TRUST LJW SOLAR TO MITIGATE SOLAR PANEL RISKS

Luke Williams is a CEC (Clean Energy Council) accredited renewable energy system designer at LJW Solar and is also the inventor and patent holder (2012903137) of PVStop; he has worked in the solar industry since the early eighties, designing and installing solar photovoltaic and wind energy systems for a variety of domestic and commercial clients.

As industry experts in photovoltaic installations and solar panel risks we lecture and offer training courses to fire fighters, emergency personnel, electrical contractors, project developers, TAFE teachers and students Australia wide.

For the past 20 years Luke Williams has been running his country property exclusively on solar energy—from the big family home to the industrial workshop. He also runs recycled water from his gardens and orchards to a solar water distillation unit.

LJW Solar embraces an efficient renewable energy philosophy for the sake of climate change and has demonstrated that it is possible to operate anything from a bank of computers to MIG welding equipment solely on solar power.

Over the years LJW Solar has become increasingly concerned about solar panel risks and associated solar PV hazards. Until now there has been no effective or reliably safe means of urgently deactivating a solar PV array either remotely, manually or automatically, which is why we have developed PVStop—a spray-on solution to mitigate solar panel risks by reducing DC output to safe levels to offer homeowners and emergency personnel peace of mind.

The Current State of Solar Panel Risks

Photovoltaic systems installed on or integrated into buildings components introduce a variety of potential challenges and risks … (including) increased difficulty for fire department operations, with responding fire service making a reasonable decision to use defensive firefighting tactics to avoid placing personnel on roofs or within buildings equipped with solar panel systems ~ Zurich

PV systems consist of devices, such as modules, that use solar cells to generate DC electricity when exposed to light. Sunlight is the main source of illumination for a PV system, but it may not be readily known if a PV system is generating electricity when exposed to sources of light other than natural sunlight. This is important for firefighters to know when assessing the electrical safety hazard of a PV system when light other than sunlight is present ~ Firefighter Safety and Photovoltaic Installations Research Project

There are a broad range of alternative energy systems available in the market and being used at domestic and commercial premises across Australia and New Zealand. The likelihood of encountering a PV system at an emergency incident is, however, significantly greater than that of other systems … Domestic PV systems can generate voltages up to 650V DC and high amperages. Noncontact voltage detectors, commonly used by agencies, do not have the ability to detect DC voltages. The energy produced by a PV system is sufficient to kill emergency workers ~ The Fire Protection Research Foundation

Flood Affected Solar Power Systems A Potential Electric Shock Risk. Residents in flooded areas have been warned to be especially cautious around solar panel installations that have been inundated.

Master Electricians Australia Chief Executive Malcolm Richards yesterday stated solar panels could continue to generate electricity during flood events – even if mains electricity had been cut and even if the panels have been switched off at the switchboard.~ Renewable Energy News

Contact LJW Solar Today

With the rise of commercial, industrial and residential solar PV installations in Australia and throughout the world, there is a genuine need to combat solar panel risks in a safe and urgent manner, which is why every solar panel installation and every fire truck should have access to PVStop. Get in touch with us today to learn more.