the HEV is the only way ahead in rural areas such as mine
BTW, those of you like me who're quite rightly concerned about the sourcing of solar panels from places where concern for human rights is not of the highest might like to note that high-quality panels from companies like SunPower, which is where I got mine, are manufactured in Malaysia and the Philippines.
Every technology carries some level of risk of course, including the solar panel installation itself.
According to the “Fire Protection Association”, from January to July 2023 there were 66 fires associated with solar panel installation; a rise from just 63 during the whole of 2019. Overall they place the risk at just 0.1%, which is fine as long as you’re not part of the 0.1% of course.
They put it down to poor installations and lack of maintenance…bird nests, dirt build up causing hot spots, etc
Worth a bit of research if you have such an installation.
We had one such incident in our village a few years back where the owner was sitting in her lounge in the early afternoon reading the paper unaware that the roof was well alight! Thankfully, she was alerted by neighbours and got out safely but the bungalow was gutted.
