Fire Department Setback warning [RE-wrenches]

[Joel Davidson]

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Matt,

The issue of PV as a fire hazard has been blown completely out of 
proportion. Properly installed PV is safe. I support covering every building 
surface with conservation, efficiency and PV materials. I want PV on every 
home, no matter what the roof size or the occupants' income. I oppose 
setback restrictions on code-safe and inspected solar arrays. I definitely 
oppose limiting PV to middle-class and wealthy people with big roofs.

Joel Davidson


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Matt Tritt" <solarone at charter.net>
To: <RE-wrenches at topica.com>
Sent: Thursday, May 15, 2008 10:08 AM
Subject: Re: Fire Department Setback warning [RE-wrenches]


>
>
> I'm probably not going to win any populararity contests by saying this, 
> but - If we can divorce ourselves from the position of our industry and 
> see things from the perspective of a firefighter's (relative) safety while 
> attempting to save someone's house from burning to the ground, setbacks 
> seem very logical. Anyone who has ever fought fire or even witnessed a 
> crew chopping access holes in a roof to gain access to an attic will 
> realize that this would be virtually impossible if a PV array were in the 
> way. If you look at it from the perspective of an insurance company, it's 
> a no-brainer.
>
> In the case of single family dwellings, the possibilities for ground or 
> trellis mounting systems can be very good, especially when the alternative 
> is no PV at all. We all depend on firefighters to take risks to protect 
> our property and doing what we can to increase their chances of survival 
> seems like the right thing to do.
>
> Matt T
>
> solarpro at aol.com wrote:
>
>>Wrenches:
>> The setback regs have been a pain for us.  CalSeia has been  working 
>> diligently to modify the rules for nearly two years now.  You  should 
>> visit the web site _www.calseia.org_ (http://www.calseia.org) ,  look at 
>> 'emergency response', view the pdfs that address setback standards and 
>> look over the proposed changes (draft PV Guidelines) that have been 
>> hashed out  with the state fire marshall.  This push for setbacks and 
>> pathways by your local fire fighters has reduced our options for solar on 
>> so many homes that we estimate our business potential has been reduced 
>> between 30 to 40% .  These rules will not only curtail business  in 
>> California, but are sure to spread like, well, er......wildfire... to 
>> other states as well.
>> After you look over the web page on calseia's site and see how much we 
>> have  been doing, you should immediately join CalSeia to help with these 
>> efforts and others, as we are becoming more and more regulated.
>> Patrick Redgate
>>AMECO
>>
>>
>>
>> In a message dated 5/14/2008 2:37:48 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time, 
>> michael.welch at re-wrenches.org writes:
>>
>>
>>Hi  gang. Posting this on behalf of William Miller, his own post did not 
>>show up.
>>
>>
>>>Friends:
>>>
>>>Well, it's happened.  Local fire  marshals are now enforcing roof edge
>>setbacks.  These setbacks originate  from the Los Angeles Fire Department 
>>and require a 4 foot setback on all edges  of a roof-- eaves, ridge and 
>>gables.
>>
>>>I have jobs pending that  will not proceed because of these requirements. 
>>>I
>>am sure all of you  installing roof mounted PV will find many jobs that 
>>are not feasible once  these regulations spread to your area.  This will 
>>be the single biggest  curtailment of residential PV in the history of 
>>grid-tie solar-electric.   I have reviewed a random sampling of recent 
>>roof mounted jobs and at least 90%  of them would be either not at all 
>>feasible or greatly reduce in  size.
>>
>>>We need to put our heads together and figure out a way to  deal with 
>>>this.
>>Here is one idea:  If a roof has an attic, it can  be vented from the 
>>north side, therefore clearance issues on the south side  should be 
>>waived.  Here's another concept:  The literature mentions  "quick release" 
>>hardware.  Can we invent racks that can fold over to  create eave, ridge 
>>or gable clearances?
>>
>>>I am interested in any  input on this critical issue.  To view the
>>regulations, it is the top  listing  at:
>>
>>>http://mpandc.com/resources/resources.html
>>>
>>>William  Miller


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