Featured IQ Installer: Andy Malone of Bright Future Solar Energy, Inc.
Installer Name: Andy Malone
Company Name: Bright Future Solar Energy, Inc.
City/State/Country: Salinas & San Luis Obispo, CA, USA
Website: www.brightfuturesolarenergy.com
We love talking to our Elite IQ Installers and asking them questions about their pioneering work in the renewable energy industry.
Our November 2021 Featured Elite IQ Installer is Andy Malone of Bright Future Solar Energy, a company owned and operated by a group of local, skilled engineers who call the central coast their home. Andy shares some tips and tricks about battery cables and how to keep equal resistance between batteries and inverters.
1. How long have you been in business and what type of installations do you typically do?
15 years – Residential, commercial, agricultural, off-grid, on-grid, solar-only, solar/battery, EV charging stations, generators, custom installs, ground mount, rooftop, design, engineer, install, maintain renewable energy systems.
2. What motivates you to work in clean energy?
Nice to utilize the power of the sun to energize our home and vehicles for everyday use. The industry is new and exciting and is always improving and getting more efficient.
3. What are some of the most common installation requirements for your customers that need energy storage?
- Provides backup when the grid goes down.
- Stores solar energy during the day and utilizing the batteries at night to save money and limit usage from the grid.
- Peak shaving in commercial settings.
4. What is your favorite project involving SimpliPhi Batteries?
7.8kW The recent Ampliphi/Sol-ark grid-tied install inside an underground mechanical room bunker connected to a ground mount array.
5. Share some interesting feedback you have gotten from customers regarding energy storage installations.
Our customers have called to let us know that during power outages and grid failure, most of the people in their neighborhood are without power but they still had their lights on. Some of the complicated installs have customers surprised we could still make it look so clean.
6. What are some tips and tricks you have for other SimpliPhi Elite IQ installers?
Battery cable uses one size bigger eye-crimps than normal THHN wire. So, for a 4/0 battery cable, you need 250 kcmil sized crimps. Be sure to keep the resistance equal between each battery and inverters.
