Rapid Shutdown Solar Panels Requirements

Voltage shall be measured between any two conductors and between any conductor and ground.

Rapid shutdown solar panels requirements.

These conductors must be de energized to below 30 and 240 vac within 10 seconds of initiating rapid shutdown. Starting in 2019 when nec 2017 goes into effect in certain jurisdictions all conductors within a 1ft boundary of an array has to be reduced to 80 v or less within 30 seconds of rapid shutdown initiation. A rapid shutdown transmitter or initiator is installed into the inverter either during manufacturing like fronius s offering or aftermarket. Rsd tigo for nec 2017.

It is against metropolitan and municipal fire code for solar systems connected to the grid to stay turned on when the grid is down which demands the need for a rapid shut down mechanism in solar panels. In 2014 the national electrical code included a new requirement. 2017 nec 690 12 rapid shutdown. 690 12 1 through 5 a short requirement only six sentences.

Hopefully your home never catches on fire and you don t even have to worry about rapid shutdown functionality but if it does firefighters can use rapid shutdown solutions to de energize your solar panel system just in case they need to go up on your. Controlled conductors located outside the boundary or more than 1 m 3 ft from the point of entry inside a building shall be limited to not more than 30 volts within 30 seconds of rapid shutdown initiation. The national fire protection association nfpa wrote rapid shutdown requirements into the nec in an effort to keep first responders safe. Compliant with nec 690 12 rapid shutdown requirements.

More than 5 inside a building or more than 10 from a pv array. Same string design rules as traditional modules. The section 690 12 update to the 2017 national electrical code nec calls for module level rapid shutdown of solar systems instead of nec 2014 array level shutdown requirement. Pv system circuits installed on or in buildings shall include a rapid shutdown function that controls specific conductors in accordance with 690 12 1 through 5 as follows.

This requirement is called a rapid shutdown. 1 2019 when nec 2017 goes into effect in certain jurisdictions all conductors within an array s 1 ft boundary have to be reduced to 80 v or less within 30 seconds of rapid shutdown initiation. Conductors associated with pv systems may remain energized even after the electrical service disconnect has been opened. Currently string inverters require listed add ons to be rapid shutdown compliant.

Pv rapid shutdown requirements were added to nec 2014 690 12 to improve electrical and fire safety hazards namely for first responders. Conductors that extend greater than 10 ft from the array outside or more than 5 ft inside a building are required to be de energized upon command of shutdown. That transmitter is paired with a sensor that s attached to the array. The section 690 12 update to the 2017 national electrical code nec calls for module level rapid shutdown of solar systems instead of nec 2014 s array level shutdown requirement.