Solar Panel Electrical Fires - How and Why They Start On Fire

Рет қаралды 10,618

Жыл бұрын

Commonly known as solar panel hot spots. Solar panels are susceptible to overheating and starting fires. This video goes over the basics of how solar panel fires can start and what steps you can take to prevent them. If you are reading this I want to say thank you for watching and supporting my channel and brand. I work hard to provide quality entertainment for those in the industry consumers and installers.
Welcome to Solar Goat, the channel dedicated to all things solar! I'm Brandan Sirrine, and I'm excited to share my genuine love to content creation and solar panel technology. On this channel, you'll find informative how-to videos, product reviews, and plenty of DIY content to help you harness the power of the sun, save money on your energy bills, and create your own electricity
Check out all my favorite tools and gear (Amazon Store)👇👇👇
www.amazon.com/shop/solargoat
See More Products and Links on Link Tree 👇👇👇
linktr.ee/solargoat
Lastly, we want to remind our viewers to prioritize safety when working with solar panels, batteries, power tools, electrical equipment, and electricity in general. We assume no liability for any property damage or injury resulting from the information provided in our videos, and we recommend that only experienced licensed electricians install or service solar panel and battery systems. Thank you for supporting our hobby and we hope our content has been genuinely helpful and informative.
Why Solar Power - On Grid And Off Grid
Solar power is a renewable energy source that converts energy from the sun into usable electricity. This environmentally friendly and cost-effective energy source has gained popularity in recent years. Solar panels made of silicon absorb sunlight and convert it into direct current (DC) electricity, which is then transformed into alternating current (AC) electricity for use in homes and businesses. As solar power continues to become more accessible and affordable, many individuals and companies are investing in solar energy systems to reduce their reliance on traditional sources of electricity.
Intro To Off Grid Solar
If you're a DIY enthusiast looking to power your home or cabin off the grid, an off-grid solar system may be the perfect solution for you. These systems can be designed and installed without professional help, allowing you to generate and store your own electricity without relying on a traditional power grid.
To create an off-grid solar system, you'll need to invest in solar panels, batteries, inverters and other electronics and hardware. Designing and installing an off-grid solar system can be a challenging but rewarding project for DIY enthusiasts. It allows you to take control of your own energy production and live a more sustainable, self-sufficient lifestyle. With the right equipment and guidance, you can enjoy the benefits of off-grid solar power for years to come.
Intro To Grid Tied Solar
Grid-tied solar systems are a popular way for homeowners and businesses to generate their own electricity while staying connected to the traditional power grid. These systems use solar panels to produce DC electricity, which is converted to AC electricity with an inverter. Any excess electricity can be sent back to the grid for others to use, potentially earning credits on your electricity bill.
One of the primary advantages of a grid-tied solar system is that it allows you to generate your own electricity while still having access to power from the grid. If your solar panels aren't producing enough electricity to meet your needs, you can still draw power from the grid. If your panels are producing more electricity than you need, you can send the excess power back to the grid.
Grid-tied solar systems are easier to install, with pre-designed kits available from many companies that can be customized to meet your needs. These systems are an excellent way to reduce your reliance on traditional sources of electricity, save money on your electricity bill, and lower your carbon footprint.

Пікірлер: 30

@billjohnson3344 Жыл бұрын

Love your channel and content, but not onboard with bird droppings causing fires. Reduced panel power output, yes. But that's why panels have bypass diodes built-in, to isolate parts of the panel and still allow power flow when the panel is partially shaded. Deals with leaves, shadows, etc. What you showed looked like an actual shatter or crack. Cannot find any info online supporting the statement that bird droppings cause fires. Birds nesting or critters gnawing wires - sure.

@solargoat Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the comment. And I appreciate the challenge. Not all solar panel have bypass diode‘s. Obviously when they started including those on panels it significantly reduced the amount of hotspots and fires with solar. I’ll absolutely admit that you’re calling me out on “click bait”. I appreciate you supporting my channel and watching the video. I’ll think about how i can make things interesting without being misleading.

@billjohnson3344 Жыл бұрын

@@solargoat Thanks for taking the time to reply. Residential solar panels have had bypass diodes for over 15 years - about as long as MC4 connectors have been standard. Once panels started being constructed with multiple series strings internally (typically 3 per panel, now 4 or more), they were required. And sure, I'll give you that individual cells can go bad, and even bypass diodes also - resulting in failed panels from hot spots. But fires are most commonly caused electrical faults - or physically broken panels. They don't occur from shading by vent stacks, trees, leaves, birds - or their poop. That would just be a huge fail for solar energy if a common risk. I'm not sure if the poop title and analysis was a scare tactic to get people to have their panels cleaned - but honestly it will just scare people away from solar altogether - which I don't think is what you are looking to do. Keep up the good work. Clear you are a knowledgeable installer with lots of tricks of the trade - you don't need the click bait.

