A collaboration with ZAG Fire Test Laboratory demonstrates the effectiveness of the ArcBox for reducing fire risks with solar panels installed on flat roofs.
The ArcBox solar connector enclosure has successfully completed a new series of tests at the fire testing laboratory of the Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute (ZAG). The effectiveness of the award-winning product preventing fires in BIPV roof-integrated installations had already been demonstrated by earlier tests at BDA Testing B.V. Netherlands Fire Safety and Security Laboratory . This time, the development of fire from a DC connector in arc fault condition in a flat roofing solar mounting system was under investigation.
In the absence of standard testing procedures, experts from the Fire Safety Engineering Department at the University of Central Lancashire; Brandweer Twente, the Netherlands; and Fire Safety Engineering Research Technology at the University of Ulster were consulted to ensure the design of the experiments represented realistic conditions. The experiments included tests of different roof coverings, different panel mounting configurations and simulating arc faults with and without an ArcBox Solar Connector Enclosure present.
- Bitumen roof covering, 1 panel S facing configuration with and without ArcBox
- Bitumen roof covering, 4 panels E-W configuration with and without ArcBox
- EPDM roof covering, 1 panel S facing configuration with and without ArcBox
- EPDM roof covering, 4 panels E-W configuration with and without ArcBox
Previously published research (1) has shown that the presence of solar panels above a flat roof slows the escape of combustion products and heat energy, diminishing the fire performance of roofs, even those with certified fire ratings. These new tests confirmed the rapid spread of fire across the roof behind the solar panels once the fire had established on the roof covering.
In the tests where DC connectors were unprotected with an ArcBox, the connectors were secured away from the roof in line with industry best practice. A key finding of the research was that suspending the connectors in this way was insufficient to prevent the spread of fire to the roof covering below.
In all tests with an ArcBox present, the development of a roof fire was prevented, even though the DC connector was completely destroyed by the end of the test.
KT Tan, CTO at Viridian Solar said: “What should be of great interest to the solar industry from this research is the finding that current best practice of securing DC connectors away from the flat roof covering is not sufficient to prevent an arcing connector from developing into a roof fire.”
Grunde Jomaas, ERA Chair and Head of Department for Fire-safe Sustainable Built Environments at the Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute (ZAG) said: “We have completed numerous fire tests with solar PV panels and the ArcBox was effective in preventing arcing ignition for the representative tests we conducted. Our testing confirms that the ArcBox is capable of preventing the spread of fire from an arcing DC connector in a flat roof solar PV installation and has the potential to make a very significant contribution to significantly reducing the number of fires arising from electrical faults in solar PV systems.”
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