Recently, there has been much discussion and misinformation in online firefighting communities regarding firefighter safety when dealing with a home that has a renewable energy system installed, whether it is solar photovoltaic, solar hot water or hot air, a wind turbine or hydro generator, or a backup fossil fuel generator. Dan F has written a Powerpoint presentation for firefighters and their commanders that provides firefighter safety information in a simplified, easy-to-read format, for those who have no knowledge whatsoever about renewable energy systems and their hazards. This document remains a work in progress, so feedback is encouraged. This document is copyrighted, but permission is granted for distribution within the Fire Service and renewable energy communities. For other uses, please contact the author for permission.

Document Outline:

• Introduction
• Summary of key points
• Solar energy system identification
• Solar skylights, solar hot air, solar hot water, solar electric
• Common hazards of all solar RE systems
• Specific hazards and precautions, solar electric systems
• Disconnects
• Solar electric system wiring diagrams, effect of disconnects
• Off grid, direct grid tie, grid tie islanding
• Battery bank hazards and precautions
• Small wind turbine hazards and precautions
• Micro hydro turbine hazards and precautions
• Backup generator hazards and precautions
• Summary for firefighters
• Summary for officers
• Document and author information

Click here to download the Powerpoint document (5.5 meg).

FURTHER READING:

Home Power Magazine A great magazine for anyone interested in renewable energy. Lots of links and good information. Download free articles, plans and power system software. Current issue always available for free downloading.

Power With Nature by Rex Ewing. A great introduction to renewable energy. Friendly and easy to read, but with all the technical details you'll need to get started. Order it from our Online Store HERE.

Got Sun? Go Solar! by Rex Ewing and Doug Pratt. Everything you need to know about grid-tying a renewable energy system. Order it from our Online Store HERE.

Here are some suggestions for further reading on wind power.

Here's an excellent and very detailed book on buying, designing and installing renewable energy systems of all kinds, by a friend of ours and well-known author Dan Chiras PhD.

The "For Dummies" series of books is well known for the friendly style and thorough coverage of the topic.

Here's a great book on heating with solar power, by a friend of ours and well-known author Dan Chiras PhD.

Homebrew Wind Power by Dan Bartmann and Dan Fink.The best book out there about building and flying do-it-yourself wind turbines. We know, because we wrote it! Order it from our Online Store HERE.

HOME	PRODUCTS	DISCUSSION BOARD	DAILY NEWS
CONSERVATION	BATTERIES	SUN	WIND
HYDRO	FOSSIL FUELS	EXPERIMENTS	BIOFUELS
WATER PUMPING	POWER SYSTEMS	EFFICIENT LIGHTING	LINKS