Diy Solar Panel Electrical Safety For The Non-technical Or Charles Who?

Diy Solar Panel Electrical Safety For The Non-technical Or Charles Who?

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Working with electricity in any environment requires care, consideration planning and if you are doing the work for a third party; probably qualifications and approvals as well!

In the DIY environment, safety becomes even more important by virtue of the term DIY (Do It Yourself). This term has become synonymous with accidents and haphazard constructional techniques and that is putting it mildly!

In DIY green energy it is even more important because, for example, a solar panel cannot be turned off!

Yes, it can be covered or shrouded but the covering must be secure. For example a tarpaulin sheet could become more of a danger when working at height if there is even the slightest wind. Equally a wind turbine, once running in a strong wind, is difficult to stop!

Also ...electricity and the human body do not mix well!

In the 1950's and 60's, Charles Dalziel carried out many investigations into the effects of an electric current and its passage through the body, for both animals and humans. His investigations on humans focused on 'Let go' currents. The term 'Let go' current is defined as the maximum value of electric current at which it is still possible to drop or release an energised conductor held in the hand.

Charles Dalziel (1904 - 1986) was a professor of electrical engineering at UC Berkeley. He was also the inventor of the Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter or GFCI. Also called Earth Leakage Circuit Breakers (ELCB), these devices detect faults in electrical circuitry and isolate the equipment automatically.

Dalziel carried out experiments on 28 women and 134 men volunteers (brave individuals!) to determine their 'Let go' currents. The experiments required the subjects to hold a polished copper wire whilst standing on a brass plate wet with salt water. The results showed the average 'Let go' current for men to be 16 mA and 10.5 mA for women. The level of electrical current and its effect on the human body is summarised in a table that is readily available by searching on the internet for 'Charles Dalzeil'.

A message I received loud and clear many years ago as a young man working with electrical circuitry ...if you suspect that electrical power may be present in a conductor (any metal object!) the best advice is not to touch it all and to get it isolated or seek professional advice! If, however, it is absolutely necessary then touch it with the back of your hand. If you receive an electrical shock your muscles contract and your hand will automatically jerk away from the object. If you touch it with pads of your fingers or open hand you are more likely to grip the object involuntarily due to the muscle contraction, with potentially disastrous results!

The other danger with electrical shock is not related to the shock itself but to the involuntary reaction (due to muscle contraction) caused by the shock, in moving away, possibly very rapidly, he or she could fall over backwards, collide with nearby furniture or equipment or just their hit their hand/arm against the chassis of the equipment they are working on. Obviously if working at a height a fall could result. In all these examples more damage may occur from the reaction than the actual shock.

It is the electrical current flowing through your body that is dangerous not the voltage alone. 100mA is one hundredth of an amp and many devices in the UK are fused at 13A ... see the potential danger! If you have ever received a mains shock in the UK you will understand how unpleasant it is!

Ohms Law
For the non-technical - there is a direct relationship between voltage (volts), current (amps), power (watts) and electrical resistance (ohms) in a DC or direct current circuit. This relationship was first discovered by a German physicist called Georg Ohm. He discovered that at a given, constant temperature, the electrical current (amps) flowing through a fixed resistance (ohms) is directly proportional to the voltage being applied across it. This current is also inversely proportional to the resistance. This relationship forms the basis of what is called Ohms Law and is a fundamental part of electrical & electronic training. There is a diagram that clearly shows this relationship called the Ohms Law Triangle. Electrical power is the amount of energy either created or absorbed by the electrical circuit. Power is normally denoted by the symbol P or W and is measured in Watts (or kW for KiloWatts). A further diagram known as the Ohms Law Pie Chart defines and expands upon the relationship between power, voltage, current & resistance. Again an internet search will clearly show these tools.

This may all seem terribly complicated but the issues can be managed relatively easily. One way is obviously to get a professional contractor to do all the work for you! However, one of the reasons you are considering DIY green energy as an option is because you do not have the resources to either buy the equipment or pay the contractor or perhaps are just keen to get your hands dirty and have the satisfaction of saying 'I built that'!

About the Author:
Pete Bumstead is an experienced business management professional with 30 years in electronic manufacturing. Now working in Internet Marketing, specifically the green energy sector. To get more information about green energy generally visit the blog at Solar and Wind Energy or contact the author pete@diy-solar-and-wind-energy.com



Article Originally Published On: http://www.articlesnatch.com


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