Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Carl2009 on January 06, 2014, 01:56:54 pm
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Late last year I was considering extending my services to offer solar panel cleaning; because of level of demand, cost of new 47' pole (which I would use day to day) and purchase of PPE I decided against it.
During the decision-making process I contacted manufacturers about H and S issues, particularly electrocution risk. All said that there was little or no risk. This takes no account of shoddy installation or deterioration (for example in the case of bad weather :) causing wear to electrical wires causing a potential short and electrocution risk).
I also contacted the HSE for advice on "guidelines with regards to risk management and, specifically, PPE that individuals working on solar PV arrays should consider. If no such information exists perhaps someone would be able to advise me on what steps should be taken to minimise the risks associated with cleaning such facilities."
After a false start the HSE has today advised:
"HSE does not produce specific guidance on cleaning of solar panels. Manufacturers instructions regarding the maintenance and cleaning of solar panels should always be followed, the owner of the property should make these available to you. Although the panels generate continuously when exposed to sunlight the risk of electrocution is no greater to that from other electrical installations that you might encounter whilst carrying out cleaning, eg from external light fittings or camera installations. There is always a risk of electrocution or arcing from any of these installations if they are badly installed or poorly maintained.
You should take normal precautions whilst carrying out any cleaning operation to ensure that you do not snag or cause damage to electrical cables. Ensure that you check for overhead cables entering the building before starting work, as these cables are generally uninsulated and contact with any equipment could cause electrocution."
I remain focussed on domestic window cleaning, but thought this might be of interest.
Cheers
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Thanks,
As always HSE stuff is as clear as mud 🙈🙉🙊
Darran
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I thought it was quite clear Darran...?
Basically, there's no more risk cleaning a panel than there is if you clean an outside light or CCTV camera.
Be careful, no more fuss needed.
Pretty much what we all knew but they have more clout and it's nice to get it in writing.
What kind of shock would you get anyway? Got to be way less than 240v.
You've gotta have a pretty dodgy ticker or pacemaker for that to do any damage.
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Yep, just like cleaning and outside wall light. With a carbon pole. Shooting out water. That you agitate with a brush into all the nooks and crannies. Whilst stood in a pool of water.
That sounds like a recipe for a fried window cleaner if there are any issues with the unit's installation.
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Yep, just like cleaning and outside wall light. With a carbon pole. Shooting out water. That you agitate with a brush into all the nooks and crannies. Whilst stood in a pool of water.
That sounds like a recipe for a fried window cleaner if there are any issues with the unit's installation.
True. But you have to trust the installer did his job properly.
If you did get a shock, you'd stop cleaning it.
240v light, CCTV or whatever won't hurt you.
Perhaps Steve or Alex W can tell us what voltage a panel is?
From what I found out it was double figures.
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LOL! This is a funny thread! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
I will give a sensible reply later when I have more time. I just wanna see how this plays out for a bit. It's entertaining!
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True. But you have to trust the installer did his job properly.
If you did get a shock, you'd stop cleaning it.
240v light, CCTV or whatever won't hurt you.
Perhaps Steve or Alex W can tell us what voltage a panel is?
From what I found out it was double figures.
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They are relatively small power-wise, but are linked in series... You wouldn't have a chance to stop cleaning it as you'd be dead. As it's DC and the current is "on" all the time you wouldn't be able to let go of the pole (unlike, perhaps, A/C). The emergency services would use something that doesn't conduct electricity (like that old fibre glass pole you keep in the van but which you never use) to prise off the pole each one of your smoking fingers from your now redundant SLX before they slipped you, still warm and smouldering, into a body bag.
SolarSteve. I know I'm overegging it a bit as the risks are relatively speaking actually very low, but feel free to jump in. :)
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He won't.
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Is it really that bad?
Think I posted here a while back that no-one has ever been electrocuted from a panel.
Steve said they had.
But I don't think the evidence has been posted...
Maybe he's got a link?
Fuff-he will. Just once we have thrown 'erroneous' ideas in the ring.
