[RE-wrenches] WOW Something Gone Very Wrong

[Mark Frye]

*



Rooftop solar installation sparks fires in Trenton, New Jersey* 
28.03.2012: According to local news portal NJ.com, a rooftop solar 
system has triggered several small fires at a recycling center in 
Trenton, New Jersey. The article reports that "a major malfunction in 
the rooftop solar panel...caused small fires and surges of electricity 
producing arcs of current to break out." According to Fire Battalion 
Chief Rich Seeds, "There definitely was a problem with the installation, 
the equipment." Firefighters on the scene said that an inverter was 
"sparking and unusable." The firefighters, with the help of 
electricians, had to manually disconnect the 100-panel system from the 
electrical grid before they could safely put out the fire. The fire 
started while electricians were hooking up junction boxes on the system. 
Earlier this month, a New Jersey General Assembly committee approved a 
bill (A266) that would require buildings to clearly label with an 
exterior emblem whether they have solar panels installed on the 
premises. The measure, recommended by the National Fire Protection 
Association, is aimed at protecting firefighters from dangers posed by 
solar panels. The greater Assembly has yet to discuss the bill, but the 
New Jersey Senate version of the bill (S507) was introduced in the 
Senate on Jan. 10, 2012 and is currently being reviewed by the Senate 
Environment and Energy Committee. ... Source: NJ.com, New Jersey 
Assembly Republicans, eLobbyist; Summary: PHOTON

*http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2012/03/trenton_firefighters_battle
_ro.html* 
<http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2012/03/trenton_firefighters_battle_ro.html>

*http://www.njassemblyrepublicans.com/?p=2862*

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