T E D I N T H E U S ACover photography provided by Solar Universe

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FEATURE • Solmetric

Acommercial-scale PV ar-ray represents a major investmentof capital and energy. As an in-

staller, if your array has performanceproblems, you want to know about themduring system construction, when fixingthem is least costly. You also want testequipment that measures performancecomprehensively and quickly, reduces theamount of manual record keeping, andmakes troubleshooting more efficient.Data from these tests should allow promptclose-out of the contract and provide asolid performance baseline for ongoingmaintenance.

Powerful new I-V curve measurementtools meet this need. They measure eachPV string in seconds and reveal perfor-mance issues that digital multi-meters and


DC clamp-meters can’t detect. They alsoanalyze the data, draw the user’s attentionto problem strings and provide trou-bleshooting clues.

Introduction to I-V CurveMeasurement

The I-V (current-voltage) curve of ahealthy PV string is a scale-up of a singlePV cell. The string can be operated (‘load-ed’) at any point on this curve at the exist-ing irradiance (light level) and temperature.In an operating PV system, the invertercontinually adjusts the load, seeking theparticular (I,V) point at which the array asa whole yields the greatest DC power.

The distinctive shape of the I-V curve(see the dark blue curve in Figure 1) hasthree separate regions. At the lower volt-ages, the flow of solar-generated electri-cal charge to the external load is relativelyindependent of output voltage. Near theknee of the curve, this behavior starts tochange. As the voltage increases further,an increasing percentage of the charges re-combine within the solar cells rather thanflowing out through the load. At the opencircuit voltage (Voc), all of the charges re-combine internally. The maximum powerpoint (MPP), located at the knee of thecurve, is the (I,V) point at which theproduct of current and voltage reaches itsmaximum value.

Is Your Solar ArrayTrying to Tell You

Something?Measuring PV Array Performance Helps

Ensure Optimum ProductionBy Paul Hernday, Applications Engineer, Solmetric Corporation

FIGURE1

The I-V curve captures all key performanceparameters and gives clues to the causesof performance problems. The P-V curve iscalculated from the I-V curve; each point isthe product of (I x V).

Continued on page 8

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FEATURE • Solmetric Continued from page 6

collection of real-time irradiance and tem-perature.

For PV modules that are not yet includedin the on-board database, a third model –the Simple Performance Model – predictsPmax using parameters entered from thePV module datasheet. All three of thesemodels provide instant feedback on thehealth of a PV module or string.

For convenience in different testing sce-narios, the measurement results are pre-sented in two additional formats. TheVerify tab tells the user at a glance how thestring is performing by displaying the Per-

In the field, I-V curves are measured un-der natural light using an external load thatmay be electronic, resistive, or capacitive.In the capacitive load method, the PVsource rapidly charges a load capacitor fromzero volts to Voc, and the (I,V) points aremeasured along the way. High-efficiencyPV cells take longer to shift their operatingpoint, so to avoid distorting their I-V curves,the I-V measurement sweep rate must bekept below a maximum rate determined bythe PV cell technology. The SolmetricPVA-600 PV Analyzer automatically se-lects among three banks of capacitors to as-sure sweep rates that accurately measurehigh-efficiency modules.

Commissioning New PV ArraysTesting PV arrays during system com-

missioning is a PV industry best practicethat is usually required for larger systems.Traditionally, performance verificationmeant measuring Voc of each string, thenturning the system on and measuring thecurrent of each string at the system’s maxpower condition.

There are several limitations to this tra-ditional approach. First, some failure modesof PV modules do not show up in Voc orIsc tests. Second, the maximum powerpoint found by the inverter represents thepopulation of strings connected to it – anyindividual string could differ significantly.Finally, measuring string current while thePV system is operating is less safe, conve-nient and accurate than we would like.

The ideal performance verification tech-nique is to 1) measure the I-V curves of in-dividual strings, capturing all of theavailable performance information, 2) do itin less time than traditional methods, and 3)immediately compare the measurement re-sults with the predictions of an on-board PVmodel. This cluster of objectives guided thedevelopment of the Solmetric PV Analyzer.