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As long as you have supplied RAMS it's impossible to get electrocuted apparently. (Unless it's a rush job for Solar Steve then RAMS are not required anyway)
Apparently.
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I will Dave. :P But as you know, it will be limited. ;) :-*
Panels vary in power output. Hardly ever will you see a single panel on a house because the movement of electrons inside the panel is nowhere near enough to power any kind of appliance. This is why panels are linked in strings. These strings can be made up of many panels. Therefore, there is an accumulative effect on the power. You may not know where the string starts and ends. So if you do get a faulty panel, yes I have come across them, you need to know where you are in the string. At panel one, the power may be low, but at panel 10 it is likely to be nearly 10 times higher. Strings go higher than 10 so the accumulative effect continues.
Look at the top picture here: http://www.solar-panel-cleaners.com/british-gas-use-clean-solar-solutions-ltd-for-solar-panel-cleaning-at-toyota-derby
If the operator there gets a bolt from that panel, depending where he is on the string, he may get jolted from that panel, over two rows and land on the same row as the van is parked. I was told that firsthand by the installers of that array when I was discussing with them the H&S implications of cleaning that site. The accumulative power there is that big.
I can see from reading other posts on this thread that there is still a lot of confusion and misunderstanding about spc. I continue to learn and even this year we will be including added features to protect our guys further. Our RAMS is still evolving as I learn more about the risks and the control measures.
Carl 2009, the HSE guidance above is not really that helpful. It does not tell you anything really. That is not your fault at all. Your manufacturers "all said....that there was little or no risk." The HSE then says "There is always a risk of electrocution or arcing from any of these installations if they are badly installed or poorly maintained." Who should any of us believe?
Dirty Darren "Basically, there's no more risk cleaning a panel than there is if you clean an outside light or CCTV camera.
Be careful, no more fuss needed." That's wrong mate. There is. You cannot "Trust" any installer to have done their job properly. There have been loads of cowboys doing solar stuff aver the last few years. There are shoddy installs out there and a lot will be discovered over the next period of time.
The risks of cleaning a perfectly installed 16 panel installation on a house is relatively low. Go to an array of any stature though and there is definite risk because you are dealing with a higher power and more can go wrong on a larger array.
I hope the above helps someone. :)
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Better. ;)
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Question:
If you clean an array and get fried and assuming you survive can you sue the owners or installers ? Or would you yourself be at fault because as we all know water and electricity don't mix...
Having said that, pure water does not conduct electricity so perhaps we would be safe after all...
Confuzed, hell yes....
Darran
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Once your water has come into contact with a panel it aint pure no more. ;D
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As long as you have supplied RAMS it's impossible to get electrocuted apparently. (Unless it's a rush job for Solar Steve then RAMS are not required anyway)
Apparently.
he doesn't reply to that one
ive tried ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Having said that, pure water does not conduct electricity so perhaps we would be safe after all...
THAT is the best one yet!. Pure water doesn't conduct electricity. Where on earth did you hear that! ::)roll
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I will Dave. :P But as you know, it will be limited. ;) :-*
Panels vary in power output. Hardly ever will you see a single panel on a house because the movement of electrons inside the panel is nowhere near enough to power any kind of appliance. This is why panels are linked in strings. These strings can be made up of many panels. Therefore, there is an accumulative effect on the power. You may not know where the string starts and ends. So if you do get a faulty panel, yes I have come across them, you need to know where you are in the string. At panel one, the power may be low, but at panel 10 it is likely to be nearly 10 times higher. Strings go higher than 10 so the accumulative effect continues.
Look at the top picture here: http://www.solar-panel-cleaners.com/british-gas-use-clean-solar-solutions-ltd-for-solar-panel-cleaning-at-toyota-derby
If the operator there gets a bolt from that panel, depending where he is on the string, he may get jolted from that panel, over two rows and land on the same row as the van is parked. I was told that firsthand by the installers of that array when I was discussing with them the H&S implications of cleaning that site. The accumulative power there is that big.
