Australia is a world leader in rooftop solar deployment, but the head of Queensland-based renewables company REA Global has criticized the nation’s solar installation standards for being out of date and unsafe.
More than 2.68 million rooftop solar PV systems have now been installed in Australia. But REA Global Director Michael Mrowka has declared that changes to national installation standards are urgently needed in order to defuse a “ticking time-bomb” created by unsafe and poorly designed solar installations.
Mrowka said rooftop solar safety standards, particularly those relating to the controversial DC isolators that were mandated in Australia in 2012, have not kept pace with technology and industry changes.
“One example is the AS/NZS 5033 standard that mandates rooftop solar isolators, which have become the largest single cause of solar fires in recent years,” he said. “Combine that with low-cost Chinese products that can be quite dangerous as they age, especially when poorly installed, and you have a ticking time-bomb that can cause electrical shorts and fires.”
Standards Australia has launched a review of AS/NZS 5033. The draft standard has received more than 680 submissions during the public comments stage, which closed last month.
Mrowka told pv magazine that an update on the installation and safety requirements standard is expected in December. But he is far from confident it will deliver the changes the industry is seeking.
What causes solar rooftop fires?
Design flaws, component defects, and faulty installation generally cause solar rooftop fires. As with all electrical systems, these problems can cause arcs between conductors or to the ground, as well as hot spots, which can ignite nearby flammable material.
How do you extinguish a solar fire?
Use Class C extinguishing agents, CO2, or dry chemical if a photovoltaic system shorts or starts a fire.
How long do solar roofs last?
about 25 to 30 years
But the solar panels generating that power don’t last forever. The industry standard life span is about 25 to 30 years, and that means that some panels installed at the early end of the current boom aren’t long from being retired.
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