Featured in Huawei Special Edition 2020

Preventing fires with AI

Fires present significant potential risks to solar installations. They can destroy PV system components – such as modules, cables, and inverters – and also damage entire buildings. Inverter manufacturer Huawei says that arcs are the primary cause of serious fires in solar PV systems, as they account for more than 60% of all incidents involving rooftop PV systems. Manufacturers, developers, and governments alike have been implementing precautionary measures for years to prevent arcing and system fires – and now artificial intelligence (AI) is starting to emerge as another important safety solution.

By

pv magazine

25 Jun 2020

Huawei’s Southern Factory Smart PV plant | Photo: Huawei

Direct current (DC) arcs can occur due to loose terminals, poor contact, broken cables, old insulation materials, carbonization, damp wires, corrosion, and insulation layer cracks. “Distributed and residential PV systems are usually installed on rooftops, making it particularly difficult for workers to detect all potential risks during routine inspections,” says Bin Xie, senior product manager …

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