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| These systems are very safe if you follow a few guidelines and use some common sense. Like any electrical and chemical system there are inherent dangers, but these can be minimized with a little instruction and study. |
| Just as your home uses breakers and fuses to protect circuits from overloading, we use the same type of devices for our protection on PV power systems. |
| Batteries used for electrical energy storage are really big plastic boxes holding alot of lead and acid. While the lead is normally not a problem, since everyone should recycle their used batteries, the acid can be. If there's a leak of battery acid, or the battery explodes! It can happen... What do you do? Regular household baking soda will take care of acid spills and problems. It takes 1 pound of baking soda to neutralize 1 pint of acid. Batteries like we have at our house contain about 6-8 pints each, so we buy baking soda in 10 pound containers. Always 1 container in the power shack itself and more in the house. Also, chemical goggles (without all the air holes) and rubberized chemical gloves are necessary to deal with large acid spills. Keep most of your chemical emergency supplies out of the immediate area of batteries since baking soda, gloves & goggles don't do you any good if you can't get to them, or worse yet, covered in acid. |
| While 1 PV panel by itself would not likely cause much damage to an individual or property these systems are rarely sized for 1 or 2 panels. When you link many panels together you produce higher DC voltage and current potential that can be a significant threat to safety. | |
| Battery banks with the ability for even higher amperage connections are where short circuits can become an extreme hazard, so keep all wrenches, screwdrivers and other tools out of this area if possible. Tape up any exposed metal on tools used in the battery area. | |
| Inverters produce 120VAC, or even 220VAC, so be very careful with the output of these devices. While lower voltage DC can cause extreme pain and burns, AC can be a killer even at 120VAC! | |
| If you have questions about electrical safety, consult with someone who knows. It could save a life or your home. | |
| Chemical safety is a little more simple. Just get the emergency supplies and keep them on hand. Know where they are! Keep baking soda, rubberized chemical gloves (not the ones for washing dishes), and goggles on hand. Teach others at your home what to do in an emergency. | |
| Lastly, keep a fire exstinguisher available, and read how to use it before you need it. Make sure it's charged to capacity or else replace it. |
Electrical Breaker Panel |
Some of the emergency supplies
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