Emf from neighbour's solar panels

kidushka

Hello, I wonder whether there is anyone to help with emf emitted from neighbour's solar panels. After a long

search, we have found a "dream come true" house for us. We were ready to put an offer on it when to our horror

we found the next door neighbour having solar panels fitted to his roof. It was a painful shock as we have

small children and were trying to be a little emf aware and protective. Well, I know we should just forget the

house, but... it is so hard after looking for an ideal house within our budget for soooo long. I wonder

whether there is something we could do to eliminate neighbours emf negative impact on our children, or we

really should just forget it and let the house go. Would there be anyone able to help with emf questions?

1) I thought of going back to the house to actually measure emf:
- I have got TrixxxField Meter Model 100XE www dot trixxxfield dot com/content/trixxxfield-meter/ Is this the right

equipment to detect this particular emf? (Considering the distance from the neighbour's house).
- Is the inverter of Solar panel system working non-stop, or in some phases when it processses "collected"

energy? Is it possible I might miss the time when it is actually converting the energy thus get a misleading

reading?

2) How far can emf from the inverter radiate and into what extent is the distance of the two houses likely to

protect us? We are talking about two detached houses with a distance of about 8-10 m from each other.

3) Does the lack of sunshine or fitting solar panels on a less ideal side of the roof (east) effect its

efficiency and thus decrease its production of electricity thus emf as well?

4) How could we decrease the negative impact of this emf? I read about the protection materials for walls,

aluminium foils, special mesh and paint, foils and curtains for windows... They do not come cheap. Are they

really efficient? If using them across the house to completely shield it from outside emf, won't it cause more

damage by creating a kind of barrier that will contain our own dirty emf (and other radiations) within the

walls of our house) thus making it even more harmful?

5) I kind of dislike the idea or plugging in some neutralising emf device such as Greenxxx 8 or EarthxxxCalm or

similar. I wonder whether they really work and how much of negative impact on health they may have (killing

the waves by anti-waves...)??? I might be wrong?

There is so much about emf on the net yet it is so hard to get unbiased and qualified answers. Can anyone help

please?

Many thanks.

icarus

Re: Emf from neighbour's solar panels

I encourage you t do some more research. solr panels are DC devices and don't emit emf

http://forum.solar-electric.com/showthread.php?9776-Do-solar-panels-emit-harmful-EMFs


Inverters may emit emf, but I can't imagine that it is any more "harmful" than the conventional emf from the AC wiring in your "dream house". As I understand it, emf is a pretty short range issue so, I think you are worrying about something over nothing.

Tony.

Ps. I'm sure this is going to stir up the pot.

BB.

Re: Emf from neighbour's solar panels

There are a few people that appear to be very sensitive to EMF... However, as Tony says, these are "AC" (alternating current) created fields. For power lines, that would be 60 Hz (North America) and their harmonics (even and odd multiples of 60 Hz). These can be fairly "intense" fields (even enough to affect old style TVs and Computer Monitors with CRT's). But, those fields do tend to not go very far (obviously, if you are a few hundred feet from a large AC transmission line, it may be an issue).

And then there are the Radio Frequency fields (typically) 30 MHz to 1 GHz and above. These can be broken into two major categories... Intentional (transmitters like cell phones, CB radios, HAM, and a huge number of others). And unintentional radiators (your computer system emitting interference).

Intentional radiators can output 1 watt to 5 watts to 100's of watts (or more for major radio/TV stations/Radar installations, etc.).

Unintentional radiators output Micro Watts or less (1/1,000,000 of a watt).

The solar panels are DC (direct current) and can create a magnetic field--but it is probably swamped by the N-S earth's magnetic field.

Any EMF (AC) fields are "unintentional" radiators and are going to be very small values. Your WIFI/Cell Phones are going to 1,000's to 1,000,000's of times more powerful (plus they are in the same room or carried by you on your person).

So, in terms of "harmful" effects to your body--Solar panels are going to be "in the mud". In terms of affecting your AM radio--It is possible. Some folks here have reported interference with receiving weak signals (long distance AM radio, HAM, VHF Marine, etc.). While that can be a pain if you rely on those communications services, they are not going to affect the health of the "average" person (as far as I know).

-Bill

bmet

Re: Emf from neighbour's solar panels

kidushka wrote: »

Hello, I wonder whether there is anyone to help with emf emitted from neighbour's solar panels. After a long

search, we have found a "dream come true" house for us. We were ready to put an offer on it when to our horror

we found the next door neighbour having solar panels fitted to his roof. It was a painful shock as we have

small children and were trying to be a little emf aware and protective. Well, I know we should just forget the

house, but... it is so hard after looking for an ideal house within our budget for soooo long. I wonder

whether there is something we could do to eliminate neighbours emf negative impact on our children, or we

really should just forget it and let the house go. Would there be anyone able to help with emf questions?