Modeling InstantaneousPV Performance

Verifying PV system performance meanscomparing the results of measurements witha model or specification, taking into accountthe existing irradiance and temperature. TheSolmetric PV Analyzer provides two de-tailed PV models – the Sandia PV ArrayModel and the 5-Parameter Model. Thepredicted I-V curve shape is indicated by apattern of 5 dots as shown in Figure 2. Anoptional wireless sensor kit automates the

formance Factor, defined as the measuredmaximum power value as a percentage ofthe predicted value. The Table tab displaysthe measured and predicted values of keyparameters such as Pmax, Isc and Voc, aswell as the sensor data. Additional columnsallow for taking measurement data ‘snap-shots’ to aid in troubleshooting.

I-V Curve Test ProcessIn commercial-scale PV systems, I-V

curve measurements are typically per-formed at a PV string combiner box, asshown in Figure 3. Continued on page 12

FIGURE2

I-V measurement screen of the Solmetric PV Analyzer. The pattern of 5 dotsrepresents the predicted I-V curve shape.

FIGURE3

Test setup for measuring I-V curves at a PV string combiner box.



FEATURE • Solmetric Continued from page 8

of comparison can also draw attention tofailed bypass diodes, cracked cells, and ex-cess series and shunt losses.

SummaryI-V curve testing has long been a PV in-

dustry best practice because it provides adetailed picture of PV string performancealong with clues to the cause of any perfor-mance issues. I-V measurements are thebest way to demonstrate array performanceduring PV system commissioning, and thedata collected at that time provides the idealperformance baseline for ongoing mainte-nance. Recent advances in the I-V testing

The process is simple. First, isolate thecombiner box from the rest of the PV sys-tem by opening its DC disconnect switch.Next, de-energize the combiner box bussbars by lifting all of the touch-safe stringfuses. With a multi-meter, verify that thebuss bars are de-energized. Then clip theSolmetric PV Analyzer’s test leads to thebuss bars. To measure a string, insert itsfuse and trigger the measurement. Notewhether it passes or fails, and save the datafor future reference. This entire cycle takesapproximately 10-15 seconds per string andinvolves no manual data recording.The Solmetric PV Analyzer saves I-V

data to ‘array trees’ – file folder structuresthat reflect the hierarchy of the actual PVsystem. The top-level folder, representingthe entire system, contains a separate folderfor each inverter. Each inverter folder con-tains another set of folders representing theindividual PV combiner boxes. String I-Vmeasurement is saved in the appropriatefolder, using the string numbers as filenames. The saved data includes the pointsof the I-V curve as well as the measuredand predicted key parameter values.

Analyzing I-V MeasurementResultsWhen it’s time to analyze commission-

ing or re-commissioning data, an optionalSolmetric I-V Data Analysis Tool automat-ically imports each array tree and makes ar-ray performance visible. It shows how keystring parameters are distributed (Figure 4)and overlays I-V curves for easy compari-son (Figure 5). The tool automatically flagsany strings whose key parameters do notfall within user-defined limits.There are two general approaches to an-

alyzing the I-V data from PV system com-missioning or periodic system checkups.The first approach is to compare the mea-sured I-V data with predictions of the PVmodels. This highlights performance issuesand gives great troubleshooting clues, andbecause the models represent the PV mod-ules when they were new, this comparisonalso indicates how much PV module per-formance has degraded with age.The second approach to analyzing mea-

surement data is to examine the consistencyof I-V curves and key parameters across apopulation of PV strings. For example, thesingle outlying I-V curve in Figure 5 was aclue that rooftop equipment was shading afew cells of one PV module. These types

equipment – greater economy, speed, con-venience, ruggedness and affordability –make I-V testing a natural choice in today’scompetitive PV marketplace.

Paul Hernday is an ApplicationsEngineer with Solmetric, where he

focuses primarily on PV array design andperformance characterization.

Solmetric’s products include the SunEyeShade Analysis Tool, PV Designer

software for PV system design, and thenew PVA-600 PV Analyzer for I-V curve-based testing of PV arrays. Contact Paul

at [email protected].

Distribution of max power values for a population of PV strings, automatically calculatedfrom measured I-V data.

Family of I-V curves from strings at a single combiner box. One string is partly shadedby nearby HVAC equipment.

