The Swedish Electrical Safety Authority (Elsäkerhetsverket) has issued a warning about the risks posed by plug-in solar modules, which are often used on balconies. It said electrocution and fire are the main risks associated with faulty plug-in panels.
“For these products, there are a number of situations that may cause these risks,” Elsäkerhetsverket spokesperson Mikael Carlson told pv magazine. “The regulations state that a single fault shall not lead to electrocution or fire. Since these products use plugs with accessible pins, this is not fulfilled.”
Elsäkerhetsverket said that the pins on plugs could become dangerous even when they are not in sockets.
“There is also a risk of electrocution for electricians doing electrical installation work in the building, not knowing that there could be local PV-generators connected to the system that may be faulty,” Carlson said. “If there are local generators that incorrectly feed disconnected networks, there is a risk of electrocuting for technicians during work.”
Elsäkerhetsverket said that plug-in panels could catch fire because their current could exceed the electrical design of systems.
“It is possible to consume more power than the electrical wires are dimensioned for if the fuse for the feed-in outlet also supplies another outlet, which can result in fires,” Carlson said. “If many apartments connect these products and they all end up feeding into the same phase, it could also cause problems in the electrical system of the building, such as fires.”
Elsäkerhetsverket told homeowners to rely on professional installers for PV system dimensioning.
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“The standard SS 43640400 does not allow for plug-in solutions, so the product must be permanently connected to the property's electrical system,” Carlson said. “The affected parts of the electrical system must be dimensioned for this change and warning signs shall be applied at appropriate places in the building.”
He said it is the responsibility of manufacturers to be well informed about regulatory frameworks and comply with legal requirements.
“The ‘Blue Guide’ from the European Commission is a good starting point and applicable standards can be ordered from SEK Svensk Elstandard,” said Carlson.
Elsäkerhetsverket said that there might be other legal requirements, such as building permits or requests from the local emergency services, that should be considered when placing solar panels on balconies.
“The installation may also need pre-approval from the grid owner, and the electricity meter may need to be changed so that any feed to the grid is measured,” concluded Carlson.
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The amount of solar possible on an apartment balcony is not enough to electrocute a mouse.
But continue to keep those established in control of people’s lives with
any lie possible.
A single panel can put between 30v and 90v and even covered by snow can put more than 30mA at that voltage. Now, usually there are more panels connected inseries, adding up the voltage to 200-400v.
More than enough voltage to push over the electrocution limit of 20-30mA (current that is sufficient to cause cardiac arrest)
The presented dc voltage also facilitates arching in case of impropper connections or shortcircuits.
The warning and danger is valid, all electrical instalatiins should be designed and installed experienced and responsible people.
The risk of arcing is easily rectified by the use of properly gauged wire and connectors, charge controller, batteries and inverter.
Technically correct. In Germany the Schuko-Stecker is used. To get shocked improperly using that you need to be really reckless AND the inverter needs to fail in a very horrible way. It is incredibly unlikely. Though it would have been nice to see what they use in Sweden…
Bigger systems should be checked by pro’s and for those who can afford it and have them readily available installed by them, that I agree with. But for solar on balconies with decent microinverters and sensible plug systems this seems incredibly overkill and just economically nonviable.
The reachability of solar modules connected on balconies by little children playing around there is enough worry for parents. Poorly connected PV modules can really cause electrocution and fire.
These plug-in inverters have been used for decades in hundreds of countries around the world and there is no evidence that they have been the cause of fires or electrocution. If this safety czar is so obsessed with his crusade then where is his evidence?
The financial motivations to stand in the way of low cost solar are enormous. I would suspect that the greatest danger here is that the government officials in Sweden are being tempted by the financial interests of the incumbents. Now that is very dangerous indeed.