ArcBox Fire Safety Testing
Rigorously & Independently Safety Tested
The award-winning ArcBox has been rigorously tested, with the effectiveness of the product independently verified by the Kiwa BDA Testing B.V. Fire Safety and Security Laboratory alongside Loughborough University, while further tests were conducted at the ZAG test laboratory in Slovenia.
During testing, ArcBox successfully contained DC connector arc faults and prevented their development into roof fires when tested with both flat-roof and BIPV in-roof solar installations.
PV Fire Safety - In-roof and Above Roof Installations
ArcBox is a new category of safety product. There exists no international or national standards against which it can be assessed. Consequently our research team has collaborated with experts at leading European fire testing laboratories, university research departments and national fire services to develop rigorous tests that have confirmed the effectiveness of the product.
The testing scenarios were designed to be an extreme case. In real world conditions, the highly energetic arcing used in the tests would result in the destruction of the connector and the creation of an air gap between conductors that would extinguish the arc long before the test was completed.
Flat Roof Solar Tests
Tests at at the fire testing laboratory of the Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute (ZAG) showed that an unprotected solar DC connector forced into an arcing failure mode can start a fire in the flat roof covering below, even when the connector is fixed 50mm above the deck in line with current industry best practice.
In equivalent tests with the same DC connector enclosed by ArcBox the arcing was safely contained with no spread of fire to the roof covering, even after more than 5 minutes of highly energetic arcing.
Pitched Roof Integrated Solar Tests
Tests of the effectiveness of ArcBox with roof-integrated solar were made at Kiwa BDA Testing B.V. in collaboration with Loughborough University, and the Dutch Fire Service (Veiligheidsregio Utrecht).
A pitched roof build up included rigid insulation board between timber rafters, roofing membrane and tile battens and two different types of roof integrated solar system, including one that adds large amounts of combustible plastic sheeting below the panels.
Tests without ArcBox showed rapidly developing fire that consumed the combustible roof construction materials. Tests with ArcBox contained the arcing with no spread of fire to surrounding materials.
ArcBox Test Videos
Overview of Fire Testing
This video shows both the flat roof and BIPV solar testing of ArcBox.
In-Roof Solar Fire Test
This video is a more in-depth look at the testing of ArcBox with two BIPV roof integrated solar systems.