Electrical Gems #150 | Page 36

FEATURE DOWN THE RETROFIT TOOLS ISSUE ¢ WHAT ARTICLES WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE? LET US KNOW: [email protected] HOT TOPIC SOLAR SAFETY RECENT NEWS STORIES ABOUT HOUSE FIRES ORIGINATING FROM SOLAR PANELS HAVE CAUSED CONSUMERS TO QUESTION THE SAFETY ASPECT OF SOLAR. PROFESSIONAL INSTALLATION AND REGULAR MAINTENANCE, HOWEVER, PRACTICALLY ELIMINATE ANY CONCERNS. IT’S IMPERATIVE, HOWEVER, THAT YOUR CUSTOMERS KNOW WHAT THEY NEED TO DO TO KEEP THEIR SOLAR PANELS RUNNING SAFELY – AND OPTIMALLY. t the end of last year, Federal Energy Minister Angus Taylor caused something of a solar commotion. Relaying the findings of a national audit report into solar panel safety, he told WA radio station 6PR that “Up to 25% of [solar panel] installations are faulty in some form and some of them in a very serious way… It’s crucial that the states put in place the right framework, to make sure that we deal with this issue appropriately and we avoid any kind of risk to people’s lives.” A 36 GEMCELL.COM.AU APR – MAY 2019 The national audit stated: “From 2011, when the inspection regime was established, to mid-August 2018, the annual distribution of inspection ratings has been generally consistent for the 24,371 inspections undertaken — noting that the standards have become more stringent over time, increasing the compliance ‘bar’. Between 21.7 and 25.7 per cent of inspected installations were rated as ‘unsafe’ or ‘sub–standard’ each year, with the exception of 2012 and 2013 when lesser proportions — 17.6 and 12.1 per cent, respectively — were so rated.” The findings brought into firm focus the need for solar panels – quite naturally – to be fitted correctly and maintained appropriately. Search ‘solar panel fires’ and you’ll find a number of stories about incorrectly fitted solar panels starting house fires. It comes at a time when solar panel installation is at an all-time high. Australia leads the world in rooftop solar installations. At present, one in every five free-standing homes are powered by solar, and there are over two million solar installations. Not bad for a country with a population of 25 million. And it’s only going to grow, with all political parties including a solar incentive in their manifesto for the general election. SOLAR – NOT A SET AND FORGET With demand increasing by the year, it’s an opportune time to be talking to customers about the benefits of solar. And the need to get a pro to do the install and set up. And while solar panels don’t need a whole lot of maintenance, it’s certainly not a set-and-forget. Renate Egan is the chair of the Australian PV Institute, and she says, “Remember, solar is a system, which includes panels, inverters, wiring, DC isolators and, increasingly, batteries. The panels are not usually the problem. Failure points are first DC isolators, then inverters.” She says that, as long as the solar panels have been correctly installed, low-level maintenance should suffice to keep them working optimally. Make sure your clients are aware of the need to maintain and encourage them to get a professional to do so. “With no moving parts, solar does not need much maintenance. If leaf litter can accumulate under the panel, then this should be addressed – it would be sensible to do this at the same time as gutters are cleaned. “In most parts of Australia, rain is sufficient to keep panels clean. However, if the system is subject to significant bird droppings, the panels should be cleaned. “Shading will also lead to underperformance, so trimming trees is helpful where possible, and certainly maintenance should keep ivy and similar climbers away from the panels. “The collection of leaf litter under the panels, or water in the DC isolator box can cause electrical faults.” Most solar panels, says Egan, have 20- to 30-year warranties, depending on their manufacturer. Faults, of course, can occur – and it’s important to be aware that some parts will need to be replaced earlier. “A solar installation has panels, wiring, DC isolator and an inverter,” says Egan. “The panels are pretty safe themselves provided they are correctly installed – no worse than any other household appliance. “The most common point of failure is the DC isolator. While panels have a 20-plus year warranty, the inverters can be expected to last about seven to ten years, and will need to be replaced at least once in the system life.” Naturally, customers are also keen to keep track of how their solar panels are performing. “There are some really good, cost-effective solutions for remote system monitoring now,” says Egan. “All new solutions should include active monitoring of output, giving the owner peace of mind that their system is performing well and safely.” WORKING WITH SOLAR FOR THOSE WORKING WITH SOLAR, THE CLEAN ENERGY REGULATOR SPECIFIES THE FOLLOWING REQUIREMENTS. Before designing or installing a small-scale renewable energy system, you must:  hold AU$5m in public liability insurance  be accredited by the Clean Energy Council to design and install small-scale renewable energy systems eligible under the scheme  hold an unrestricted electrical licence issued by the State or Territory authority for the place where the unit is going to be installed  ensure the components to be installed as part of the system are listed on the Clean Energy Council list of approved products, including: • AS/NZS 5033 Compliant PV Modules, and tested and approved grid-connected inverters (which includes off-grid inverters). During the installation you must:  ensure you comply with the Clean Energy Council code of conduct for installations  ensure the installation complies with the Clean Energy Council design and install guidelines  ensure the installation complies with the following standards, where applicable: • AS/NZS 5033, Installation and safety requirements for photovoltaic (PV) arrays AS/NZS 1170.2, Structural design actions, Part 2: Wind actions • AS/NZS 4509.1, Stand-alone power systems, Part 1: Safety and installation • AS 4086.2, Secondary batteries for use with stand-alone power systems, Part 2: Installation and maintenance • AS/NZS 3000, Wiring Rules • AS/NZS 1768, Lightning protection, and • AS 4777, Grid connection of energy systems via inverters. IMPROVING PV PERFORMANCE AND RELIABILITY To get a thorough understanding and to push for the continual improvement of PV systems across Australia, the APVI has an online system for anyone who owns, operates, installs or inspects a PV system and/or has detected a fault/ problem with whole or part of the system. This ‘PV Module and System Fault Reporting Portal’ has been developed to increase the understanding of the PV industry about the types of problems that are found with different system components when they are exposed to the Australian environment. Visit apvi.org.au/climate-based-pv- performance-and-reliability/ GOTTA HOT TOPIC? IF YOU AND YOUR MATES ARE TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING AND WANT TO SEE IT DISCUSSED HERE, SEND YOUR IDEAS TO [email protected] APR – MAY 2019 GEMCELL.COM.AU 37