Fire Department Setback warning [RE-wrenches]

[Matt Tritt]

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Generally, true. Sometimes not, depending on the individual roof. I 
don't think that PV is singled out though; this is usually a general 
safety issue applying to any structure that blocks access to fire 
fighters. I have to add that in many cases roof surfaces are already 
really risky to walk on (clay tile, wood shingles, etc.) but there don't 
seem to be any codes preventing /that/.

I have listened to one fireman's opinion on this, namely that if there 
is anything on the roof that "appears to be a hazard", they will simply 
not go there.

Matt

Todd Cory, Mt. Shasta Energy Services wrote:

>
>> 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.
>
>
> Generally roofs with panels on the south facing side have plenty of 
> open roof space for cutting holes in on the north side. I am not quite 
> sure why this is such an issue or why PV is held to such excessive 
> standards.
>
> Todd
>
>
> Joel Davidson wrote:
>
>>
>> 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 
>>
>>
>
>
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