According to media reports, a fire broke out earlier this year on the elevated section of Hongmei South Road in Shanghai, leading toward the Hongmei South Road Tunnel. The fire originated at the top of the noise barrier on the elevated road, approximately several dozen meters before the tunnel entrance. Multiple residents in the vicinity witnessed the incident, observing flames rapidly spreading from the photovoltaic panels installed on top of the noise barrier. Thick black smoke billowed into the air, and fragments of materials fell, forcing passing vehicles to make emergency maneuvers.
Fortunately, after several citizens and drivers promptly reported the fire, the fire department responded quickly. They coordinated efforts from multiple points and used a ladder truck to extinguish the blaze at height, successfully bringing the situation under control. The incident resulted in no casualties, but it once again sounded an alarm about the safety of photovoltaic installations.
Frequent Photovoltaic Fires: High-Voltage DC Risks Cannot Be Ignored
In recent years, incidents of photovoltaic system fires have become increasingly common, with the core underlying hazard being the widespread “high-voltage DC risk” in traditional distributed PV systems. In conventional PV arrays, prolonged exposure to outdoor environments inevitably leads to issues such as device aging, insulation damage, and loose electrical connections. Once poor contact or degraded insulation occurs, it can trigger DC arc faults.
It is worth noting that DC arc discharges can reach temperatures exceeding 3,000°C, making them highly likely to ignite surrounding materials and cause fires. More critically, during a fire, high temperatures can cause materials to release toxic gases, posing significant risks to firefighting and rescue efforts. If rescue operations are conducted without cutting off the high-voltage DC power, it could even lead to more severe secondary accidents.
Fonrich New Energy: Dual Solutions to Mitigate High-Voltage DC Risks
To address the safety risks posed by high-voltage DC in PV systems, Fonrich (Shanghai) New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. (referred to as “Fonrich New Energy”) has introduced two sets of solutions tailored to these scenarios, fundamentally enhancing the safety of PV systems for maintenance personnel and fire rescue teams:
- Module-level Rapid Shutdown (RSD): Cutting High-Voltage DC Risks at the Source
Module-level Rapid Shutdown (RSD) is currently the most direct and effective technical solution to address the safety hazards of high-voltage DC in photovoltaic systems. In emergency situations, RSD devices can quickly cut off the circuit of each individual PV module, completely eliminating high-voltage DC within the system. This significantly enhances the system’s safety level and effectively ensures the safety of personnel, equipment, and fire rescue operations.
Fonrich New Energy PVMS Series Rapid Shutdown: A Module-level Safety Protection Solution
Fonrich New Energy’s PVMS Series Smart PV Safety Protector (Module-level Rapid Shutdown) features three core advantages—”safety, intelligence, and reliability”—comprehensively addressing various risks brought by high-voltage DC. This product series not only meets international rapid shutdown standards such as NEC but also integrates module-level arc detection and shutdown functions. It supports multiple proactive shutdown methods, including local, remote, and fault-triggered activation, significantly enhancing system safety redundancy.
Additionally, the Fonrich PVMS Series supports module-level precise positioning and status monitoring, providing digital operation and maintenance support for PV power plants, helping users reduce management costs and achieve intelligent, refined operations.
Stringent standards ensure quality assurance. As a high-reliability product specifically designed to enhance system safety, the Fonrich PVMS Series strictly complies with international certification systems, having passed multiple authoritative certifications and compliance tests, including UL1741, UL3741, UL1699B, IEC63027, IEC62109-1, and IEC61000-6-1/-2/-3/-4, fully validating its exceptional safety and stability.
2) String-level Arc Protection: Precise Warning, Efficient Arc Suppression
Fonrich New Energy integrates AFCI (Arc-Fault Circuit Interrupter) technology into its string-level safety protectors. The system can monitor various types of arc faults in real-time, including series and parallel arcs in PV modules. Supported by the SafeSolar module-level data monitoring platform, intelligent algorithms enable precise localization of arc fault points, providing early warnings and facilitating rapid response and accurate protection. This significantly enhances the intrinsic safety level of the power station.
When an arc fault occurs in a PV string, the string-level AFCI function can be activated immediately. The system will automatically drive the switch to quickly cut off the circuit connection between the inverter and the PV string, rendering the string loop current-free within an extremely short time. This effectively extinguishes the arc and prevents risk propagation.
The patented arc suppression technology adopted by Fonrich New Energy ensures the safety of personnel and assets without compromising the power generation efficiency of the power plant.
Additionally, this technology supports safety upgrades for older power plants, addressing the challenge of retrofitting safety protection devices in traditional systems. It provides a feasible path for enhancing the operational safety of existing PV systems.
Safety is no trivial matter, and photovoltaic fire prevention demands immediate action.
Distributed photovoltaic systems are often deployed in densely populated areas such as residential communities, commercial buildings, and along highways. Once a fire occurs, the consequences can be severe. Whether caused by equipment aging or external accidents, the risks cannot be underestimated.
Enhancing the safety protection capabilities of PV systems has become an unavoidable priority for the industry. In the future, all stakeholders should collectively strengthen risk awareness and promote the adoption of smarter, more reliable safety technologies, building a robust safety barrier for the sustainable development of the photovoltaic industry.
To learn more about Fonrich New Energy’s products, technical solutions, and collaboration opportunities, please visit our official website at www.fonrich.com or contact us via email at info@fonrich.com.
Company Profile
Fonrich (Shanghai) New Energy Technology Co., Ltd., founded in 2011, is a national high-tech enterprise specializing in safety and intelligent operation and maintenance for new energy power plants. Driven by core technologies, the company’s business covers PV plant yield optimization, system safety protection, and full-lifecycle intelligent management. With over 200 patent applications, Fonrich’s core technologies include AFCI arc fault detection algorithms, PV module rapid shutdown, and power control methods. Its products have been deployed in numerous residential, commercial, industrial, and utility-scale PV projects worldwide.
