Off-Grid Chiller Unit?

[Naptown]

Rich... I was joking. You start with 100% RH, drop the temp, and you have a lot of condensation + 100%RH air. Although the RH isn't *really* 100% all the time, sometimes I feel like it is.

Sounds like you are in the tidewater area. I'm just up the bay. It do get humid.
One more thought on your tidal heat dump. Check if VA will let you do this. I'm pretty sure MD won't unless you are a utility and licensed to do so. The reason is warming the water of the Bay helps promote algae growth among other things. I know MD is very sensitive to rainwater run off from roofs entering the bay for this exact reason.

[HotFlash]

Yikes! Thanks for the heads-up. Yes, I'll be reading my policy tonight.

[HotFlash]

I understand (from the county) it is permissible if it's closed-loop and not too visible. By that, I don't mean you have to hide it from the EPA, but rather that you can't be conspicuous about it, because they don't like conspicuousness. Just a stone's throw away, Dominion uses the York river as a giant cooling bath. The fish love it, as do the fishermen. One concern I have is thriving algae and barnacles on our boats.

[HotFlash]

Rich, what about non-licensed installations of UL-certified equipment? That is, how much can one do one's self without getting into trouble re insurance claims.

Oh, and yes... Gloucester area.

[Naptown]

Rich, what about non-licensed installations of UL-certified equipment? That is, how much can one do one's self without getting into trouble re insurance claims.

Oh, and yes... Gloucester area.

As long as you permit the work, install it correctly to the code in effect at the time, and have it inspected, you are good.

[HotFlash]

THAT we can do.

As I recall UL certifications are not required on low voltage DC equipment. I'm thinking of electronic control equipment and the PV panels. As I recall the UL certification is only required on a device that connects to household wiring. Do I have that right?

[Naptown]

THAT we can do.

As I recall UL certifications are not required on low voltage DC equipment. I'm thinking of electronic control equipment and the PV panels. As I recall the UL certification is only required on a device that connects to household wiring. Do I have that right?

NO you do not.
All PV panels used must be UL or equal listed. PV panels for a grid tie or other generally are not low voltage. But everything you mentioned in some way connects to your household wiring, perhaps indirectly but connects. There are no exclusions that I know of for low voltage.

[HotFlash]

Hmmmmm.... The truth might lie somewhere in the middle. I know that wall warts are extremely popular in electronic design because the certification is on the wall wart and is not required on the multitudes of devices it might power. I once researched this issue for a device I considered manufacturing many lifetimes ago. To convince myself I didn't just imagine this, I just looked all over my HP printer and found a label with a gazillion certifications, including by the FCC for interference, but no UL emblem. The UL emblem is on the transformer, along with a gazillion other certifications.

There may be a cutoff voltage or power rating below which UL certification is not required.

[Naptown]

Hmmmmm.... The truth might lie somewhere in the middle. I know that wall warts are extremely popular in electronic design because the certification is on the wall wart and is not required on the multitudes of devices it might power. I once researched this issue for a device I considered manufacturing many lifetimes ago. To convince myself I didn't just imagine this, I just looked all over my HP printer and found a label with a gazillion certifications, including by the FCC for interference, but no UL emblem. The UL emblem is on the transformer, along with a gazillion other certifications.

There may be a cutoff voltage or power rating below which UL certification is not required.

Well I just looked at my dell Laptop and there is an ETL certification among others on the bottom.
ETL is just another certification lab that is recognized like UL is.

[HotFlash]

I've never heard of ETL. Anyway, it's not on my printer or its transformer. There's a HongKong safety certification on the printer, though, not that it would apply here.

[HotFlash]

iBal centigram scale -- UL on the wall wart, not on the scale.
Dell laptop -- UL on the transformer, not the computer.
HP monitor (plugs in directly to wall) -- no UL label anywhere?! Hmmmmm... Maybe the label fell off.
Two Dell monitors that plug into wall -- UL on the monitor
My big NEC monitor -- same thing.

My home-built computer has UL on the PS, but as far as I'm aware, UL wouldn't be required anywhere else.

[HotFlash]

According to what I've read, the UL certification seems to be a voluntary thing, not "required," per se. It's a CYA measure that protects manufacturers in the event of lawsuits. In my case, an insurer may require a UL certification, per the terms of the policy. Other than what my be specified in the policy, there would be no guidelines as to what would or wouldn't require UL certification. Now where's that policy....?

[HotFlash]

Rich, I don't see anything about certifications of household equipment. I do find an exclusion for anything resulting from the "faulty, inadequate, or defective design, specifications, workmanship, repair, construction, renovation, remodeling, grading, compaction; materials used in repair, construction, renovation or remodeling, etc." Is that the language they would use to deny a claim?

[Sunking]

According to what I've read, the UL certification seems to be a voluntary thing,

No it is not voluntary with respect to electric utilization. Read th electrical code. The phrase "shall be listed" appears 881 times. The verb "Shall" in the code means mandatory.

[HotFlash]

Well according to section 690 of the NEC, it's actually "shall be identified and listed for the application." I'd copy and paste definitions of these terms from the NEC for others to see, but my freebie online access version won't let me. In short, they describe an entity very much like UL. So yes, therein lies the rub. I appreciate your pointing me to the correct source.

(The Libertarians are looking better everyday!)

Rich, are there applicable UL certifications on solar thermal panels too?