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Thanks (?) for the vocabulary lesson on hard wiring, but I never used the phrase. A 9V battery can't be readily deenergized during daylight hours either. At a

Thanks (?) for the vocabulary lesson on hard wiring, but I never used the phrase. A 9V battery can't be readily deenergized during daylight hours either. At a storage capacity of 5 kWh and a lifespan in service of approx. 360 days, we can guesstimate a daily power consumption of ~14 watt-hours. If placed outdoors in the midwest, the solar panel would need to be about the size of a DVD. There's often little in terms of light that hits a smoke detector but between natural and artificial light there's more hours of light hitting it. I'd estimate a typical household could get by with something twice the size. Dunno about you, but I think there's more to fear from a 9V battery than a solar panel that size, esp. with the whole thing comfortably sitting on the wall.

brudgers 14y ago
I used the term "hardwiring." Since your post mentioned wall sockets, it appeared there was miscommunication regarding what is required by the NEC. If the idea is to create solar powered smoke detectors as a market disruptor, then it's a non-starter because they do not meet current code requirements for primary and secondary power supplies. In an alternative case, homebrew electrical installations are why building permits are required and construction by intuition is why building codes have existed since the time of Hammurabi. Few homes have one smoke detector and thus using one larger panel has some attractiveness. With surplus capacity, why not throw some LED lighting on the circuit? Etc. etc. down to the turtle.
- mchannon 14y ago
  The NEC has a nice big book I can consult when in doubt. While one may or may not plug in a smoke detector, the point I was making was that the wiring and junction box were not in a convenient location for the typical homeowner. The NEC also doesn't regulate portable, battery-powered devices. If I'm concerned about fire safety then I can get UL, TÜV, or similar safety certification for insurance purposes. Most solar battery powered nicknacks carry no such certification nor do they need any to be sold legally. Thanks for the vivid account, but some of us choose not to believe that everything novel is a slippery slope toward the bronze age.
  - brudgers 14y ago
    It is a category mistake to consider smoke alarms as nicknacks. They are life safety equipment with a proven track record of reducing deaths. The regulations and requirements surrounding them are based on the experience of firefighters and after action analysis of fatal fires over the past 100 years. The point I was making is that smoke alarms are unlike other devices which may appear similar to a lay person - i.e. smoke alarms are held to much higher standards than thermostats or the DVD's remote. Hence, the annoying chirping sound to alert one to the dead battery.

brudgers 14y ago

I used the term "hardwiring." Since your post mentioned wall sockets, it appeared there was miscommunication regarding what is required by the NEC. If the idea is to create solar powered smoke detectors as a market disruptor, then it's a non-starter because they do not meet current code requirements for primary and secondary power supplies. In an alternative case, homebrew electrical installations are why building permits are required and construction by intuition is why building codes have existed since the time of Hammurabi. Few homes have one smoke detector and thus using one larger panel has some attractiveness. With surplus capacity, why not throw some LED lighting on the circuit? Etc. etc. down to the turtle.

mchannon 14y ago
The NEC has a nice big book I can consult when in doubt. While one may or may not plug in a smoke detector, the point I was making was that the wiring and junction box were not in a convenient location for the typical homeowner. The NEC also doesn't regulate portable, battery-powered devices. If I'm concerned about fire safety then I can get UL, TÜV, or similar safety certification for insurance purposes. Most solar battery powered nicknacks carry no such certification nor do they need any to be sold legally. Thanks for the vivid account, but some of us choose not to believe that everything novel is a slippery slope toward the bronze age.
- brudgers 14y ago
  It is a category mistake to consider smoke alarms as nicknacks. They are life safety equipment with a proven track record of reducing deaths. The regulations and requirements surrounding them are based on the experience of firefighters and after action analysis of fatal fires over the past 100 years. The point I was making is that smoke alarms are unlike other devices which may appear similar to a lay person - i.e. smoke alarms are held to much higher standards than thermostats or the DVD's remote. Hence, the annoying chirping sound to alert one to the dead battery.