FIGURE4

FIGURE5


FEATURE • Megger

Insulation testers, or megohm-meters, are the instruments of choicefor checking and measuring electrical

insulation. Beyond the stated function ofproviding a resistance reading of the in-sulation around wires, motor and trans-former windings, and any other kind ofelectrical equipment, the total value of aninsulation test is much greater. It is aquick and simple way to get an idea of theoverall condition of electrical equipment,the degree of wear, and where it is on itslife cycle. It is a convenient way tomake much broader assessments ofan electrical maintenance program.Insulation resistance readings actsomething like the odometer read-ings on a car, but in reverse. Theystart high…off the scale of all butthe best insulation testers…at timeof manufacture, and then drift gradu-ally lower through the accumulationof wear, moisture, dirt, contamina-tion, burn tracks and stress.

All megohmmeters employ a dctest current, and therefore positiveand negative terminals to connectthe test leads across the specimen.Accordingly, these are generallymarked + and -, or possibly L and E for


ground. Using it as if it were a groundand connecting it in parallel with the lowside of the test will do no real harm, but itwill short circuit all of the test current andinvalidate the readings.

The function of the Guard is to act as ashunt circuit for parallel leakage paths inthe test item. With it, one or more parallelcurrent paths can be removed from themeasurement, thereby permitting a pre-cise reading of the remaining path. Again,the guard terminal can be compared to anautomobile function, where many driversnever use the added gears on an auto-matic transmission and don’t considerthe difference. Similarly, a three-termi-nal insulation tester can be used in thetwo-terminal configuration for its lifeand no real harm is done. It just isn’t

being employed to full advantage.Without the guard, the test item

is being measured as a com-plete unit. With the guard,the test item can be section-

alized and multiple readingscan be taken and compared.Let’s start with some common

examples. The most prevalent use isfor the elimination of surface leakage. Aninsulation tester Continued on page 16

Guard TerminalBy Jeff Jowett

“Line” and “Earth”, or some similar no-tation. Many testers, especially hand-helds and 1kV and below models, haveonly these two terminals. But wait!What’s that third terminal on many units,especially benchtop (landscape style) andhigher voltage (above 1kV) models? Firstof all, it is NOT a “Ground”. Typicallymarked with a “G”, the “Guard” terminalis sometimes mistaken for a safety

MIT 1020/2

MIT 510/2

10-kV, MIT1020/2 in use

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FEATURE • Megger Continued from page 14

member to separate the consideration ofthis current from that of conductor cur-rent. It is extremely small but enough tocause considerable damage over time. Theions in water, dirt, and contaminatingchemicals, and the semi-conductor effectof carbon burn tracks are sufficient to ac-commodate surface flow. Overtime, this will contribute to thedeterioration of the cable, butsurface leakage is more easilydealt with than leakagethrough the body of the in-sulation. First, it must beidentified and evaluated. Inorder to separate out thesurface leakage, abare copper con-ductor can bewrapped aroundthe cable termina-tion between the alligator clipsof the two test leads. A thirdlead then connects this to the

measures the small (generally nano-amp)current that flows through insulation toground or other conductors and increasesas the insulating material deteriorates overtime. This is termed “leakage” current.But in addition to leakage through the in-sulating material, there can also be cur-rent drawn across the surface of thematerial. A frequent occurrence is that ofsurface leakage across cable terminations.With the negative terminal connected tothe conductor and the positive to a sheathor braid, the test voltage gradient existsbetween these two points and will pullcurrent across the cable surface as well asthrough the insulating material. This is ofinterest for two reasons: how dirty is thecable and what is its insulation condition?These two factors are closely inter-relatedbut, with the use of the guard, can be mea-sured and evaluated separately.

Surface leakage is promoted by dirt,moisture and contamination on the cable’sexterior jacket and exposed surfaces. Re-

guard terminal (Fig. 1). Current travelingacross the surface from one clip to theother will be intercepted and shunted backthrough the guard circuit. This circuit re-turns to the tester’s transformer, bypass-ing the measurement function. It iseffectively shunted out of the measure-ment. Accordingly, the tester measuresonly the leakage getting through the insu-lating material, from conductor to sheath.The reading will be higher than withoutthe guard, because a portion of the leakagecurrent has been diverted, and the magni-tude of the difference indicates the degreeto which each element contributed to theoverall resistance. It could be that the in-sulation is actually in good shape, and acleaning of the termination and remea-surement will verify this. It will also elim-inate a possible future breakdown, at leastuntil dirt and contamination have had time

to build up again. Without the guard ter-minal, this critical determination, whichcan be made quickly by little more thanswitching leads, would be left to guess-work.