I can see from reading other posts on this thread that there is still a lot of confusion and misunderstanding about spc. I continue to learn and even this year we will be including added features to protect our guys further. Our RAMS is still evolving as I learn more about the risks and the control measures.
Carl 2009, the HSE guidance above is not really that helpful. It does not tell you anything really. That is not your fault at all. Your manufacturers "all said....that there was little or no risk." The HSE then says "There is always a risk of electrocution or arcing from any of these installations if they are badly installed or poorly maintained." Who should any of us believe?
Dirty Darren "Basically, there's no more risk cleaning a panel than there is if you clean an outside light or CCTV camera.
Be careful, no more fuss needed." That's wrong mate. There is. You cannot "Trust" any installer to have done their job properly. There have been loads of cowboys doing solar stuff aver the last few years. There are shoddy installs out there and a lot will be discovered over the next period of time.
The risks of cleaning a perfectly installed 16 panel installation on a house is relatively low. Go to an array of any stature though and there is definite risk because you are dealing with a higher power and more can go wrong on a larger array.
I hope the above helps someone. :)
Helps a bit, for me.
Still no mention of how many volts are/could be conduct though.
The thing about the electricity jumping you back to the van is obviously hyperbole.
When someone jumps onto a train track to commit suicide they're not thrown off are they? (this is my understanding anyway)
Steve, can you give a range what 'could' the voltage be at one end of the 'string'(?) what could it be at the other.
When I say could, I don't mean in the desert 60degrees c blazing sunshine i mean realistically.
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Having said that, pure water does not conduct electricity so perhaps we would be safe after all...
THAT is the best one yet!. Pure water doesn't conduct electricity. Where on earth did you hear that! ::)roll
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20060908084034AAwOvMq
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Having said that, pure water does not conduct electricity so perhaps we would be safe after all...
THAT is the best one yet!. Pure water doesn't conduct electricity. Where on earth did you hear that! ::)roll
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20060908084034AAwOvMq
Go on then.
But can I have your stuff if it all goes a bit t*ts up?
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Having said that, pure water does not conduct electricity so perhaps we would be safe after all...
THAT is the best one yet!. Pure water doesn't conduct electricity. Where on earth did you hear that! ::)roll
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20060908084034AAwOvMq
Go on then.
But can I have your stuff if it all goes a bit t*ts up?
You're more than welcome to all of it bud*
*edit (if you're a solicitor or summat, no, sod off) ;D
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Better. ;)
I thought you'd prefer that! ;D :-*
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Question:
If you clean an array and get fried and assuming you survive can you sue the owners or installers ? Or would you yourself be at fault because as we all know water and electricity don't mix...
Having said that, pure water does not conduct electricity so perhaps we would be safe after all...
Confuzed, hell yes....
Darran
That would be for HSE to decide. It's a very circumstantial question. It's a bit like asking if an electrician was to get a shock, who would be to blame? Him? The homeowner or his boss who didn't train him properly? He should have know not to stick his screwdriver in the plug. It's very circumstantial.
Pure water does not conduct electricity. But your pure water instantly becomes contaminated when you clean a panel so will begin to conduct instantaneously.
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I will Dave. :P But as you know, it will be limited. ;) :-*
Panels vary in power output. Hardly ever will you see a single panel on a house because the movement of electrons inside the panel is nowhere near enough to power any kind of appliance. This is why panels are linked in strings. These strings can be made up of many panels. Therefore, there is an accumulative effect on the power. You may not know where the string starts and ends. So if you do get a faulty panel, yes I have come across them, you need to know where you are in the string. At panel one, the power may be low, but at panel 10 it is likely to be nearly 10 times higher. Strings go higher than 10 so the accumulative effect continues.
Look at the top picture here: http://www.solar-panel-cleaners.com/british-gas-use-clean-solar-solutions-ltd-for-solar-panel-cleaning-at-toyota-derby
If the operator there gets a bolt from that panel, depending where he is on the string, he may get jolted from that panel, over two rows and land on the same row as the van is parked. I was told that firsthand by the installers of that array when I was discussing with them the H&S implications of cleaning that site. The accumulative power there is that big.
