Why Do You Need SecuredSolar™ ?
When you “roll-up” to a fire, do you look for solar panels (PV) on the roof?
Ordinary homes equipped with PV panels generate from 3,000 to 8,000 watts of electricity when the sun is shining. The voltage can be between 120 and 600 VDC! This can be lethal!
The DC disconnect box does not shut off the power in the conduit coming from the array; it just keeps it from entering the inverter. Caution! The wires from the PV array to the inverter are “live” during the daylight hours, even when it’s overcast.
We all know to never disable a PV panel by putting an ax through a module. But do we know that the conduit from the PV panels to the inverter can be deadly during the daytime?
In the U.S., firefighters are trained to VENT-ENTER-SEARCH after the initial roll-up assessment. But remember, cutting through the roofing material involves the risk of cutting the “live” conduit that comes from the arrays. You must stay clear of it when the sun shines. But where under the roof is it? What options do you have?
Right now, the training manuals recommend only one option to prevent electricity generation during the day: Cover the entire solar array with an opaque material, such as heavy dark canvas tarps or thick black plastic. This covering must cover the entire array, including any sub-arrays mounted on other roof pitches. However, even if opaque covering materials are available, wind and structural conditions make this option very difficult.
Firefighters struggle to block light to solar panels using tarp
The lack of practical workable solutions to this problem led us to develop SecuredSolar™.
With the SecuredSolar™ “quick spray” system you can disarm and secure any set of PV arrays — quickly and with full confidence that the lethal voltage is gone.
Just spray the panels and rest assured they are safe!
SecuredSolar Spray on Panels
After the fire when the building is being made safe by your crew, just place the SecuredSolar™ stickers on the panels with the warning that the PV panes are safe and off as long as the coating is in place. The wind and rain storms will not blow the SecuredSolar™ coating off.
When the rebuild starts, any undamaged PV panels can safely be returned to service. Just peel the film away, and the panels can become fully operational.