Warning about solar panels after man's home almost burns down

[mark handler]

A warning about solar panels after man's home almost burns down

If you've ever thought about having solar panels installed on your home, one Melissa resident wants you to know there is a rare possibility they could catch fire.

www.cbsnews.com

 

[ICE]

There's plenty of reasons to say no to solar but catching fire is not at the top....yet. Wait ten, fifteen years. Let nature take it's toll.

Fire may be the least of the problems. In twenty years forty million solar panels will have reached the end of the projected lifespan ... and that's just in California. Every year after that a few million more will die. A whole new group of protestors will rise up.

The rate of fires will increase as the Sun breaks down the array. The Sun flexes the aluminum. Pollution and photons have power. The way the equipment is assembled there is a built in defect every time.

California law requires solar on every new dwelling. That has the industry salivating. Roofing contractors have taken up the challenge. California law will soon require the building departments to issue permits with no plan check. Inspectors are not up to that task....few even look at the installation. The next legislative move will do away with inspections....which, from a practical standpoint, makes sense.

 

[e hilton]

The next legislative move will do away with inspections....which, from a practical standpoint, makes sense.

Practical because they can’t keep up with the work? Or practical because they have no authority? Or what … ?

 

[SCBO1]

"This is just shocking!"

In twenty years forty million solar panels will have reached the end of the projected lifespan ... and that's just in California. Every year after that a few million more will die.

Wait until they need a new roof, and someone needs to remove the panels and rack from the roof for the shingler. Let's say they did that today. Wonder what that will cost? and will the insurance company foot the bill for panel removal? Will there be a company out there specializing in PV removal and reinstallation. Not sure I know any shinglers that want to do that unless your scrapping the PV's and they can pitch em in the dumpster from the roof.

 

[Msradell]

The next legislative move will do away with inspections....which, from a practical standpoint, makes sense.

With all the problems you pointed out in the past with problems during the installation of solar panels doing away with inspections make sense? If anything they should require special inspectors just for them to insure they are done correctly!

 

[ICE]

With all the problems you pointed out in the past with problems during the installation of solar panels doing away with inspections make sense? If anything they should require special inspectors just for them to insure they are done correctly!

The industry has lobbied for self certification in the past. They seem to get what they want. I used to perform an inspection of the racking befrore the panels were installed but then the State mandated that the AHJ can only perform one inspection. The theory backing that decision is pictures can take the place of the racking inspection. That is ridiculous. Most inspectors do not walk on tile roofs....some jurisdictions don't allow roof access at all....with the panels and wind screens installed there is not much to see.

No plan check puts the onus on the inspector to verify and approve that which should have been verified and approved by a plan check engineer. *Many inspectors don't do anything other than sign the job card. The inspectors have not been trained in solar so they wouldn't know what to look for even if they were of the sort that would.

The attitude towards solar = it's plug and play with a rack system that no more complicated than a screen door....the industry is the cream of construction trades....major corporations like Tesla and SunPower are beyond scrutiny. The solar lobby has great sway in Sacramento.

*That is not idle speculation. I got to know quite a few people in the solar industry. They have nothing to hide and will tell me the truth.

 

[ICE]

"This is just shocking!"


Wait until they need a new roof, and someone needs to remove the panels and rack from the roof for the shingler.

That would be the roofer. If the panels are stashed in the garage the inspector might not realize that there is a solar system. A permit is required to R&R solar. If the original plans are not available new plans are required. Several solar companies have a clause in their contract that sets a price to R&R the array in the event of a reroof.

The panels were laying face up and the roofer exclaimed, “They’re safe because they are disconnected.” Getting shocked while on a roof compounds the danger..

Sometimes I feel like the boy that cried wolf.

 

[SCBO1]

We haven't had a PV solar R&R yet here, California is way ahead of the midwest on installs and apperaently R&R, we're behind most of the midwest cities on installs also.

It appears they have targeted a few with lower electric bills which typically is a resident that can't afford the PV panel system anyway. We'er gonna have a mess on our hands in about 20 years. The residents are not educated enough to know what they got themselves into I'm afraid. I could be wrong.

 

[AlisonWilson]

There's always a slight possibility of anything happening. There's even a slight possibility of a stone falling on your head and killing you or a lightning bolt hitting you.