I can see from reading other posts on this thread that there is still a lot of confusion and misunderstanding about spc. I continue to learn and even this year we will be including added features to protect our guys further. Our RAMS is still evolving as I learn more about the risks and the control measures.
Carl 2009, the HSE guidance above is not really that helpful. It does not tell you anything really. That is not your fault at all. Your manufacturers "all said....that there was little or no risk." The HSE then says "There is always a risk of electrocution or arcing from any of these installations if they are badly installed or poorly maintained." Who should any of us believe?
Dirty Darren "Basically, there's no more risk cleaning a panel than there is if you clean an outside light or CCTV camera.
Be careful, no more fuss needed." That's wrong mate. There is. You cannot "Trust" any installer to have done their job properly. There have been loads of cowboys doing solar stuff aver the last few years. There are shoddy installs out there and a lot will be discovered over the next period of time.
The risks of cleaning a perfectly installed 16 panel installation on a house is relatively low. Go to an array of any stature though and there is definite risk because you are dealing with a higher power and more can go wrong on a larger array.
I hope the above helps someone. :)
Helps a bit, for me.
Still no mention of how many volts are/could be conduct though.
The thing about the electricity jumping you back to the van is obviously hyperbole.
When someone jumps onto a train track to commit suicide they're not thrown off are they? (this is my understanding anyway)
Steve, can you give a range what 'could' the voltage be at one end of the 'string'(?) what could it be at the other.
When I say could, I don't mean in the desert 60degrees c blazing sunshine i mean realistically.
No, the current will throw you that far apparently. DC current acts differently to AC.
The voltage 'could' be a lot. I know that's a bit vague, but it can vary a lot too.
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I will Dave. :P But as you know, it will be limited. ;) :-*
Panels vary in power output. Hardly ever will you see a single panel on a house because the movement of electrons inside the panel is nowhere near enough to power any kind of appliance. This is why panels are linked in strings. These strings can be made up of many panels. Therefore, there is an accumulative effect on the power. You may not know where the string starts and ends. So if you do get a faulty panel, yes I have come across them, you need to know where you are in the string. At panel one, the power may be low, but at panel 10 it is likely to be nearly 10 times higher. Strings go higher than 10 so the accumulative effect continues.
Look at the top picture here: http://www.solar-panel-cleaners.com/british-gas-use-clean-solar-solutions-ltd-for-solar-panel-cleaning-at-toyota-derby
If the operator there gets a bolt from that panel, depending where he is on the string, he may get jolted from that panel, over two rows and land on the same row as the van is parked. I was told that firsthand by the installers of that array when I was discussing with them the H&S implications of cleaning that site. The accumulative power there is that big.
I can see from reading other posts on this thread that there is still a lot of confusion and misunderstanding about spc. I continue to learn and even this year we will be including added features to protect our guys further. Our RAMS is still evolving as I learn more about the risks and the control measures.
Carl 2009, the HSE guidance above is not really that helpful. It does not tell you anything really. That is not your fault at all. Your manufacturers "all said....that there was little or no risk." The HSE then says "There is always a risk of electrocution or arcing from any of these installations if they are badly installed or poorly maintained." Who should any of us believe?
Dirty Darren "Basically, there's no more risk cleaning a panel than there is if you clean an outside light or CCTV camera.
Be careful, no more fuss needed." That's wrong mate. There is. You cannot "Trust" any installer to have done their job properly. There have been loads of cowboys doing solar stuff aver the last few years. There are shoddy installs out there and a lot will be discovered over the next period of time.
The risks of cleaning a perfectly installed 16 panel installation on a house is relatively low. Go to an array of any stature though and there is definite risk because you are dealing with a higher power and more can go wrong on a larger array.
I hope the above helps someone. :)
Helps a bit, for me.
Still no mention of how many volts are/could be conduct though.