Another frequent use of the guard ter-minal is in the testing of transformer bush-ings. As these are often outdoors, thebuildup of dirt, moisture and contaminantsis paramount. In early morning there maybe a coating of dew. If a maintenance testis performed on the insulating ceramic,current can track through this surfacecoating and substantially bring down thereading. But the real concern is cracks orpinholes in the ceramic that can be madeby lightning strokes or fault spikes. Ifmerely tested with a two-terminal config-uration, the low reading caused by surfacetracking cannot be separated from the pos-sibility of structural damage to the ce-ramic. The bushing may Continued on page 18

Figure 1

Figure 2

MIT 520/2




guarding ground (Fig. 3), or individualwinding to ground with the other wind-ings guarded out. Any test item with par-allel leakage paths can be considered athree-terminal network of guard, line and

be removed and returned to the shop onlyto yield a satisfactorily high reading oncethe dew has evaporated. Again, if the sur-face leakage is intercepted and “guardedout”, a single test will reveal the actualcondition of the ceramic. The guardingcan be implemented with a simple barecopper wire, but specialized devices, likebushing guard springs, are also available(Fig. 2).

By extension, it can be seen that theguard terminal can perform numerousother functions to sectionalize and refinemeasurements wherever suspected parallelleakage paths may occur. A cable can befurther sectionalized by guarding out var-ious conductors while exploring the con-dition between the remainder. Theinsulation between stator and rotor can bemeasured while guarding out the case of amotor, or the individual windings testedto ground while guarding out the otherwindings. In the same manner, a trans-former’s primary and secondary can betested for leakage between them while

earth, and by switching the leads betweenthese elements, any one path can be sin-gled out for measurement. This capabil-ity is narrowing down or isolating thetrouble to a particular


Continued on page 20

Figure 3




have worked with them for years, as itis not a prominent spec and the abilityto evaluate the guard’s capabilities is notcommonly advertised or known. Thecentral issue is available test current. In-sulation testers, although outputting highvoltage, are capable of only very limitedtest current. This is what primarily sepa-rates them from “high-pots”. They are

conductor, winding, or ground. For main-tenance, it helps show where the greatestneeds are for cleaning, drying or replace-ment.

Finally, however, it is wise to beaware that all guards are not the same.Like other measurement functions, theyhave associated specifications. Thiscould come as a surprise to people who

not intended to break a test item downand take it out of service; they are in-tended to make a measurement. The op-erator then makes the decision as to whatis to be done with the test item. Accord-ingly, test current is limited to only afew milli-amps, the maximum amountof current that insulation might accom-modate while still being considered atleast nominally “good” insulation. Oncethe tester’s current limit is beingreached, something has to give. A littlearithmetic and Ohm’s Law will showthat this translates into something around1 to 5 MΩ, below which insulation is notgenerally considered “good”.

An insulation tester worth its salt willNOT drop test voltage below the selectedvalue, provided that the load being testedis nominally “good” insulation. But at“breakdown” levels of resistance, thetester should not be contributing to fur-ther deterioration by applying high volt-age. Accordingly, voltage will collapse.The critical implication for the guard cir-cuit is that it should not be competing suc-cessfully for the limited available current.When designing a tester to reach the mar-ket on price rather than capability, one ofthe easiest things to cut is guard perfor-mance. No one is likely to look for it, andthe tester can be specified on the basis ofits two-terminal performance, without theeffect of the guard. A poorly designedguard circuit can load down the tester.Surface leakage will often be ten or moretimes that of the insulation. Voltage willcollapse around the guard circuit and thereadings will no longer be truly indicative.Guard terminal error can be as much as80%!

Thankfully, there’s a simple safeguard.Don’t be satisfied with vague generalstatements but look for a precise and rig-orous definition of the guard error. Thepercent accuracy should be stated whileguarding a specific surface leakage (in kΩ)against a specifically stated test load (inMΩ). These values should all representreasonable and realistic parameters to theexperienced technician. If no specificationis available, beware! If the guard terminalerror is limited to an acceptable accu-racy…say on the order of 2%...the opera-tor can use the tester with confidence andthe added capability will provide an extratool for the detailed assessment of electri-cal condition and troubleshooting.



