JLanka Technologies teams up with SolarEdge

JLanka Technologies has partnered with SolarEdge to deploy PV units to Sri Lanka.

SolarEdge solar panels are deployed worldwide as an alternative energy solution. The company has made many technological advancements in recent years.

Traditional photovoltaic (PV) systems possess high voltages and output 30-60V of direct current (DC). When multiple modules are stringed together, these voltages run as high as a life-threatening 1,000 Vdc. The resulting implication is that installation crews, maintenance personnel, people working in the vicinity and in unfortunate situations - firefighters are exposed to harm by these installations.

The most obvious rebuttal to these concerns is typically - just use the kill switch!

The problem is that kill switches in traditional string inverters can only interrupt the current flow. Voltages continue to remain at high levels in traditional string inverters even when these shutdown functions are employed. This rather counter-intuitive restriction of traditional string inverters of typical solar panel installations - automatic DC breakers are located on the inverter itself and are unable to disconnect the Voltage at the point of isolated PV modules.

This is only one part of the problem. As connectors and cables in a PV system degrade, electric currents begin to pass through the air, creating an electric arc. These arcs threaten any individuals in its radius with the high probability of being electrocuted.

The SolarEdge system consists of power optimizers connected to each isolated module and facilitates a module-level monitoring feature. It has a built-in safety feature which eliminates safety risks during installation, maintenance and firefighting scenarios.

The SolarEdge PV system reduces the DC Voltage to a safe 1V per power optimizer when the AC power is shut down. Further safeguarding the practical safety of the units, the AC power can be shut down by employing multiple implementation methods such as - shutting down the AC breaker, turning off the inverter on/off switch and turning off the AC/DC safety switch. Optionally, a Firefighter Gateway switch can also be installed to complete the safety features available when installing SolarEdge units.