The thing about the electricity jumping you back to the van is obviously hyperbole.
When someone jumps onto a train track to commit suicide they're not thrown off are they? (this is my understanding anyway)
Steve, can you give a range what 'could' the voltage be at one end of the 'string'(?) what could it be at the other.
When I say could, I don't mean in the desert 60degrees c blazing sunshine i mean realistically.
No, the current will throw you that far apparently. DC current acts differently to AC.
The voltage 'could' be a lot. I know that's a bit vague, but it can vary a lot too.
C'mon Steve, give us a figure. You know you want to.
I'll start you. It is definitely less that 1 million volts and definitely more than 9v.
Stick some rough figures up...
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I will Dave. :P But as you know, it will be limited. ;) :-*
Panels vary in power output. Hardly ever will you see a single panel on a house because the movement of electrons inside the panel is nowhere near enough to power any kind of appliance. This is why panels are linked in strings. These strings can be made up of many panels. Therefore, there is an accumulative effect on the power. You may not know where the string starts and ends. So if you do get a faulty panel, yes I have come across them, you need to know where you are in the string. At panel one, the power may be low, but at panel 10 it is likely to be nearly 10 times higher. Strings go higher than 10 so the accumulative effect continues.
Look at the top picture here: http://www.solar-panel-cleaners.com/british-gas-use-clean-solar-solutions-ltd-for-solar-panel-cleaning-at-toyota-derby
If the operator there gets a bolt from that panel, depending where he is on the string, he may get jolted from that panel, over two rows and land on the same row as the van is parked. I was told that firsthand by the installers of that array when I was discussing with them the H&S implications of cleaning that site. The accumulative power there is that big.
I can see from reading other posts on this thread that there is still a lot of confusion and misunderstanding about spc. I continue to learn and even this year we will be including added features to protect our guys further. Our RAMS is still evolving as I learn more about the risks and the control measures.
Carl 2009, the HSE guidance above is not really that helpful. It does not tell you anything really. That is not your fault at all. Your manufacturers "all said....that there was little or no risk." The HSE then says "There is always a risk of electrocution or arcing from any of these installations if they are badly installed or poorly maintained." Who should any of us believe?
Dirty Darren "Basically, there's no more risk cleaning a panel than there is if you clean an outside light or CCTV camera.
Be careful, no more fuss needed." That's wrong mate. There is. You cannot "Trust" any installer to have done their job properly. There have been loads of cowboys doing solar stuff aver the last few years. There are shoddy installs out there and a lot will be discovered over the next period of time.
The risks of cleaning a perfectly installed 16 panel installation on a house is relatively low. Go to an array of any stature though and there is definite risk because you are dealing with a higher power and more can go wrong on a larger array.
I hope the above helps someone. :)
Helps a bit, for me.
Still no mention of how many volts are/could be conduct though.
The thing about the electricity jumping you back to the van is obviously hyperbole.
When someone jumps onto a train track to commit suicide they're not thrown off are they? (this is my understanding anyway)
Steve, can you give a range what 'could' the voltage be at one end of the 'string'(?) what could it be at the other.
When I say could, I don't mean in the desert 60degrees c blazing sunshine i mean realistically.
No, the current will throw you that far apparently. DC current acts differently to AC.
The voltage 'could' be a lot. I know that's a bit vague, but it can vary a lot too.
C'mon Steve, give us a figure. You know you want to.
I'll start you. It is definitely less that 1 million volts and definitely more than 9v.
Stick some rough figures up...
To be fair to SPS he does share as much as he can without undermining his competitive "edge". ;D
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Wow 8weekly! Have you had a drink this early? Was that a compliment? ;D
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Wow 8weekly! Have you had a drink this early? Was that a compliment? ;D
I think your sarcasm detecter must be turned off this morning Steve. ;D
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Thanks DD for the backup😆
The problem with electricity is you can't see,smell or hear it...
I find the HSE statement totally useless because they imply it's safe to clean but it's worded so that should some1 get shocked they will be at fault.
