Marc Van de Velde
XL Global Asset Protection Services (XL GAPS)
Centre of Excellence
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 Why renewable Energy
 Total electricity Europe in 2011: 3165 TWh
 Renewable energy in TWh (approx 22%)
Hydro: 390
Wind:
Solar:
Biomass:
144
41.5
+/- 108
© European Union, 1995-2011 http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/statistics_explained/index.php/Electricity_production_and_supply_statistics (Link checked 2012-11-02)
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 Solar hot water
 Green houses – agricultural
 Parabolic trough collector systems
Parabolic mirrors concentrate light onto a tube filled with a heat transfer fluid (HTF)
HFT heats water to steam that drives a turbine that generates electricity solar hot water
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MAKE YOUR WORLD GO images sources: courtesy of DOE/NREL
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 Photovoltaic (PV)

Multi crystalline, thin film
 Concentrator PV systems (CPV)
 Optical system such as mirrors and lenses to concentrate the light onto the cells and increase efficiency
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MAKE YOUR WORLD GO images sources: courtesy of DOE/NREL
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photovoltaic = photo (= light) + Volt sunlight anti reflective coating front contact specially treated semi-conductor material back contact photons source: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2002/solarcells/
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 1880 – first Selenium based cell constructed
 1954 – first Silicon based solar cell
 1958 – first commercial use in a satellite
 1970’s – early 1980’s: use in remote areas
 From mid 1990’s – shifts developments from USA to Japan and Europe
Image Source: Courtesy of DOE/NREL
 1990’s - incentive programs in Japan
 2000’s - incentives programs started in various countries
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stand-off system roof integrated system building integrated
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Images Sources: Courtesy of DOE/NREL
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Ground – mounted systems
 Fixed
 With tracking
 Single axis
 Dual axis
 Higher yield
 But higher cost for: o Production o Maintenance o Repair
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MAKE YOUR WORLD GO images sources: courtesy of DOE/NREL
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solar panel array cables and connectors junction boxes with fuses, over current protection solar panel array
DC side circuit breaker inverter
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AC system side to meter users, public utility
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 Life expectancy of a system is 20 years or more
 End user wants a good and reliable panel !!

 Performance capability under prolonged exposure to standard climates

Electrical, diagnostic, performance, thermal, UV, temperature cycles, humidity
 Mechanical - hail, wind, snow
 Bypass diode tests
 Qualification standards

EN / IEC 61215 (2005) – crystalline PV modules

EN / IEC 61646 (2008)
– thin film PV modules
 EN / IEC 61208 (2007) – concentrator modules (CPV)
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 Safety standard
 IEC 61730 – 2004 (EN 61730 – 2007)
 Part 1 – construction requirements

Design characteristics such as wall thickness of junction boxes, minimum distance of conductive parts form the edges, e.g
…)
 Materials used (UV stability, temperature parameters,…)
 Part 2 – testing requirements

Tests carried out on preconditioned modules and components
 Application class A – Safety Class II
 General inspection test, electric shock hazard (7 tests), fire hazard (5 tests) mechanical stress (2 tests), component (3 test)
 USA - ANSI/UL 1703
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 Testing requirements differ between standards.
 IEC 61730 – 2: MST-23 - fire test specification to USA – ANSI / UL 790
 EN 61730 – 2: MST-23 – Note indicates European fire test is under consideration
 Europe: EN 13501-5 – External fire exposures to roofs

