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Green Fail: Solar Panels Catch on Fire on High School Roof – Black Plume Seen for Miles (St Louis)
Gateway ^ | May 19, 2013 | Jim Hoft

Posted on 05/19/2013 4:44:37 PM PDT by george76

When Webster Groves High School purchased solar panels to put on the roof of the school, no one told them they could catch on fire!

The fire department was called on Saturday to put out the flames

...

Plumes of black smoke could be seen coming from the roof at Webster Groves High School Saturday. Firefighters say solar panels caught fire around 2:00pm. Nearby residents noticed the smoke and called the fire department.

The panels are above the new science wing.

(Excerpt) Read more at thegatewaypundit.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Extended News; Government; News/Current Events; US: Missouri
KEYWORDS: envirofascism; green; greenenergy; greenfail; greenfraud; solar; solarpanels; thegreenlie
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To: WVKayaker

I heat my jacuzzi with solar circulating hot water system. I use a low flow pump that is solar powered. Took a bit to get it dialed in but now have it mastered.

At first it was not hot enough. Then it got way too hot. I figured out the system. Now regulated to stay at 105 f.

Totally free system.


21 posted on 05/19/2013 5:29:35 PM PDT by gunsequalfreedom (Conservative is not a label of convenience. It is a guide to your actions.)
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To: george76

One problem with the solar cells is that there’s no way to shut them off if the sun is shining on them. There is high voltage present unless you cover the panels.


22 posted on 05/19/2013 6:02:05 PM PDT by ltc8k6
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23 posted on 05/19/2013 6:05:29 PM PDT by RedMDer (May we always be happy and may our enemies always know it. - Sarah Palin, 10-18-2010)
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To: The Working Man

Too many big oaks and hickories for solar to work here.
We put in a ground source heat pump when we built new in ‘01. It has four 200 foot wells under the driveway and the main floor is warmed by the same unit.
Not cheap to buy but the payoff is about 4-5 years. Our power bill goes down when we switch the ground source to AC...


24 posted on 05/19/2013 6:47:57 PM PDT by Eric in the Ozarks (NRA Life Member)
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To: The Working Man
I installed a nice thermosyphonic system at my house in San Diego. 100% hot water generation from March to November. Pre-heat mode from November to March. It was wonderful until the hard water destroyed the holding tank. Calcification ate through the tank and sprayed water all over the insulation. It ceased insulating. The contractor also cheaped out on the freeze plugs. Cheap PVC versions were used and we had a hard freeze one night. They popped and continued leaking. I found good brass replacements that lasted until the holding tank failed.

In the end, I removed the system and donated the tanks to a local solar installer/maintainer. There was no market for my nice silicon glass window/anodized copper collector panels. Even with the federal subsidy, I lost almost $7,000 on that bit of green stupidity. Three years in service didn't come close to the claimed service life of 20 years. Even at 20 years, the natural gas prices never went high enough to offset the investment.

25 posted on 05/19/2013 7:27:17 PM PDT by Myrddin
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To: george76

Something smells here.

Nothing about a solar PV panel is flammable.


26 posted on 05/19/2013 8:09:38 PM PDT by editor-surveyor (Freepers: Not as smart as I'd hoped they'd be)
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To: familyop

All of my panels just have water tight buss boxes.


27 posted on 05/19/2013 8:23:17 PM PDT by editor-surveyor (Freepers: Not as smart as I'd hoped they'd be)
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To: Myrddin

>> “It was wonderful until the hard water destroyed the holding tank.” <<

.
Very similar to my experience with solar water heating. The freeze valves would stick open first, then later on the tanks went.

Soft water errodes the tanks (dissolves the copper and the steel), and hard water clogs and corrodes them


28 posted on 05/19/2013 8:28:09 PM PDT by editor-surveyor (Freepers: Not as smart as I'd hoped they'd be)
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To: JRandomFreeper
"I think we're up to Idiots 12.4 now. Every time they make stuff idiot proof, they make better idiots."

Great answer. Much truth to that. I'll probably be upgrading to one of the fancy new switch boxes to downgrade my brain, too (e.g., maybe one of those MidNite Solar E-Panels), as planning starts for the mobile power plant utility trailer here (modification for a piece-o'-crap-looking old travel trailer). ;-)

The old, small trailer will get a super sealing job (whole new cheap roofing) and the new super circuit protections along with some cheap large 3R enclosures I found. Eventually about 1.4 kilowatts of charging, batteries, etc., but nothing more than a trailer modification.


29 posted on 05/19/2013 8:33:51 PM PDT by familyop (We Baby Boomers are croaking in an avalanche of rotten politics smelled around the planet.)
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To: The Working Man; gunsequalfreedom
The technology is amazingly efficient even in the winter, (barring snow on the panel).

