A Local Solar Company Wants To Get The Message Out: Solar Is Safe

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Nov. 13, 2013 - PRLog -- Following the fire at Best Buy in Gainesville last week, a local solar company is sending a message to the Gainesville community: solar is safe. The cause of the fire last week is still undetermined and solar is seldom the cause of building fires.

Research indicates that rooftop solar-caused fires are very rare. According to an article on the website Greentechmedia.com, a study performed by a German company found approximately 75 instances out of some 1.3 million installations where solar was related to a rooftop fire.  Another study performed by a US company found only seven instances in the entire country. Furthermore, many states are making it mandatory to install arc fault detectors in solar installations, which will help further reduce the risk of fire.

“The likelihood of a properly designed and installed solar system causing a fire is rare,” states Barry Jacobson, co-owner of Solar Impact. “The bottom line is that there are very few solar related fires, but they tend to make headlines.  For example, there was an out-of-state fire last month on a building that had solar on it.  Although the fire was not related to the solar system, it still made national news.”

Jacobson further explained the importance of hiring a company with expertly trained and licensed engineers and contractors, who can help ensure this type of incident does not occur. Jacobson also stressed that the solar system on the Best Buy roof was not designed or installed by any Gainesville-based solar companies.

Alachua County emergency responders are expertly trained to handle emergencies of this nature.  Local companies like Solar Impact don’t want the community to see the benefits of solar overshadowed by a very rare rooftop fire.

For more information on solar safety or solar related questions, call 352.338.8221 or send an email to barry@solarimpact.com

ABOUT SOLAR IMPACT

Solar Impact, Inc., founded in 2007 by Elaine and Barry Jacobson, specializes in residential and commercial solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. When considering the purchase of a system for their home, they realized the amount quoted for a system would never come close to paying for itself. Based on their experiences, they saw a need for a reasonably priced solar electric solution and guidance through decision-making, purchasing, installation, rebates, solar incentives and tax credits. And Solar Impact was born!