1) I thought of going back to the house to actually measure emf:
- I have got TriField Meter Model 100XE http://www.trifield.com/content/trifield-meter/ Is this the right

equipment to detect this particular emf? (Considering the distance from the neighbour's house).
- Is the inverter of Solar panel system working non-stop, or in some phases when it processses "collected"

energy? Is it possible I might miss the time when it is actually converting the energy thus get a misleading

reading?

2) How far can emf from the inverter radiate and into what extent is the distance of the two houses likely to

protect us? We are talking about two detached houses with a distance of about 8-10 m from each other.

3) Does the lack of sunshine or fitting solar panels on a less ideal side of the roof (east) effect its

efficiency and thus decrease its production of electricity thus emf as well?

4) How could we decrease the negative impact of this emf? I read about the protection materials for walls,

aluminium foils, special mesh and paint, foils and curtains for windows... They do not come cheap. Are they

really efficient? If using them across the house to completely shield it from outside emf, won't it cause more

damage by creating a kind of barrier that will contain our own dirty emf (and other radiations) within the

walls of our house) thus making it even more harmful?

5) I kind of dislike the idea or plugging in some neutralising emf device such as Green 8 or EarthCalm or

similar. I wonder whether they really work and how much of negative impact on health they may have (killing

the waves by anti-waves...)??? I might be wrong?

There is so much about emf on the net yet it is so hard to get unbiased and qualified answers. Can anyone help

please?

Many thanks.

As a former Air Force Communication/Navigation/Doppler systems specialist, I can promise you EM is everywhere, but 99% of it dissipates rapidly over distance to the point where it is only noise in the background. Some exceptions to this are if your house is on the glide-path to the ILS system of the airport, or if you have an ATC radar focusing it's sweep on your skyscraper-penthouse once ever 15 seconds.

You are in more danger of getting sun-burned by the reflected heat of those double/triple-glazed windows of your next door neighbor, like sun through a magnifying glass. You are in more danger of becoming ill by long-term EM from a heating blanket, or by sleeping with your head next to one of those old-time alarm clocks with the large transformer inside of them.

If you want to see an good example of RF interference in a building, look at my video here. It shows RF from cheap LED Lighting, with interference high enough to block TV signals over an aerial antenna.

Interference from other common sources in the home....switching power supplies, used in almost every digitally-controlled appliance sold. Every AC adapter made for your laptop, iPhone charger, Caller ID box, internet router, Vonage box, cell phone charger, etc., uses a switching power supply that produces some amount of RF leakage. Most of it is required to conform to a minimal standard for safe use. iPhones and Nextel radios produce bad digital chatter when in close proximity to old land-line phones.

I am not an alarmist. All these items in your home produce RF to one degree or another, but most of them don't radiate sufficient power to be concerned about health. Yes, you can be concerned with your wireless internet's performance being effected by a 5-station cordless phone system, or having your TV go BZZZZT when the microwave is in use. Turning down your dream home over a solar system installation is being a bit too reactive when you consider the 100 other devices that do the same thing in your everyday life.

waynefromnscanada

Re: Emf from neighbour's solar panels

"kidushka", welcome to the forum.
With all due respect, after reading your post, it's very obvious you've been listening to the wrong people.
But this is a free country, so if that kind of thing is your religion, then so be it, you'll just have to start looking for a home elsewhere, perhaps on some isolated island far out in the ocean.
And no, I'm not being sarcastic. If you believe those scare stories, then you will get ill because it will play on your mind till you make yourself sick.
It's common around anything new and unfamiliar, like wind turbines for example, and the cure for believers is to move away, otherwise they worry themselves sick, totally convinced the wind turbine did it. And in a way it did, because the turbine exists and they know it exists.
There is however another cure, and that's money flow into the "sufferers" bank account. Whether one gets sick around wind turbines strangely depends on which way the money flows.
You mentioned being horrified at seeing your neighbor installing solar panels. It's my bet the neighbor would be equally horrified to learn someone with your beliefs is moving in next door. It's my opinion that unless you educate yourself and family on the real facts instead of the trash talk and hoax stories that are all over the internet, that you should indeed move on and find another place to live, otherwise life for both you and your neighbor will be a living hell.
I'm just being honest and I wish you all the best.

