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EV Blanket As Solar Panel Cover

Firefighters have asked if a Brimstone EV Blanket could be used to cover a solar panel array to stop the generation of electricity.

The problem, as they have explained it:

  • Solar panels produce direct current (DC) electricity when exposed to light
  • According to OSHA, any DC voltage of 50 volts or higher is considered hazardous
  • When firefighters respond to a structure fire on which there is a solar array, the building’s electrical wiring may stay energized (from the solar panels) even if the service from the power company is disconnected
  • Solar installations should have a disconnect on the outside of the structure that stops the flow of energy into the building, but the wiring that connects the solar panels to the inverter often remains live even after the disconnect is shut off
  • Utilizing this disconnect on many newer systems will also reduce the power upstream of the inverter to 1 volt DC per panel, but the wiring on the back side of the panels themselves will still be live
  • Systems that are older, damaged, poorly maintained, or improperly installed may still allow the flow of current from the panels and through the inverter, potentially keeping all the building’s wiring live (with DC and/or AC electricity)
  • The only sure way to stop the flow of energy from a solar panel is to block the light

To answer their questions, we tried it out:

  • We deployed a Brimstone EV Fire Blanket on a ground mounted 6-panel solar array
  • The results were:
    • A single layer of EV Blanket material reduced power output by 67.6%
    • Two layers of EV Blanket material reduced power output by 87.1%

 

  • While we never intended to create a blanket for this purpose, this test demonstrates that covering solar panels to reduce power output can be an additional use of the Brimstone EV Fire Blanket

 

  • The pictures below show the deployment and the key data involved in the test

 

6 panel array

Full voltage from array = 119.0 volts DC (19.83 volts per panel)

Covered with 1 layer of EV material =

38.5 volts DC

  • 32.4% of full
  • 67.6% reduction

 

    Covered with 2 layers of EV material =

    15.4 volts DC

    • 12.9% of full
    • 87.1% reduction

     

    Reminder: According to OSHA, any direct current (DC) voltage of 50 volts or higher is considered hazardous.