Solar Energy: Firefighter Safety

Solar Thermal

The focus of my discussion this month is the use of solar energy, how it is used in buildings and how it can impact firefighting operations and the safety of fire fighters. We'll start with solar thermal, which sounds more complicated that it is. There are generally two types of solar thermal systems — active and passive. Basically, one uses a pump and one does not. However, from a firefighting standpoint, the type of system is not important. Solar thermal really boils down to water flowing though solar collectors and absorbing the energy from the sun and thus raising its temperature. The water heated from the sun either flows directly into the tank and the water in the solar collectors is replaced with new water (passive system), or the water flows through a coil in the tank rejects the heat to the tank water and returns to the solar collectors (active system).

The bottom line for firefighters with a solar thermal system is two-fold. One is a large water tank in a mechanical room, which may be on an upper level. Firefighters need to know about this weight if the fire impacts the structure supporting this tank. This is a very important consideration that needs to be remembered when operating in commercial structures. The second, and more obvious, issue with any solar panel, including solar thermal, is the solar panels themselves. The panels may cover large areas of the roof and may make vertical ventilation difficult. You may also see these panels mounted to the side of the building as well. This may make access to windows and other upper-level openings difficult and creates another piece of debris to fall from the building.

Author: Zhejiang Haining Tiange Solar Energy Science Technology Co., Ltd.
website: www.sunnyrainsolar.com
main product:  Solar energy   Solar water heater   Solar collectors