Solar Panel Safety

Solar Panel Safety

A lot of homeowners are not aware of the danger solar panels pose for emergencies service staff in the case of an emergency such as an earthquake or a storm.

In the case of an emergency firefighters and emergency responders will turn off the power supply to an area as a safety precaution to safeguard everyone who is in the area from electrocution.

Many people do not realize that a solar system can continue to produce electricity even when not connected to an AC grid.

Due to this threat the authorities are now introducing new rules to improve safety standards for solar systems in order to ensure all emergency responders are secure when they call for help.

What is the most effective way to ensure this protection?

However, closing the inverters just disrupts the flow of current, but it is still in the live state. Additionally, the automatic DC breakers within the cabinet for inverters are not able to disconnect the current voltage produced through the module.

Rooftop array isolators won't hinder power generation because roof DC isolator switches only hinder the flow of power from the roof to the inverter if the cabling from modules or to the inverter is extremely high throughout the day.

Thus, the most efficient method to minimize the danger of electrocution to emergency personnel is by making use of module level shut-down.

Installing solar panels that have module-level monitoring or retrofitting this feature it will continue to function until it is safe. The system is operated by sending a signal from an inverter to module, in the event that there is no signal that the module is not receiving, it will automatically stop the DC current, along with the voltage of the module and wires.

In this case the solar system is completely shut down, which helps to ensure the safety of those who are attending to emergencies since the output voltage of every module is turned off.

Monitoring systems for modules developed by Togo and Enphase enable this configuration of the security with retrofit options for systems already in place.

Explore these products on the internet on AGM Electrical Supplies, or talk to our sales team to learn more.