RegGuheert
Well-known member
I also think there is a considerably lower risk of a fire with microinverters versus string inverters:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKtmPMjrbVA[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aDrmtur6fw[/youtube]
Enphase Fire safety handout
Also, unfortunately, the existence of string inverters in the marketplace has firefighters around the world nervous about fighting fires in buildings containing PV panels. While the string inverters have cutoffs, the high voltage of the string still exists in the wiring. As such, firefighters are leery of getting near them.
The situation is markedly different with microinverters. Once the disconnect on the side of the house is thrown, there is no more high voltage on the roof, period.
Note in following firefighter training video regarding PV systems, the trainer tells the firefighters the following facts which area ONLY true for string-inverter-based PV systems:
- DC voltages on the roof are between 120V and 600V.
- High voltages are on the roof whenever the sun shines.
- High voltages are even present just from the lights used to fight fires at nighttime.
Unfortunately, he does not inform the firefighters that there is another type of PV system which does not pose ANY of these safety risks and that the system is fully disabled when the disconnect is thrown. Then only low-voltage DC exists on the roof.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1GXF8iQnyY[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKtmPMjrbVA[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aDrmtur6fw[/youtube]
Enphase Fire safety handout
Also, unfortunately, the existence of string inverters in the marketplace has firefighters around the world nervous about fighting fires in buildings containing PV panels. While the string inverters have cutoffs, the high voltage of the string still exists in the wiring. As such, firefighters are leery of getting near them.
The situation is markedly different with microinverters. Once the disconnect on the side of the house is thrown, there is no more high voltage on the roof, period.
Note in following firefighter training video regarding PV systems, the trainer tells the firefighters the following facts which area ONLY true for string-inverter-based PV systems:
- DC voltages on the roof are between 120V and 600V.
- High voltages are on the roof whenever the sun shines.
- High voltages are even present just from the lights used to fight fires at nighttime.
Unfortunately, he does not inform the firefighters that there is another type of PV system which does not pose ANY of these safety risks and that the system is fully disabled when the disconnect is thrown. Then only low-voltage DC exists on the roof.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1GXF8iQnyY[/youtube]