Photovoltaic panel insulation installation specifications and standards

How is PV module insulation assessed?

The more sophisticated methods of assessing insulation through insulation coordination methods result in a more rigorous investigation of PV module insulation than previous approaches of assessing the insulation of a PV module, which had worked well for many years but had a different, broader, performance-based nature of assessment.

Are there any UK standards relating to a PV installation?

While many UK standards apply in general terms, at the time of writing there is still relatively little which specifically relates to a PV installation. However, there are two documents which specifically relate to the installation of these systems that are of particular relevance:

What are the NFPA requirements for solar panels?

The electrical portion of solar PV systems shall be designed and installed in accordance with NFPA 70. R324.3.1 Equipment listings. Photovoltaic panels and modules shall be listed and labeled in accordance with UL 1703 or with both UL 61730-1 and UL 61730-2. Inverters shall be listed and labeled in accordance with UL 1741.

Can a PV module be classified as solid insulation?

Instead, the effective cementing of insulation layers means that they can’t be separated, allowing it to be classified as solid insulation. In practice, this means that tracking can’t occur at the interfaces between internal layers. Figure 5: Side view of a PV module. The different live parts (e.g. cells, internal wiring) are shown.

Do PV modules need to be updated?

As the work of IEC TC 82 has progressed, a number of new standards for PV components and balance of system equipment have been introduced. Accordingly, the requirements for the safety of PV modules must also be updated to reference these new standards and to fully leverage the benefits that can be achieved by compliance with their requirements.

What is the first international standard governing the safety of PV modules?

The first international standard governing minimum construction requirements for the safety of PV modules was the first edition of IEC 61730, published in 2004.