The San Rafael (Calif.) Fire Department has installed solar panels on one of its apparatus to help keep the batteries charged and provide power when the vehicle is stationary. According to Chief Chris Gray, the panels also can help save fuel and pay for themselves in a year or two.

In “Electricity on the Go” in the May 2008 issue of FIRE CHIEF, Editor Rick Markley described the installation and its benefits. The first installation consisted of two 24- by 50-inch solar panels on the cab roof of one of its engines. Each panel delivers 4 amps of power, and the combined output is more than sufficient to handle the electrical load of LED lights, mobile data terminals and other low-current devices. In some cases, the department believes the motor can be shut off while parked at a scene, thus saving fuel and reducing noise. The solar panels also can be useful to keep the batteries charged when the apparatus is deployed for wildland strike team assignments across the state, where access to electrical power often is not available.

Based on the initial success of the idea, the department is planning to outfit all its apparatus and ambulances with solar panels.