<html><head><style type="text/css"><!-- DIV {margin:0px;} --></style></head><body><div style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:12pt"><DIV>Rick:</DIV>
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<DIV>Have you tried PVWatts? It is a pretty good "30,000 ft" level assessment of PV in different regions.</DIV>
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<DIV>John Aulbach</DIV>
<DIV>Partner Energy<BR></DIV>
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<B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">From:</SPAN></B> Nick Caton <ncaton@smithboucher.com><BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">To:</SPAN></B> Routh Consulting Engineers <routhconsultingengineers@charter.net>; equest-users@lists.onebuilding.org<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Sent:</SPAN></B> Mon, December 27, 2010 7:31:57 AM<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Subject:</SPAN></B> Re: [Equest-users] Solar PV<BR></FONT><BR>
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<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: #1f497d">Hi Rick,</SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: #1f497d">My understanding is the PV array installation industry is very regional, and products commonly available and “normal” to one part of the country may not be available in another. I’d advise calling up a local (to the project) vendor/provider of commercial PV arrays and have them send you a package of information regarding what said 100kW system would be composed of. </SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: #1f497d">Inform them you’re modeling the system for feasibility and want any/all technical literature available on the inverter/panels. Suggesting multiple projects/installations may be in the pipeline might crank up the level of assistance offered.</SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: #1f497d">If they offer to “model” the system for you with their own software/spreadsheets, it wouldn’t hurt but take anything with a grain of salt. I’ve yet to see a proposal/evaluation from a PV provider with ROI figures anything close to my objective evalutations.</SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: #1f497d">eQuest requires so much in the way of nitty-gritty specifics to correctly model any PV system that I’m inclined to suggest – for a “quick and dirty” evaluation you might be better off seeking a different software package/tool. You might want to ask the [bldg-sim] list for alternatives others have used.</SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: #1f497d">~Nick</SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: #1f497d"><IMG id=Picture_x0020_1 alt=cid:489575314@22072009-0ABB src="cid:1.2399650518@web52808.mail.re2.yahoo.com" width=119 height=37></SPAN><B><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'sans-serif'; COLOR: #2d4d5e"></SPAN></B></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal><B><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'sans-serif'; COLOR: #2d4d5e">NICK CATON, E.I.T.</SPAN></B><B><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'sans-serif'; COLOR: #2d4d5e; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: #cc9900; FONT-SIZE: 7.5pt">PROJECT ENGINEER</SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: #2d4d5e; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Smith & Boucher Engineers</SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'serif'; COLOR: #cc9900; FONT-SIZE: 7.5pt"></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: #2d4d5e; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">25501 west valley parkway</SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: #2d4d5e; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">olathe ks 66061</SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: #2d4d5e; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">direct 913 344.0036</SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: #2d4d5e; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">fax 913 345.0617</SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: #1f497d"><A title=blocked::www.smithboucher.com rel=nofollow><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">www.smithboucher.com</SPAN></A></SPAN><U><SPAN style="COLOR: blue; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"> </SPAN></U><SPAN style="COLOR: #1f497d"></SPAN></P></DIV>
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<P class=MsoNormal><B><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">From:</SPAN></B><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"> equest-users-bounces@lists.onebuilding.org [mailto:equest-users-bounces@lists.onebuilding.org] <B>On Behalf Of </B>Routh Consulting Engineers<BR><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, December 26, 2010 12:00 PM<BR><B>To:</B> equest-users@lists.onebuilding.org<BR><B>Subject:</B> [Equest-users] Solar PV</SPAN></P></DIV></DIV>
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<P class=MsoNormal>I have been tasked with modeling a solar PV system to offset a portion of the energy required by a laboratory. The intended capacity is a peak of 100 kW. eQuest has very few defaults associated with solar PV systems. I am looking for anyone who might have modeled a similar system that could fill me in with some appropriate parameters. My effort is a basic scoping and budgeting type of effort for pass-fail feasibility, so rough general parameters are appropriate. If this gets through the pass-fail test, more detailed parameters will be developed later. Any help anyone could provide would be greatly, greatly appreciated.</P>
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<P class=MsoNormal>Rick Routh</P>
<P class=MsoNormal>Routh Consulting Engineers, Inc., P.S.</P>
<P class=MsoNormal>P.O. Box 3187</P>
<P class=MsoNormal>Pasco, WA 99302</P>
<P class=MsoNormal>(509) 547-8262</P>
<P class=MsoNormal>(509) 542-0650 FAX</P>
<P class=MsoNormal>routhconsultingengineers@charter.net</P>
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