CASE STUDY • Solar Universe

Valley Unique Electric is athriving electrical contracting com-pany in Fresno, California. Founded

in 1979 by Hogi Selling III and Walt Wor-thington, the company is still owned andoperated by the two founders and their sons,Hogi Selling IV and Mark Worthington.


knew solar installations would be critical tothe ongoing growth of their already suc-cessful electrical contracting business.They saw a need to enter the solar market,and a partnership was formed with JamesVumback and Solar Universe.While Valley Unique Electric had dab-

bled in solar projects in the past partneringwith local solar installer sub contractors,their 2009 partnership with James Vum-back, one of the Solar Universe franchiseowners, instantly put them on the solar map.

After meeting on a golf course, JamesVumback got to know Mark Worthingtonand his team at Valley Unique Electric.Vumback had left his twenty-year salesand marketing career at AT&T in searchof something new. He was intrigued bysolar innovation and projects and saw realpotential when he discovered the SolarUniverse franchise model. Solar Uni-verse, based in Livermore, California, hada Central Valley franchise opportunityavailable. Vumback had the entrepre-neurial passion and Continued on page 26

A Match Made in SolarFamily Owned Electrical Contracting Business Sees

Significant Growth with the Addition of SolarBy Joe Bono

For over three decades, Valley UniqueElectric has provided electrical contractingservices, expanding its offerings to evolvewith the times. With climate change aware-ness, soaring fuel prices, rising electriccosts, and government incentives, ValleyUnique Electric spotted the solar trend and



CASE STUDY • Solar Universe Continued from page 24

lar installation needs of Central Valley,California.

The combination of the trusted, local,family-owned electrical contracting busi-ness and the established solar brandmakes Valley Unique Electric (DBA So-lar Universe) a powerful force to be reck-oned with in the Central Valley. Today,Valley Unique Electric (DBA Solar Uni-

the sales and marketing background, buthe needed a partner who understood thehands-on aspects of a solar installationbusiness and was impressed by ValleyUnique Electrics electrical backgroundand established client base in California’sCentral Valley. In January 2009, JamesVumback, Valley Unique Electric and So-lar Universe joined forces to tackle the so-

verse) has over 220 solar project installa-tions in the Central Valley.

“We went from zero to 220 installationsin a very short time, making us the number3 installer of solar projects in the CentralValley,” said Vumback. “The Solar Uni-verse franchise model allowed us to seam-lessly enter the solar market and see resultsimmediately.”

An Electrical Contractor’s Keyto Solar Success

The skill set of an electrical contractor isthe perfect foundation for a solar installer.The Solar Universe franchise model buildson this strong foundation and sets the elec-trical contractor up for success in the solarmarket, equipping them with the training,materials and brand recognition they needto succeed in the rapidly growing solar in-stallation market.

“As contractors our sales and marketingskills can only go so far,” said Mark Wor-thington, owner of Valley Unique Electric.“That’s where James and Solar Universewere able to step in and help us reach ourgoals of expanding our services to includesolar.”

Valley Unique Electric was able to makethe successful transition into the solar mar-ket while avoiding the common pitfalls thatother electrical contractors have encoun-tered when attempting to break into the so-lar market.

Marketing: It can take years for an elec-trical contractor to build brand recognitionand awareness in the solar market. Manysmall companies are unfamiliar with mar-keting and sales strategies and they are ulti-mately limiting their own growth. Thestrength of the Solar Universe franchisemodel eliminated this challenge.

Knowledge: It is crucial to the success ofany solar installation business that all solarinstallers have the proper knowledge, train-ing and equipment. Valley Unique Electrichad a deep understanding of electrical con-tracting, so the learning curve for them intransitioning to solar was a breeze withtraining provided by the Solar Universefranchise model.

Purchasing Power: Small companiesnaturally start out with a smaller number ofjobs, which leads to purchasing materialsin small quantities at higher prices. 60% ofthe cost of a solar installation is equipment– volume pricing is key. Valley UniqueElectric was able to

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CASE STUDY • Solar Universe Continued from page 26

is the continuing decline in the cost of solarmaterials and installation. According to astudy from the New Energy Finance, theresearch firm predicted that by the end of2009 the capital markets would “loosen up”and combined with the continuing decreasein solar equipment costs, it would lead to a50 percent drop in overall solar costs com-pared to the end of 2008.Preliminary resultsshowed that costs dropped significantly in2010 as well and that trend is likely to con-tinue into 2011.Renewable portfolio standards (RPSs)

are another factor that could help reduce thecost of solar significantly. On January 13,2011, The California Public Utilities Com-mission voted to authorize the use of trad-able renewable energy credits (TRECS) forRPS compliance.There are a number of state and local

programs that provide rebates and creditsfor solar investments. The Database ofState Incentives for Renewables & Effi-ciency, or DESIRE, www.dsireusa.org,has state-by-state listings of all applica-

drum up a lot of solar business veryquickly, and the Solar Universe franchisemodel provided competitive buying powerfor capital efficiency.

