Hi David --
Myself and Capt. Matt Paiss of the San Jose Fire Dept. have both been
working on this topic extensively.
I have developed a training curriculum for PV installers on how to
educate your local fire department, which includes a powerpoint lecture,
instructor's guide, and class handouts. I'll be giving 2 workshops about
this at the upcoming AEE Solar dealers conference in Arizona next month,
if you're going to be there. If not, contact me off-list for more
information about purchasing this curriculum (it's on CD).
Capt. Paiss wrote an article on the topic for Home Power Magazine last
year, I wrote the sidebar for wildland firefighters. I wrote a short
article recently for FireRescue1.com, and they also Capt. Paiss' video
on the topic. It's here:
http://www.firerescue1.com/fire-attack/articles/594656-Solar-Safety-for-Firefighters-The-Myths-and-the-Facts/
None of these are comprehensive, but they do give a good introduction.
The main hazards of SHW are fragile collectors on roofs that won't
support weight or ladders, and roof access pathways. The pop-offs in
your system should handle any direct flame impingement. With very old
systems (Jimmy Carter era) that are no longer in operation, all bets are
off--stuck pop-offs, and the possibility of strange liquids used for
heat exchange. In at least one case, an explosion occurred due to an
unapproved heat exchange liquid that got stale and out-gassed flammable
VOCs.
DAN FINK
Renewable Energy Consultant
[email protected]
David Palumbo wrote:
I’ve been tasked with helping put together a training seminar on safely
dealing with PV systems during firefighting for our local volunteer fire
department here. I recall wrenches talking about publications that had
articles on this subject. I’d appreciate a link to these sources.
Also, I’m curious if there are any concerns with solar thermal systems
during house fires? Should fire departments take any extra precautions
when responding to fires at homes with SHW collectors during a sunny
afternoon?
/David Palumbo/
/President, Independent Power LLC/
/462 Solar Way Drive, Hyde Park, VT 05655/
NABCEP Certified
/www.independentpowerllc.com <http://www.independentpowerllc.com> /
/(802) 888-7194/
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