Actual tests in ENV 1187
– 4 test methods.
 classification B roof (t1), (t2), (t3), (t4)
 ANSI/UL 1703
– refers to ANSI/UL 790, additional requirements than IEC 61730
 ANSI/UL 790 and ASTM E108 : fire tests of roof coverings
 Relevant tests are “spread of flame” (gas burner) and “flying brand”
 Class A, B, C
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 Factory Mutual Approval Standards
• FM 4478 (2012) – Rigid photovoltaic modules
• FM 4476 (2011) – Flexible photovoltaic modules
 Evaluate the entire assembly as a whole for:
• fire hazard (ASTM E108 Class A, B, C with maximum roof slope),
• wind uplift
• hail
• seismic exposure (rigid panels)
• heat aging effects on the substrate (flexible panels)
 Does not evaluate any other electrical components
Referenced standards address mainly performance, not reliability
Third party certification is important
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 Cabling standardization long time neglected
 Older installations may have less suitable cables installed
 Cables should be:
 UV and Ozone resistant
 Weather and moisture resistant,
 Temperature resistant
 Flame retardant (IEC 60332-1-2) no halogen (EN 50267-2-2)
 Acid and alkaline resistant (EN 60811-2-1)
 Special cables:
 Rodent / termite protection: on the market such as steel armored cable (V4A)
 Resistance against oil and grease
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Not yet an official IEC / EN standard
 In EUROPE
• Requirements for cables for use in photovoltaic systems
• TÜV specification: 2Pfg 1169/08.2007 OR VDE E PV 01:2008-02
 In the USA - NEC – NFPA 70 (2011) – Article 690 – 31
• USE-2 wire (TYLZ) (UL 854) OR
PV wire (ZKLA)
– UL 4703 (2005)
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 Prefabricated or field assembled
 UV resistance, moisture ingress, temperature
 Contact resistance
 Low plug in, high pull out force; interlocking system
 Force required to rip connector from cable
 NO IEC standard at present
 EN 50521 – 2008 Connectors for photovoltaic systems – safety)
 USA
 UL 746C – Safety of polymeric Materials
 UL 1977 – Component connectors
 UL 1703 – flat plate photovoltaic modules
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 UV resistance, moisture ingress, condensation, temperature, flame retardant
 EN 50548 – 2011 – Junction boxes for photovoltaic modules
 Germany: DIN V VDE V0126-5 (valid till 2014-02)
 EN 61439-1 and 2 (2009)
– Low voltage power switch and control gear
(replacement for EN 60439-1)
 USA: UL 1741
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 Convert DC produced by panels to AC from small string inverters to large central inverters
 IEC/EN 62109 parts 1 and 2
– Safety of power converters in photovoltaic systems
 USA: UL 1741
 Use correct inverter for intended purpose / location (indoor versus outdoor)
 Several issues related to inverters
 Newer designs better and higher expected lifetime
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MAKE YOUR WORLD GO images sources: courtesy of DOE/NREL (Left: Susan Bilo)
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 External protection system
 Collecting direct lightning strikes
 Collecting and distributing the current to earth
 Internal lightning / overvoltage protection
 When Required?
 Legislation can vary from country to country
 Occupancy of the building.
 Insurance company requirements
 In Europe: EN 62305 – Protection against lightning
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 Building with lightning protection system source VdS: VdS 3145: 2011-07 Photovoltaikanlagen – page 15
Minimum distance between DC cables and lightning protection system not observed
 Building without lightning protection system
 Complicated topic – use specialized company !! office building Frankfurt, Germany http://vds.de/fileadmin/vds_publikationen/vds_3145_web.pdf
(link checked 2012-11-02)
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 Difference between “system” and “building” statics
 System statics : stability of securing elements and panels
Offered by a large number of manufacturers and tested by certification
 Building Statics :
 Needs original data from drawings, architect, expert
 In Europe EUROCODE 1 (EC 1)
 EN 1991-1-x + national annexes
 National standards to are still being used, eg. Germany DIN 1055
Source: Gesamtverbandes der Deutschen Versicherungswirtschaft (GDV)
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 Avoid installation of PV systems on combustible roofs
 Configure panels and control boxes in such a way that they are accessible to service and emergency personnel
 Maintain adequate distance between PV panels and fire walls
 Ensure that panels do not interfere with smoke and heat vents
 Maintain a minimum distance between panels/cables and plastic skylights / light bands
 Put cables in metal conduit or metal cable trays
 Route cables on the outside of the building
 Centralize inverters in a fire cutoff room with as a minimum fire detection
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Loss cause
Snow
Storm
Hail
Fire
Overvoltage
Theft
Deliberate
Miscellaneous
Number of incidents (%)
14
9
2
2
26
2
3
42
Damage cost: natural elements: 40%
Damage cost (%)
12
25
3
26
14
8
1
11
Data Source: GDV Publication Renewable March 2010 (Page 166) http://www.gdv.de/2010/03/7-auflage-der-broschuere-erneuerbare-energien-neu-englische-version/renewable_energies_2010 / (link checked 2012-11-02)
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 Ballast on horizontal roofs.
 Missing supports
 Roof damage
 Damaged membranes/ roof coverings
 Installation over roof tops, over or in rain gulley Source VdS: VdS 3145: 2011-07 Photovoltaikanlagen – page 10
 Large ground mounted systems with or without tracking image source: courtesy of DOE/NREL http://vds.de/fileadmin/vds_publikationen/vds_3145_web.pdf
(Link checked 2012-11-02)
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 2005/2006 relative large number of snow related losses
• Missing or wrong type of roof hooks
• Supporting frames not able to withstand load
• Wrong type of PV panels not suitable for expected snow loads
 Above can be avoided through proper installation and material choice
 Other potential issues:
“avalanches” on roofs with building integrated panels and frameless panels
Stand off panels: localized snow accumulation – roof deck issues
 Hail damage: limited as long as panels are built to qualification standards EN/
IEC 61215 or EN/IEC 61646.
 Cautions required for areas with more than average exposure
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