Surely any install should be passed off as safe and be inspected yearly?
Also, does the voltage increase with the number of panels ? You can wire a 10 car batts together and still be 12 volts or turn them into 120 volts
I know Steve likes to keep his research close to his chest, but I think he is misguided as the contracts he has won are more due to his business acumen, pricing and charming personality than health and safety info.
Darran
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Having said that, pure water does not conduct electricity so perhaps we would be safe after all...
THAT is the best one yet!. Pure water doesn't conduct electricity. Where on earth did you hear that! ::)roll
It isn't water that conducts electricity, it's the particles in it. This is why sea water conducts electricity so well. It's full of salt.
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Thanks DD for the backup😆
I know Steve likes to keep his research close to his chest, but I think he is misguided as the contracts he has won are more due to his business acumen, pricing and charming personality than health and safety info.
Darran
LOL! How do you know that??? ::)roll
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I worked in the Electrical supply industry for over 10 years.
If I was to work on solar panel cleaning I would consider what type.
ie an array is low level to the ground use a glass fibre pole. (They don't conduct electricity, and were used to open and close overhead line pole switches upto 1000v).
Roof mounted panels I guess you have no choice but to use carbon fibre poles. Not sure if hybrids would reach but if so use them (think glass fibre is bottom pole).
If your that concerned buy some electricians gloves rated upto 1000v about £40.
Pure water in theory should not conduct electricity as long as it has gone through DI process but as soon as you started cleaning, the water dripping down is impure and more likely to be conductive.
Depending on how panels are connected up either the voltage will rise or the amps. Volts don't kill its the amps. When people talk of being thrown back or off . It's not the electric thats throws you its your bodys muscles spasming.
Hope this helps understand a little
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Interesting post that.
So, how many amps would kill a man?
How many amps could be in a panel (thread?) as in how many could you be connected to at one time?
And if it's your muscles spasming-surely you would only be 'jumped' back as far as your muscles would be able to take you? So not very far...
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Was told many years ago think it was something like 0.1 amp.
if you consciously tried to throw yourself back you might be able to reach 6ft, with your muscles spasming through an electric shock feasibly you could be "thrown" some distance.
Heard some stories over the years quite funny some of them but obviously not for the people concerned
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.1 of an amp would kill a man?! Really?
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http://www.physics.ohio-state.edu/~p616/safety/fatal_current.html
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Cheers dave. Really surprised by that.
What sort of ampage can panel realistically produce then?
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When we were at school they used to liken the voltage to a double decker bus. It could be enormous but if it traveled at one mile per hour it would only nudge you when you stepped in front of it. If it traveled at fifty miles an hour and struck you (ampage) then you're finished.
I'm no electrician (my son is) but I believe solar panels produce direct current which then goes through an inverter converting it to alternating current suitable for the grid and household use.
I'll try and find the ampage.
http://homeguides.sfgate.com/calculate-amps-solar-panel-79495.html
I'm surprised how difficult it is to find any safety information. I also find it odd that Steve can subbie out jobs (with or without RAMS) willy nilly to any windowcleaner in any postcode that suits.
So we have to assume it's pretty safe?
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When we were at school they used to liken the voltage to a double decker bus. It could be enormous but if it traveled at one mile per hour it would only nudge you when you stepped in front of it. If it traveled at fifty miles an hour and struck you (ampage) then you're finished.
I'm no electrician (my son is) but I believe solar panels produce direct current which then goes through an inverter converting it to alternating current suitable for the grid and household use.
I'll try and find the ampage.
http://homeguides.sfgate.com/calculate-amps-solar-panel-79495.html
I'm surprised how difficult it is to find any safety information. I also find it odd that Steve can subbie out jobs (with or without RAMS) willy nilly to any windowcleaner in any postcode that suits.
So we have to assume it's pretty safe?
You don't know what goes on after the contactor is found Dave. If one comes up in your area, give it a whirl and you may learn something. Also, on residentials and as I've said before, the risk is much lower.
