June 24 2014
Product Announcements: 2014 NEC Rapid Shutdown Functionality with SolarEdge Systems Safety Switch Engineering Change Dear SolarEdge Customers, SolarEdge is excited to announce that its systems now have the functionality required by NEC 2014 690.12 “rapid shutdown”. This demonstrates the company’s ongoing commitment to be a market leader and provide its customers with the most up-to-date technology. The functionality is achieved with the simple field installation of rapid shutdown cables available from SolarEdge, without the need for additional control systems at the array. The rapid shutdown cables are shipped in kits, each kit with 5 sets of rapid shutdown cables for the update of 5 SolarEdge inverters. The kit is available from July 1st 2014 with a list price of $125 ($25 per inverter), under the following part numbers: -
Kit for single phase inverters: SE1000-RSD-S1 Kit for SE9KUS three phase inverter: SE1000-RSD-S2 Kit for SE10KUS and SE20KUS three phase inverters: SE1000-RSD-S3
Rapid Shutdown Functionality To paraphrase the rapid shutdown requirement, Section 690.12 of the 2014 NEC applies to PV systems installed on building roofs and requires that a rapid shutdown function exists to de-energize PV source circuits from all sources to less than 30Vdc within 10 seconds. Since SolarEdge systems include power electronics on the roof (typically one power optimizer per module) and are therefore able to shut off power coming from the roof, these systems are able to de-energize PV source circuits to less than 30 Vdc in less than 10 seconds. No additional roof mounted devices are required. The rapid shutdown initiation is performed by turning the inverter’s Safety Switch to the off position.
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The SolarEdge system incorporates many additional safety mechanisms, ensuring safety for installers, maintenance workers and firefighters. One of these mechanisms is the SafeDCTM feature, which ensures an output of 1Vdc per power optimizer when the system is shut down. This feature, along with the installation of a rapid shutdown kit in the inverter Safety Switch, expands the safety mechanisms to include the rapid shutdown functionality. The rapid shutdown kit includes a set of cables that should be connected within the Safety Switch, according to the instructions supplied with the kit and available here.
DC+
DC-
Rapid shutdown cables
Illustration of a Safety Switch after installation of the rapid shutdown kit
Safety Switch Engineering Change SolarEdge will begin shipping inverters with Safety Switches that disconnect the DC only. These switches replace the AC/DC Safety Switches that have been supplied in the past, and remove the AC disconnection redundancy at the AC breaker and at the Safety Switch. The installation process and the wiring of the Safety Switch remain unchanged. All previously provided AC/DC switches and the new DC-only switches support the rapid shutdown kit. Inverters supplied with DC Safety Switches will be shipping from July 1st 2014.
SolarEdge Technologies | www.solaredge.com USA Germany Italy Japan Israel China
3347 Gateway Boulevard, Fremont, CA, 94538 Werner-Eckert-Straße 6, Munich 81829 VISMUNDA SRL, Corso Del Popolo 50/A, Treviso B-9 Ariake Frontier Building, 3-7-26 Ariake, Koto-Ku, Tokyo 135-0063 6 HeHarash St. P.O.Box 7349, Neve Neeman, Hod Hasharon 45240 City Center, 100 Zunyi Road, Building A, Unit 1204, Shanghai 200051