Work safely on photovoltaic systems

The new, intelligent photovoltaic module switch-off Solarcheck RSD from Phoenix Contact independently sets photovoltaic roof systems into a safe state. Persons are protected from life-threatening electrical shocks during installation, maintenance, or hazardous situations.

Photovoltaic roof systems generate direct voltages of up to 1,000 volts and cannot be simply disconnected from the DC side. This becomes a severe hazard if the system is damaged and persons are working on it.

The modular switch-off analyses the DC-side current and voltage relationships in the system. When deviations from normal conditions occur or the inverter is switched off, it leads to automatic shutdown of the photovoltaic modules. The system is automatically restarted once conditions are technically safe. This Auto Rapid Shutdown technology, developed and patented by Phoenix Contact, is more reliable and faster than any human assessment or manual intervention.

Solarcheck RSD consists of one central starting unit per string and disconnection units that are installed directly on the respective photovoltaic modules. This system is easy to integrate into pre-existing module cabling and does not need to be either programmed or set manually.