Repair of broken PV modules [RE-wrenches]
graham at solarexpert.com
graham at solarexpert.com
Fri Feb 15 09:59:08 PST 2002
Joel,
I agree that un-tempered glass is relatively strong. I know of 2 solar
water heating panels in the San Fernando valley that have 1/8 window
glass measuring 4 x 4 that have lasted over 15 years. I have seen
solar panels damaged by bullets, BBs, rocks, wiskey bottles, dropped
hammers as well as slate falling from an upper story roof during an
earthquake, but never hail.
Since tempered leaded glass cannot be cut and has to be custom made it
is quite expensive, unless a group of glazings need replacement. A nice
property of tempered glass is that fact that when it does shatter there
are many hundreds of little pieces that usually remain within the panel
frame. Un-tempered glass can beak into large jagged pieces and can fall
off of a sloped roof. I noticed the repaired Solarex module is on a
flat roof and this is not a safety issue for this installation. I
wonder if the possible meteor strike to this module is a first. Perhaps
Solarex may want to warranty and replace the module before any potential
for moisture damage occurs. Having a module struck by a meteor that
remained at full output could prove to be an interesting conversation
piece in a Solarex showroom.
I have to add that I enjoyed reading Traviss remarks about how solar
panels attract meteors. Last year at our Earth Day booth we showed kids
how dinosaurs used solar energy, such as the large solar fin on a
Dimetrodons back. This solar fin gave this animal the advantage of
warming their cold blood faster making them more active earlier in the
day. Perhaps we can tell the kids this year that solar powered
dinosaurs attracted the big comet that wiped them out.
Graham
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