Photowhit

Re: Emf from neighbour's solar panels

If you want to worry about a real problem that will have a "...negative impact on our children..."...

Read up on "peak oil" and the coming problems we are creating for our children with a greater demand for energy and the reduced supply...

Perhaps you will look into producing some electric from renewable sources, and reducing your use of energy.

niel

Re: Emf from neighbour's solar panels

i think the bottom line everybody is telling you is that there really isn't a threat to your children's or your healths from pv systems. the radio interference is a real possibility and is most likely not going to be a problem. if you like the house then consider whether you'd like the people with the pvs as they would be your neighbors. if you plan on blaming every little thing on your neighbor's pv system or biting your tongue while giving the suspicious or evil eye, then don't buy the house because you'd be doing them a disservice.

at the risk of being blunt your inquiry is one born of ignorance of something you don't know or understand. take heart in knowing your fears are unfounded unless your kids plan on doing something stupid like climbing up there and putting their tongues on the wires. did you ever think he may not want you as a neighbor either as your kids may get the bright idea of throwing rocks at his pvs which is a real possibility unlike your fears? clear the air and talk to them. if you like them, then buy the house.

Vic

Re: Emf from neighbour's solar panels

Hi kidushka, Welcome.
WIth all due respect;

You should probably be most concerned about the EM fields generated within your household, by things that you have and use. Fields are much more intense the closer you are to the source and the conductors (wires and cables) that carry alternating currents.

My major worry for you is just, that perhaps you WORRY much too much, and teaching THIS to your children might well have a much more negative impact upon their health than almost anything else in the environment.
With all due respect.

Good Luck looking for the perfect house. Vic

waynefromnscanada

Re: Emf from neighbour's solar panels

Vic wrote: »

Hi kidushka, Welcome.
WIth all due respect;
My major worry for you is just, that perhaps you WORRY much too much, and teaching THIS to your children might well have a much more negative impact upon their health than almost anything else in the environment.
With all due respect.

Very well said Vic! And so true!
Again, with all due respect.
Wayne

icarus

Re: Emf from neighbour's solar panels

I think w have made out point. It will now be curios to see if the OP responds.

Tony

NorthGuy

Re: Emf from neighbour's solar panels

icarus wrote: »

It will now be curios to see if the OP responds.

I didn't think so. See here and here.

solar_dave

Re: Emf from neighbour's solar panels

icarus wrote: »

I think w have made out point. It will now be curios to see if the OP responds.

Tony

Hopefully he was just pulling our leg.

Cariboocoot

Re: Emf from neighbour's solar panels

Okay, can we back off on the posts here?
The OP did nothing wrong and has no spamming history. If he really believes panels generate EMF it would seem odd coming to a solar power forum to ask how to stop it as it would be unlikely he's hear anything except what has already been said. Which is truth.

He probably will not return, all things considered.

westbranch

Re: Emf from neighbour's solar panels

Stole this from another forum...

Attachment not found.

Slappy

Re: Emf from neighbour's solar panels

One could wrap the house in brass screen fabric like a Faraday cage and have the power lines pulled from the house.

boB

Re: Emf from neighbour's solar panels

Seriously, as far as solar and EMF goes, I would worry more about the 1000W / square meter of ionizing radiation from the sun.

That stuff can and does cause cancer.

boB

ggunn

Re: Emf from neighbour's solar panels

NorthGuy wrote: »

I didn't think so. See here and here.

Wow. The same post on two other forums, with the same sort of responses as here. Maybe we should do the neighbor a favor and encourage this guy not to move in next door.

boB

Re: Emf from neighbour's solar panels

Actually, solar panels and their wires can emit EMI from the equipment they are connected to.

That's one antenna for charge controllers and grid tie inverters.

It's still too low to hurt anyone IM very HO !!

boB

Cariboocoot

Re: Emf from neighbour's solar panels

Well I've been surrounded by various EMF's since I was a kid (my Dad was a radar technician). All frequencies, Voltages, and intensities. If anyone were affected by them I certainly should be.

I'm not dead yet.

niel

Re: Emf from neighbour's solar panels

Cariboocoot wrote: »

Well I've been surrounded by various EMF's since I was a kid (my Dad was a radar technician). All frequencies, Voltages, and intensities. If anyone were affected by them I certainly should be.

I'm not dead yet.

coot,
i'm not so sure that was a good example as we weren't addressing what may kill you. btw, i know somebody who was in the military who was a radar tech. he went up to fix something near the dish and disconnected the transmitter before going up. well, somebody plugged it back in and turned it on. he's alive, but he's permanently scrambled.

