DC isolators set off sharp enhance in photo voltaic fires in Australia

September 15, 2023 Carrie Hampel

From pv journal Australia

Hearth incidents attributable to DC inverters in rooftop photo voltaic installations have elevated sharply over the past 12 months in Australia, based on information gathered by the ABC.

Within the Northern Territory this 12 months, 11 fires have been attributable to DC isolators, in comparison with simply 4 in 2022. The state of Victoria noticed 27 fires attributable to isolators within the final monetary 12 months, up from 15 the 12 months earlier than. In the meantime, Queensland had 11 final 12 months, and Western Australia had 14 fireplace incidents attributable to DC isolators. The Australian Capital Territory had not less than one incident within the final 12 months, whereas New South Wales authorities didn’t reply to requests for information. No information was proven for Tasmania.

Till 2021, Australia mandated DC isolators be a part of each system. It was the one nation to have such a requirement. After business consultants lobbied towards the usage of DC isolators, saying they really made programs extra susceptible to fires and faults, the mandate was lastly deserted in November 2021. Because the requirement for DC isolators was solely revoked in apply six months later in mid-2022, most photo voltaic installations on Australian rooftops may have DC isolators.

A spokesperson from Vitality Secure Victoria instructed the ABC {that a} key driver within the enhance in fireplace incidents was a scarcity of servicing of rooftop photo voltaic programs. He stated that their analysis confirmed that though folks with photovoltaic installations on their roofs perceive the significance of servicing, they nonetheless don’t do it.

Whereas present legal guidelines advocate homeowners have their PV system inspected recurrently and yearly for system parts like DC isolators, common inspections usually are not required beneath state and territory electrical security legal guidelines.

As pv journal reported in November 2021, one other drawback of isolator parts is that they’ll degrade from environmental publicity. This may be resulting from particular set up strategies and product varieties, rising the chance of water ingress and ultraviolet radiation harm. This was once more mirrored within the accounts of these experiencing the fires in a report broadcast by the ABC yesterday. In 2021, pv journal concluded that DC isolators could should be changed throughout the lifetime of the panels of a PV system.

NT Worksafe has now issued a security warning and suggested folks to test their photo voltaic installations – particularly to be sure that DC isolators weren’t on or close to picket surfaces.