Bright Future for ElectricalContractors in SolarAt a time when many small business

owners saw jobs declining and the needto cut back on staff and spending, ValleyUnique Electric, with the addition of So-lar Universe, has seen tremendousgrowth. They’ve hired a number of newsales representatives as well as additionalinstallers to meet the growing demand fortheir services.As we head into 2011 the future of solar

continues to look bright. One factor that willdefinitely contribute to the continuedgrowth was the extension of the 1603 Trea-sury Grants in December 2010. This exten-sion allows investors to recoup 30% of theirinvestment upon completion of their pro-jects through a Treasury grant.Another factor that will come into play

ble Federal incentives.“Could we have done it without Solar

Universe? Maybe. But it would have takenfar longer to see growth and profits. SolarUniverse was able to cut the learning curvedrastically,” Said Vumback.Solar Universe is increasing its ser-

vice coverage, enhancing its customerofferings and accelerating the adoptionof distributed renewable energy.Please visit www.solaruniverse.com orwww.valleyunique.com for additionalinformation. To learn about openinga Solar Universe franchise, visitwww.solaruniverse.com/franchise_tour_1 .

Joe Bono is the Founder, SolarUniverse, a solar installation and

finance company headquartered inNorthern California.

www.solaruniverse.com




Product FOCUS

Bridgeport Introduces Patented Mighty-Move™ ExpansionCouplings for Use in Wet or Dry LocationsUnique, low profile designs are ideal for limited space requirementsBridgeport Fittings announces Mighty-Move™ expansion couplings for wet or dry

applications, with unique, patented, low-profile designs that are ideal for limitedspace requirements.The Mighty-Move™ steel dry location expansion couplings are low-cost and

easy-to-use and assemble like a regular EMT set screw coupling. They can beused to compensate plus or minus 2” of lateral movement of conduit in dry loca-tions. The UL Listed dry location couplings are available for use with ¾” through 4”EMT and 2 ½” through 4” rigid conduit.The Mighty-Move™ aluminum raintight expansion couplings can be used to

compensate plus or minus 2” of lateral movement in either an indoor or outdoorraceway system. The UL Listed raintight couplings are available for use with 1”EMT or rigid conduit. Additional sizes will be available soon.The Mighty-Move ™ expansion couplings are part of Bridgeport’s Mighty-B™ family of innovative, high-performance products

focused on getting a contractor’s job “done fast, done right.” Mighty-B™ solutions are labor saving or problem solving devices– some unique in their design – that cover a full range of connectors, couplings and other innovative product categories.The Mighty-B™ product line is represented by Mighty-B™, the “might man” superhero, who stands for the products’ in-

novation, speed and maneuverability. Mighty-B™ can be followed on Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/CallMightyB) or visitedon the Bridgeport website (http://www.bptfittings.com/MightyB).

For more information, visitwww.bptfittings.com


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Product FOCUS


Condux International Offers Full Line ofCableGlider® Cable Pullers

Condux International offers a complete line of versatilecable pullers for a variety of electric cable pulling appli-cations. Condux CableGlider cable pullers offer porta-bility and ease of set-up. Units are completelyself-contained and adapt to a variety of pulling situa-tions.

The Condux CableGlider STD cable puller provides6,500 lbs. of pulling force and two speed operation. TheCableGlider Plus offers the same pulling force and two-speed operation as the STD model, but comes equippedwith a heavy duty frame and extra pivot arms for chal-lenging pulling situations. The CableGlider HD providesmaximum pulling power for longer runs, offer 12,000 lbs.of pulling force.

A lightweight CableGlider LW accommodates bothvertical and horizontal pulling applications. A pivotingarm also allows the CableGlider LW to work with a rangeof jobsite conditions. The one-speed motor and gearboxprovide up to 3,000 lbs. of pulling force and a maximum pulling speed of 30 ft./min.

