Post by fergy on Jul 22, 2007 20:34:55 GMT -5
If you haven’t noticed, solar power is becoming quite popular. More and more homes and businesses are placing solar panels on their roofs in an effort to save money and the environment. Both are worthy causes, but what happens when that home or business catches fire? Can you cut through a solar panel with a chain saw? Can you spray water on a burning solar panel? I thought I’d better do some research. Here’s what I found out:
Some panels are on a “tracker”, which allows the panel to rotate with the sun. The fancy furniture store across from old station 20 has one of these. A cheaper option is to simply attach them to the roof of the structure. Some cities, anticipating the problems these panels may cause in a fire situation, are regulating a 3 foot setback for panels. The idea is that the truck crew will have space to vent without disturbing the panel. Some cities are also requiring a disconnect switch that can be used to cut power from the panels.
If you are assigned to utility control, disconnecting the power at the meter might not be enough. You have successfully stopped SMUD’s electricity from coming into the house, but the panels on the roof may still be generating electricity. If the power from the panels is disconnected, be aware that the panels themselves may still be energized. From what I’ve found out, these panels are made of laminated glass with Kevlar backing and an aluminum frame. They may be hard to break, but if you do, you could receive a severe shock. The power left in the panel could be enough to kill you, or cause you to fall of the roof. Furthermore, these panels are very expensive, and unnecessarily breaking them could cause the resident a great deal of grief. It looks like the best bet may be to cut your hole away from the solar panels.
Solar panels don’t work during the night, so there must be some way to store the power. Somewhere in the house, there will be a battery (from what I’ve found out, it is not uncommon to have more than one battery location, depending on the size of the house). Obviously, this battery will be capable of storing a great deal of power, and can pose quite a hazard. Consider asking the homeowner where the battery is, and how it can be disconnected. Also, there may or may not be disconnects on the roof. I have read that it is possible to disconnect the wiring from a panel on the roof, but I will try and contact a manufacturer to confirm this.
I found a diagram that shows how these systems are set up:
The solar powered house may or may not be connected to the SMUD grid. SMUD’s website states that they will credit homeowners with solar power who generate more power that they use, so many people with solar power are still SMUD customers.
This means you may have to shut off power at the SMUD meter, at the battery, and at the panels themselves. The battery will be either lead acid or NiCad, will store a great deal of power, and will be a hazard in fire conditions.
As I find out more, I'll post it here. Maybe you guys can do the same.
Some panels are on a “tracker”, which allows the panel to rotate with the sun. The fancy furniture store across from old station 20 has one of these. A cheaper option is to simply attach them to the roof of the structure. Some cities, anticipating the problems these panels may cause in a fire situation, are regulating a 3 foot setback for panels. The idea is that the truck crew will have space to vent without disturbing the panel. Some cities are also requiring a disconnect switch that can be used to cut power from the panels.
If you are assigned to utility control, disconnecting the power at the meter might not be enough. You have successfully stopped SMUD’s electricity from coming into the house, but the panels on the roof may still be generating electricity. If the power from the panels is disconnected, be aware that the panels themselves may still be energized. From what I’ve found out, these panels are made of laminated glass with Kevlar backing and an aluminum frame. They may be hard to break, but if you do, you could receive a severe shock. The power left in the panel could be enough to kill you, or cause you to fall of the roof. Furthermore, these panels are very expensive, and unnecessarily breaking them could cause the resident a great deal of grief. It looks like the best bet may be to cut your hole away from the solar panels.
Solar panels don’t work during the night, so there must be some way to store the power. Somewhere in the house, there will be a battery (from what I’ve found out, it is not uncommon to have more than one battery location, depending on the size of the house). Obviously, this battery will be capable of storing a great deal of power, and can pose quite a hazard. Consider asking the homeowner where the battery is, and how it can be disconnected. Also, there may or may not be disconnects on the roof. I have read that it is possible to disconnect the wiring from a panel on the roof, but I will try and contact a manufacturer to confirm this.
I found a diagram that shows how these systems are set up:
The solar powered house may or may not be connected to the SMUD grid. SMUD’s website states that they will credit homeowners with solar power who generate more power that they use, so many people with solar power are still SMUD customers.
This means you may have to shut off power at the SMUD meter, at the battery, and at the panels themselves. The battery will be either lead acid or NiCad, will store a great deal of power, and will be a hazard in fire conditions.
As I find out more, I'll post it here. Maybe you guys can do the same.