Panels = old technology. The new versions use vacuum tubes, as pictured, which have glycol inside. The boiling temp is around 685f and they transfer into a copper header via a copper heat pipe inside a glass cylinder. If you have a hail storm, the worst case scenario means you replace a pipe of two, at a cost of $30-60 depending on size. The efficiency is about 150-240% greater than flat panels with the fluted tubes.

In addition, snow does not build on them. BUT, on a Rochester, NY home, with flat panels and 6" of snow overnight, the panels cleared within 45 minutes of sunrise. Snow is just frozen water, and the sunlight is diffused, but it's still hot!

My license plates:


30 posted on 05/19/2013 9:00:55 PM PDT by WVKayaker ("...once a bell is rung by a biased media, it's impossible to un-ring it."-Sarah Palin 11/7/12)
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To: The Working Man; gunsequalfreedom

SHOULD READ!!!
...The boiling temp is around 65f and they transfer into a copper header...


31 posted on 05/19/2013 9:02:48 PM PDT by WVKayaker ("...once a bell is rung by a biased media, it's impossible to un-ring it."-Sarah Palin 11/7/12)
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To: editor-surveyor
I left the tanks on the roof until it was time for a roof job. At that point, they were permanently removed. I sold the house a couple years later.
32 posted on 05/19/2013 9:24:55 PM PDT by Myrddin
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To: Eric in the Ozarks
Are there any ongoing maintenance issues with the 200 ft wells or circulating system? My area has low temps to -20F in the Winter, highs to 102F in Summer. Getting access to drill the wells might be an issue on my property as well. I would have to do an economic analysis before jumping on the technology.
33 posted on 05/19/2013 9:36:53 PM PDT by Myrddin
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To: gunsequalfreedom

Totally free? So how much was it? ;-)


34 posted on 05/19/2013 10:45:19 PM PDT by mwilli20 (BO. Making communists proud all over the world.)
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To: IncPen

ping


35 posted on 05/19/2013 11:02:57 PM PDT by Nailbiter
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To: Myrddin
No issues as of yet and the system is 12 years old. The wells contain sleeves, like heavy fire hose material, so the antifreeze mixture is in a closed loop. The unit is a Water Furnace brand.

We explored several suggestions for heat/AC with economy as a primary consideration. The whole system cost about $21 K for a 2700 sq. ft two story house. Best Andersen windows, super insulation in the roof and outside walls, caulk all the switch and receptacle boxes; in other words, seal it up tight. We have an energy recovery ventilator in the furnace room that we run when there is a lot of cooking or when we have a few guests.

In 12 years, we've had one service call for a fuse replacement (I keep a spare and can do this myself now...)

36 posted on 05/20/2013 4:56:25 AM PDT by Eric in the Ozarks (NRA Life Member)
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To: mwilli20

Pump was $35 on ebay. It was used but guy said it was good. It was. I got lucky and found a seven person jacuzzi that was used but just barely. Looks new but used. That cost $75. Lots of people willing to give away their Jacuzzi for free though.it does not matter if you get the gas or electric because you will not be using the heat source but better to get a gas heated just in case you want back up heat. I found the solar collectors on Craig’s list used. They were priced $100 each or two for $160. I took both but only use one. That was an exception deal. The solar panel to power the 12 volt pump $100 plus shipping but those prices have come down. I guess with all odds and ends, hoses and fittings I have $500 into it.

You can make your own solar collector and I was going to do that until I found the guy selling them. Making one is just a box, tubes, black paint and glass.


37 posted on 05/20/2013 7:07:25 AM PDT by gunsequalfreedom (Conservative is not a label of convenience. It is a guide to your actions.)
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To: WVKayaker
"...The boiling temp is around 65f and they transfer into a copper header..."

Glad you clarified that! I was beside myself worrying about you and worrying about your neighbors!

38 posted on 05/20/2013 7:56:33 AM PDT by hummingbird (So much conspiracy and not enough time.)
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To: george76

No indication in the article of the cause of the fire?


39 posted on 05/20/2013 9:32:45 AM PDT by JimRed (Excise the cancer before it kills us; feed &water the Tree of Liberty! TERM LIMITS, NOW & FOREVER!)
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To: gunsequalfreedom
Totally free system.

it's only "free" after you've amortized the cost of the equipment vs. the projected conventional cost, right?

40 posted on 05/20/2013 9:36:57 AM PDT by JimRed (Excise the cancer before it kills us; feed &water the Tree of Liberty! TERM LIMITS, NOW & FOREVER!)
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