AC Disconnect: Visible to Firefighter or Visible to Solar Tech? California.

[bcroe]

If you pull the meter, then your array can't feed the grid. But assuming that the rapid shutdown isn't there, can't your array still feed the house? Could a fireman swinging an axe into a wall of the house hit a live wire? Assuming that your array is treated like a backup generator, the output would still be live after the meter is pulled. That's not the way solar works, but that's the way the rules are written.

The contract specifies my inverters, which will quit producing AC if the house meter is removed, guess
that covers it. The installer thought so (if he did think about it), I had previously worried about running
several hundred feet of AC underground wire to place the AC disconnects near the meter.

I doubt there would be any axes through my brick walls. Bruce Roe

[Ampster]

I do not know how the disconnect question applies to a ground mount array. My boxes are 230 feet from
the array and 270 feet from the house meter. Certainly not visible from the house, but pulling the house
meter will shut all AC down. Bruce Roe

Hopefully if you have a fire there is sufficient separation that your wooden ground mount arrays would not burn down.

[Sunking]

Kind of a stupid silly question. First thing the FD does when they pull up to a house fire with solar on the roof is pull the DISCONNECT disconnect and SMASH ALL THE PANELS WITH A FIRE AXE. . Who gives a crap about the Technician. Follow the codes.

[Mike90250]

Kind of a stupid silly question. First thing the FD does when they pull up to a house fire with solar on the roof is pull the DISCONNECT disconnect and SMASH ALL THE PANELS WITH A FIRE AXE. . Who gives a crap about the Technician. Follow the codes.

I thought they just used a hose and rinsed them off the roof !

[brycenesbitt]

The "International Association of Fire Fighters" has an online training course on solar:

https://www.iaff.org/solar-pv-safety/

Have a view to get the same training as an actual fire fighter, to better understand what's done.
With more and more solar houses, more and more crews have actual experience with solar.


I've decided to add an extra sticker to this install, at the service entrance, that specifies two things:
The location of inverter (on the other side of the wall)
The fact that the unit has "rapid shutdown".


So that the fire crew, should that ever be an issue. won't feel a need to do more than pull the meter.

[Ampster]

.....

So that the fire crew, should that ever be an issue. won't feel a need to do more than pull the meter.

That will most likely reduce the chance that they will go up on your roof and take an axe to your panels.

[Sunking]

I also frequently read about "your local building code" or "the Building Code in your area". This confuses me. My area is my county, and they simply go by the NEC. Do other localities have local modifications ?

Absolutely. A local jurisdiction can accept or amend any part of the NEC they want. Example in Chicago local code requires residential systems to be plumbed. That mean everything in conduit just to make sure Joe Home Owner has to use a union electrician to do any work. Several large cities have extra requirements, and can even make them up if the inspector does not like you for any reason. Since you have no experience, here are the two Golden Rules for a happy marriage and passing Inspections. Folloow these two rules to the letter.

1. Inspector and Wifey are always correct.
2. When Inspector and Wifey are in error, refer to rule 1.