@baneverything5580 Жыл бұрын

Prices finally came down enough that I was just barely able to get a 300 amp hour LiFeP04 battery, 2000 watt inverter, and 60 amp charge controller to have some emergency power for a small Frigidaire window air conditioner after hurricanes. I also bought a 20 amp AC charger to top the battery off if a storm is approaching at night. I have 490 watts of glass panels and high output 100 and 120 watt Sunpower folding ones. Still studying about the best way to set this up when needed. I got a 200 amp fuse to go between the battery and inverter and an 80 amp fuse to put between the panels and controller. Gotta figure out the best way to ground the inverter since it has a ground terminal. I only have one 4 ft ground rod right now for shortwave/AM antenna experiments. Perhaps a second one could be placed nect to it and these can be connected together.

@carlbrown5150 9 ай бұрын

Old school solar panels you could bridge the blocking diode with a wire wound resistor. Use a thermal camera at night and see your hot spots and further inspect.!!😉

@jbangz2023 Күн бұрын

Nah, just 1 month ago solar panels in Sydney Stadium caught fire.

@thejollyman Жыл бұрын

The sun is not 93 million miles away! 1 AU 8 light minutes. Its within the firmament circling the Earth between the tropics at 15 degrees per hour. Peace on the Plane brothers and sisters.

@therer15letters33 Жыл бұрын

Fix: add a "Windshield Wiper" or something similar, that Wipes the Solar Panel Clean every day or week, wouldn't even have to be as thick as a Vehicle Windshield Wiper = Less Energy to Move that part, oh and make it run on SOLAR.

@samfish6938 Ай бұрын

shading causes it, so more power goes throuh it, panel heats up you need optimizers some wone said put diodes in line or bypass

@juanpaulr Жыл бұрын

Thank you. It should be a requirement to have houses with solar panels cleaned and serviced at least once a year.

@solargoat Жыл бұрын

I agree with that. I am being a little dramatic in the video but i agree with you. most are told systems need no maintenance

@OWK000 9 ай бұрын

Wash your panels when it rains and you won't get mineral deposits from the tap water as the rain will rinse that all off.

@OWK000 9 ай бұрын

I had a neighbor that lost a solar panel to what they were calling a gunshot hole, which the roofers found when they went up to remove panels and re-roof. It's a nice neighborhood and a two story house, and I don't see how it is possible that that happened. It was nice clean hole, a bit of checkering around the hole, fairly large, maybe 1.5" with no browning on a 300 watt panel. Bird shit? Roofer's nail gun?

@trevithicktools2815 Жыл бұрын

Hey can you do a break down of why someone should get solar panels if they don't have a high electric bill?

@pgood7266 Жыл бұрын

You shouldn’t, it’s just going to cost you more money in the longrun

@Gallardo6669 Жыл бұрын

Prices continue to go up for electricity. But going solar and do it's research on it I'd the worst thing ever for a house owner ( information overflow) I do work with that equipment, i inform people without making money on them, it takes me 3hrs....

@adilakbar3053 8 ай бұрын

As far as i know, if the PV glass is broken due to any reason and when we clean it with water then there is a chance that water may seep into the PV glass and might creat a short circuit in the cells, which ultimately will cause a fire incident.

@darrenjenkin1281 11 ай бұрын

My almost burn my shed to the ground

@robgad2271 Жыл бұрын

Bird shit is unable to keep the electricity from flowing through the solar panel circuit, that isn't what's happening here. When anything, paint splash, roofing tar, etc., ate dropped on a panel, it causes heat to build up in that spot and it overheats in the layers and where it can't easily release heat and it burns out this portion of the circuit. A very tiny spot won't do this, but one that is thick and the size of a coin or larger will totally do it. Widgeons and doves are the worst on solar panels and the roofs of many cars scaring the paint finish in much the same way.

@AnActualCoconut Жыл бұрын

Squirrels like to start fires too

@solargoat Жыл бұрын

They just crew right through wires right?

@tomgreene7942 Жыл бұрын

In our city, Riverside, CA, the squirrels chew through the aluminum neutral power line that is uninsulated. They sharpen their teeth this way. This has caused a short circuit as the power then jumps to 240 volts till the fuses are blown. My power surge block burnt out but the computer was saved. The city power company told me it happens all over the city. So they fixed it with a splice the first time, the next time they spliced it and the third time they replaced the whole wire and insulated the whole thing. But they left a small section un-insulated, which now has chew marks again.

@tomgreene7942 Жыл бұрын

@@solargoat yes they do.

@TomokoAbe_ Жыл бұрын

Don't get them.

@atnstn Жыл бұрын

That solar panel he measured : LG305N1K-G4 is exactly 37.3 Volts - which is PERFECT FACTORY CONDITION. His statement at 04:03 that the voltage had dropped are WRONG and misleading. Secondly - this miscoloration on older panels can necessitate a replacement from LG - just contact them. Thirdly - Bird poop causing hotspots... My god, what a nonsense!

@baneverything5580 Жыл бұрын

BAN BIRDS!

@raulsalcedo8332 26 күн бұрын

listen right, We just need to put a hold on up👆 until we figure out what the bloody hell is going on