Theft / vandalism
Storage of panels on construction sites
 Vegetation /forest fires
 Areas subject to flood
 The further away from occupied areas, the bigger the potential
 Areas subject to subsidence
 Need for physical and or electronic surveillance systems
 Cable damage due to rodents (such as mice, rats, ferrets…)
 Aggressive chemicals, vapors (e.g. ammonia)
 Panel contamination and shading image source: courtesy of DOE/NREL
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PV systems are dangerous for fire departments !!
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 Traditional: fire – fire department arrives – cut off power - intervention
 Issue with PV: when light – electricity is produced – can be up to 1000 V DC
 Disconnect means at the inverter level
 System can not be de-energized on the DC level
 Damaged electrical cables or panels – potential of electrical shock
 Proposed solutions: cover the panels with: foam
– tarpaulins - paint
 Does not work or not practical to implement
 De-energize up to a level that is safe
 Several solutions on the market
 Remove power from the array to the inverter
 Remove power at the module level
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 Electric shock
 Walking on roof
 Cutting holes in roof to enter or as smoke and heat vents
 Falling glass, panels
 Slipping
 Panels come loose from roof and fall
 Panels get damaged by falling trees or other objects
Discussions between intervention team and property owner/operator !!!
The risk can be managed !!
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 Use the latest codes, standards, guidelines
 Use quality, certified components
 Use qualified, certified installers

Initial acceptance of installation (EN 62466)

Service contract / supervision of system
 Regular maintenance, inspection by qualified
 Appears easy to install
 “Plug and play” mentality
 Lack of know-how
 Several disciplines involved personnel

System statics and roof statics
 Natural hazards: wind, storm, ice, snow, hail
 Lightning and surge protection
 Fire safety issues: roof construction, components, routing of cables …

Potential firefighter issues

Potential insurance type issues
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Questions?
DOE/NREL link: http://www.nrel.gov/data/pix/
Department of Energy, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
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 XL Group plc’s insurance companies offer property, casualty, professional and specialty insurance products globally.
Businesses that are moving the world forward choose XL as their partner. To learn more, visit xlgroup.com/insurance .
 XL Group plc‘s reinsurance companies are among the world’s leading reinsurers. They offer products that include aerospace, property, casualty, marine and specialty. The world’s top insurers choose XL to help move their businesses forward. To learn more, visit xlgroup.com/reinsurance .
 We are the organization clients look to for answers to their most complex risks and to help move their world forward. To learn more, visit xlgroup.com
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