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When we were at school they used to liken the voltage to a double decker bus. It could be enormous but if it traveled at one mile per hour it would only nudge you when you stepped in front of it. If it traveled at fifty miles an hour and struck you (ampage) then you're finished.
I'm no electrician (my son is) but I believe solar panels produce direct current which then goes through an inverter converting it to alternating current suitable for the grid and household use.
I'll try and find the ampage.
http://homeguides.sfgate.com/calculate-amps-solar-panel-79495.html
I'm surprised how difficult it is to find any safety information. I also find it odd that Steve can subbie out jobs (with or without RAMS) willy nilly to any windowcleaner in any postcode that suits.
So we have to assume it's pretty safe?
You don't know what goes on after the contactor is found Dave. If one comes up in your area, give it a whirl and you may learn something. Also, on residentials and as I've said before, the risk is much lower.
A lot of the houses on my estate have 15 panels.
Did you say that a thread(?) can have Upto 100 Steve?
Is it oversimplifying it to say the current/ampage/voltage would be 15%?
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When we were at school they used to liken the voltage to a double decker bus. It could be enormous but if it traveled at one mile per hour it would only nudge you when you stepped in front of it. If it traveled at fifty miles an hour and struck you (ampage) then you're finished.
I'm no electrician (my son is) but I believe solar panels produce direct current which then goes through an inverter converting it to alternating current suitable for the grid and household use.
I'll try and find the ampage.
http://homeguides.sfgate.com/calculate-amps-solar-panel-79495.html
I'm surprised how difficult it is to find any safety information. I also find it odd that Steve can subbie out jobs (with or without RAMS) willy nilly to any windowcleaner in any postcode that suits.
So we have to assume it's pretty safe?
You don't know what goes on after the contactor is found Dave. If one comes up in your area, give it a whirl and you may learn something. Also, on residentials and as I've said before, the risk is much lower.
A lot of the houses on my estate have 15 panels.
Did you say that a thread(?) can have Upto 100 Steve?
Is it oversimplifying it to say the current/ampage/voltage would be 15%?
They call them 'strings' not threads, but I know what you mean!
Strings can have as many as the inverter will handle. Yes, it is over-simplifying. Sorry.
People still don't seem to believe me, but this is complicated stuff. If I was bluffing about the detail, how come everyone doesn't know about this?
Not a rant at you mate, I'm just saying...
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When we were at school they used to liken the voltage to a double decker bus. It could be enormous but if it traveled at one mile per hour it would only nudge you when you stepped in front of it. If it traveled at fifty miles an hour and struck you (ampage) then you're finished.
I'm no electrician (my son is) but I believe solar panels produce direct current which then goes through an inverter converting it to alternating current suitable for the grid and household use.
I'll try and find the ampage.
http://homeguides.sfgate.com/calculate-amps-solar-panel-79495.html
I'm surprised how difficult it is to find any safety information. I also find it odd that Steve can subbie out jobs (with or without RAMS) willy nilly to any windowcleaner in any postcode that suits.
So we have to assume it's pretty safe?
You don't know what goes on after the contactor is found Dave. If one comes up in your area, give it a whirl and you may learn something. Also, on residentials and as I've said before, the risk is much lower.
A lot of the houses on my estate have 15 panels.
Did you say that a thread(?) can have Upto 100 Steve?
Is it oversimplifying it to say the current/ampage/voltage would be 15%?
They call them 'strings' not threads, but I know what you mean!
Strings can have as many as the inverter will handle. Yes, it is over-simplifying. Sorry.
People still don't seem to believe me, but this is complicated stuff. If I was bluffing about the detail, how come everyone doesn't know about this?
Not a rant at you mate, I'm just saying...
No worries bud.
I'm genuinely interested in the mechanics of them.
I clean quite a few but I'm not worried about the shock-I just trust the installer...
I know you say commercial is different (and I believe you) it's just that I don't do any so I'm only interested from a knowledge point if view rather than my own safety.
I do like the solar posts though.