Overheard a guy at the hardware store say solar panels are a scam because they attract lightning

I was grabbing some mulch last Saturday when this older dude tells the cashier he won't get solar because panels "pull lightning out of the sky." I just stood there with my bag of mulch trying not to laugh. The cashier actually nodded along too. I get that misinformation spreads fast but I still wonder how many people actually believe stuff like that. Anyone else run into a wild solar myth lately?

2 comments

2 Comments

evan_dixon6724d ago

I get what you're saying, but I actually see it a bit differently (no pun intended). Lightning is way more likely to hit tall trees or antennas than a solar panel on your roof. Panels are flat and low profile, they don't exactly scream "strike me" like a 40 foot oak does. Plus, the whole system is grounded through the inverter and wiring, so if anything it gives the electricity a safe path to the ground instead of ripping through your house. I'd be more scared of an old TV antenna than solar, honestly.

black.amy24d ago

Wait, did that cashier actually work there or was he just a random guy in line? Because I swear I saw a kid at my local hardware store last month trying to convince an old lady that LED bulbs cause cancer because of the "blue light microwaves." The lady was dead serious asking him if she should switch back to candles. I had to walk away before I snorted out loud. People will believe anything if you say it with enough confidence.