For more information, visitwww.condux.com



Product FOCUS


Continental Control Systems, LLC Announces Three New Options on the WattNode®

MODBUS Energy and Power Meter

Continental Control Systems, LLC is pleased to an-nounce an update to our WattNode® MODBUS meter.This update includes switching to 100% RoHs (lead free)production for all WattNode MODBUS models. We havealso added new feature options and firmware enhance-ments.With the release of Firmware Version 16, CCS has

added three options utilizing the X (auxiliary) terminalon the MODBUS connector:• OPTION X5 - Provides 5 VDC at up to 60 mA be-tween C (common) and X (5V) terminals for power-ing external devices, such as low-powered dataloggers or wireless transceivers.

• OPTION IO – Provides a digital input (level sensingand pulse counting) or output (for load shedding andother applications) on the X terminal

• OPTION SSR – Provides a solid-state relay (contact closure) output between the X and C terminals for load shedding andapplications.

• See WattNode MODBUS – OPTIONS for a complete list of all available options.

For more information, visitwww.ccontrolsys.com


Cooper Lighting Introduces Shaper ArchitecturalHigh-Performance High-Bay LuminairesDecorative line offers versatility with numerousspecification optionsCooper Lighting, a division of Cooper Industries plc (NYSE: CBE),

has announced the introduction of the Shaper 1300 High Perfor-mance (HP) Series, a new line of decorative high-bay luminaires fea-turing an aesthetically pleasing architectural design with numerous specification options. Available in two sizes (14” & 18”diameter), five optical choices and multiple lamping options, the Shaper 1300 HP Series can be ceiling, wall or pendantmounted in a variety of configurations. In addition to the standard finish options, the fixtures are offered with unique Cus-tom Decorative Metals featuring 13 jewel-toned colors, as well as hand-painted faux wood options to add a distinctive lookto commercial, education, retail, hospitality, heath care and high-end, modern residential spaces.The Shaper 1300 HP Series offers pendant configuration choices of single or multiple fixture options of two-, three- and

four-pendant luminaires. For surface and single pendant mounting, the fixtures can be specified with a single rigid stem, withfour aircraft cables or directly surface-mounted to a standard junction box with no visible hardware. Multi-fixture luminairesare suspended with four rigid stems. The single wall-mounted fixtures are available in four arm configurations including aunique curved arm with a stainless steel cable attachment.Designed for direct, indirect or direct/indirect illumination, the Shaper 1300 HP Series features a choice of five high-per-

formance optical lens options including a Solid Aluminum Optic Shroud, Glass Refractor, Glass Refractor with Optic Shroud,Glass Refractor with Indirect Optic Shroud or Reflector with Optic Shroud (for use with designated lamps). Lenses are avail-able in both clear and frosted glass.

For more information, visitwww.cooperindustries.com


Product FOCUS




Company PG# RS# Company PG# RS#

AEE SOLAR 15 13AEMC INSTRUMENTS IFC 1ALBER CORPORATION 25 19ARPI OF USA 36 37BATTCON 2011 32 34BRADY WORLDWIDE 1 4BURNDY PRODUCTS 20 31BYTE BROTHERS 26 32CALIFORNIA TURBO 19 15CONDUIT REPAIR SYSTEMS 17 14CONTINENTAL CONTROL SYSTEMS, LLC 34 36COOPER B-LINE 5 7COPPER DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION 35 25EXELTECH 22 17EXTECH INSTRUMENTS / FLIR SYSTEMS 3, 9 5, 9E-Z METER 36 38GARVIN INDUSTRIES 4 6GENERATOR INTERLOCK TECHNOLOGIES 7 8GENSCO 40 41

HIOKI USA 11 11ICC 23 18JAC-RACK 28 33KRENZ & COMPANY 38 39MEGGER 21 16ONTILITY LLC 37 26PG LIFELINK IBC 2PHASE-A-MATIC 38 40SCHNEIDER RENEWABLES 33 24SMARTGUARD PRODUCTS 13 12SOKKIA 27 20SOLAR UNIVERSE 29 21SOLMETRIC CORPORATION 10 10STEELMAN INDUSTRIES 34 35STRIP-TEC 18 30UNDERGROUND DEVICES 31 23UNITED COPPER INDUSTRIES 30 22UTILIITY METALS 39 27VERVE LIVING SYSTEMS BC 3

This advertisers index is compiled as a courtesy to our readers. While every effort is made to provide a complete and accurate listing of companies, page numbers andreader service numbers, the publisher is not responsible for errors.

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