Fire Department Setback warning [RE-wrenches]

Joel Davidson joel.davidson at sbcglobal.net
Thu May 15 15:09:57 PDT 2008


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Rules are hard to change once they are set. Give'em an inch and they'll take 
several feet, specifically, the 35 feet height limit for wind generator 
towers that was set back in the early 1900s because firefighters could only 
squirt water 35 feet high. I'm not a wind power guy, but I spoke up to the 
Los Angeles County Supervisors a few years ago when Mike Bergey asked me to 
tell them that tower height limits had to change. Now I am speaking up 
because I do not want to see unnecessary and unused setbacks for solar 
arrays become a requirement. It will take decades to un-do them so we can 
make building skins function solar electrically.

Another restriction example: utility authorities required unnecessary 
disconnect switches - it could take years and a national law to get rid of. 
Another restriction example: local building authorities that do not allow 
homeowners to do electrical work on their own homes.

If PV array size and placement become law, it will set back PV in general, 
and BIPV specifically for years.

Some of us PV authorities are tired of yielding to fire authorities, import 
authorities, testing authorities, certification authorities, building 
authorities, inspection authorities, zoning authorities, utility 
authorities, and every other authorized or self-proclaimed authority that 
throws up a barrier to widespread PV use - or does every other authority 
trump PV?

Let the authorities open their minds and find ways to accommodate the solar 
future. If not, their children will do it later rather than sooner.

Joel Davidson

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Matt Tritt" <solarone at charter.net>
To: <RE-wrenches at topica.com>
Sent: Thursday, May 15, 2008 1:30 PM
Subject: Re: Fire Department Setback warning [RE-wrenches]


>
> Joel,
>
> Properly installed PV by our definition (as in it doesn't leak, short, 
> corrode and produces maximum energy) might sometimes be at odds with 
> another agency or authority's point of view, no? Working this out with 
> fire authorities so that everyone is happy seems like the thing to do to 
> me.
>
> Matt
>
> 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
>>>
>>> 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


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