Cobham Service Station is widely regarded as one of the UK’s busiest motorway service areas. So, when Extra MSA Group invested in a nationwide sustainability strategy, which included the installation of a 368.55kWp solar PV system, safety and operational resilience were key considerations from the outset.

To provide an additional layer of protection, Spirit Energy installed 120 ArcBox DC Connector Enclosures as part of the solar system. DC arc faults can occur when electrical connections become damaged, loose or degraded over time. Unlike conventional electrical faults, DC arcs can sustain themselves and generate significant heat, creating a potential fire risk.

ArcBox is designed to mitigate this risk by simply snapping around a DC connector, containing any arc that may occur and preventing it from spreading to nearby combustible materials within the solar installation.

The product’s effectiveness has been independently verified by KIWA Fire Safety & Security, Loughborough University, and the Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute (ZAG).

For a high-footfall site such as Cobham Service Station, which welcomes millions of visitors each year and operates 24 hours a day, this proactive approach to solar fire prevention provides valuable reassurance for both site operators and insurers. The technology complements the project’s wider safety measures, including a firefighter shutdown system, rooftop isolation equipment and man-safe access provisions.

By incorporating ArcBox into the system design, Spirit Energy delivered not only a high-performance solar installation, but also a solution engineered for long-term safety, asset protection and business continuity.