Cariboocoot

Re: Emf from neighbour's solar panels

niel wrote: »

coot,
i'm not so sure that was a good example as we weren't addressing what may kill you. btw, i know somebody who was in the military who was a radar tech. he went up to fix something near the dish and disconnected the transmitter before going up. well, somebody plugged it back in and turned it on. he's alive, but he's permanently scrambled.

True enough. I'm just saying the mere presence of EM fields is not necessarily a health hazard at all, and is likely a much smaller one than some of the other things we're subjected to every day.

I've had people turn the power back on "for" me too. Didn't scramble me (don't argue) but sure is unpleasant. Could have killed me even. Didn't. Some people regret that more than I do.

waynefromnscanada

Re: Emf from neighbour's solar panels

ggunn wrote: »

Wow. The same post on two other forums, with the same sort of responses as here. Maybe we should do the neighbor a favor and encourage this guy not to move in next door.

In light of this, me thinks, that IF the OP is indeed serious about his or her questions, that he or she isn't interested in the facts, rather is going from place to place like some patients going from Doctor to Doctor until finally they find someone who agrees with their way of thinking, thus confirming in their own mind that yes, they do indeed have a pimple on their gall bladder. In which case I too feel sorry for the children, as they are learning there is no safe place for them in this world.

solarix

Re: Emf from neighbour's solar panels

You think its bad being afraid of solar EMF? You ought to hear some of the people's fears around here over the smart meter issue. They are convinced these new evil smart meters (they confuse them with the simple digital meters our utility uses) will kill them. Even force their neighbors to have them removed. Actually makes me actually be sympathetic with the utility for once.

BB.

Re: Emf from neighbour's solar panels

I have a WIFI search application on my smart phone--Very interesting to turn that on and watch the dozens (or more) wifi signals it picks up just driving down the road. And the fair number of buses/cars/etc. that have WIFI hot spots and local adhoc networks you will see.

And everyone with a headset or wireless keyboard, etc. is Blue Tooth or similar (as well as the cell phone itself). Everything is becoming a transmitter (including my "smart" WIFI
enabled TV, app equipped Blue Ray player, etc.).

There is no avoiding RF Emissions these days.

I should add, in northern California, the utility has been forced to offer a ~$25 to $45 per month non-wireless meter option--Requirement to have somebody drive to the home to read the non-networked meter. People don't want to pay the fee. And still complain about the meters next door.

-Bill

Cariboocoot

Re: Emf from neighbour's solar panels

I wonder if a smart meter would even work where I am: there's about zero RF reception in this spot, and the houses aren't too close together. They might have to do some figuring to get them to even work here.

To say nothing of the install problem: ours is illegally "block in" on all sides right up to the glass. Wasn't illegal to do that at the time; old installation. Just last year they removed the "museum piece" meter and put in a modern mechanical one.

Any day now they'll upgrade from 25 Hz.

Photowhit

Re: Emf from neighbour's solar panels

BB. wrote: »

I should add, in northern California, the utility has been forced to offer a ~$25 to $45 per month non-wireless meter option--Requirement to have somebody drive to the home to read the non-networked meter. People don't want to pay the fee. And still complain about the meters next door.

Don't the electric meters use information transmitted on the electric line rather than 'wireless'? I know it's capable, my brother use to get his internet on his power lines.

BB.

Re: Emf from neighbour's solar panels

I think the meters in our region are all over the air type. I believe this is the usual standard (or at least, a major player):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZigBee

-Bill

waynefromnscanada

Re: Emf from neighbour's solar panels

Now it's all making sense! Nova Scotia Power took out my old mechanical meter because I wasn't using much power, and replaced it with one of those new-fangled things with numbers like a calculator, and ever since I've been wondering about this strange greenish aura that seems to float over the house on dark nights. Now I know! It's RADIATION from that damned meter!
Gotta line my walls with tin foil right away. Already lined my hat with it.
OH! Guys! Do I have to earth ground my tin foil lined hat for it to be effective?

Signed: Terrified of the mental hospital.

Cariboocoot

Re: Emf from neighbour's solar panels

Won't do you any good, Wayne; you can't get tin foil anymore. And aluminium foil just isn't dense enough to block the radiation.

inetdog

Re: Emf from neighbour's solar panels

waynefromnscanada wrote: »

OH! Guys! Do I have to earth ground my tin foil lined hat for it to be effective?

Yes, and if the ground wire is smaller than #6 you have to put it in some sort of sheath for mechanical protection.

niel

Re: Emf from neighbour's solar panels

better build yourself an underground faraday shield and lock the door.