SMA America and Sollega have joined forces to certify the Sollega FastRack 510 with SMA Sunny Tripower CORE1 inverters as the first system to market that complies with UL 3741 Photovoltaic Hazard Control Systems (PVHCS) and National Electric Code (NEC) 690.12 rapid shutdown of PV Systems on buildings without module-level power electronics (MLPE) or switches.

“The FastRack 510 mounting system is made of non-conductive glass-reinforced nylon polymer material, which reduces shock hazard risk to firefighters during emergency operations,” said Elie Rothschild, CEO of Sollega. “Wire management is also critical in the overall safety of the PV array. Nylon wire clips work on both our racking and module flanges to secure PV wires with the necessary air gap to ensure wires do not come in contact with the aluminum module frames.”

Testing verified that firefighter safety was maintained up to 1,000 volts within the array boundary. This finding eliminates the need for module-level shutdown switches within the array boundary. Compliance for conductors outside the array boundary is achieved by installing the SMA CORE1 inverter within the 1-foot array boundary. Together, the racking and inverter combination offers significant cost savings, faster installation and better reliability versus traditional module-level rapid shutdown solutions on the market.

“We are thrilled to partner with Sollega to bring this solution to market,” said Brett Henning, commercial product manager with SMA America. “When both code compliance and enhanced safety are possible without the need for module-level devices, customers will save on balance-of-system costs and installation labor all around.”

News item from SMA America