Norwegian researchers have revealed a brand new research exhibiting that the area between photo voltaic panels and roof surfaces can play a big function in contributing to PV system fires.
Rise Hearth Analysis AS, an institute in Norway, performed a sequence of experiments that confirmed that the gap between photo voltaic modules and rooftop surfaces will be an essential think about PV system fires..
“We didn’t discover a great distance between the roof and the PV modules that will forestall the hearth from spreading,” mentioned researcher Ragni Fjellgaard Mikalsen. pv journal. “However we discovered that hole distance is certainly one of many parameters that have an effect on the unfold of fireside.”
Scientists say that wind pace and air hole dimension potential have an effect on the event of fires within the area between photo voltaic modules and the underlying roof buildings. Additionally they have a look at how fires have an effect on PV methods true, standing roofs in Norway. They performed 29 experiments on the institute’s facility Trondheim in 2021.
The analysis group discovered a hyperlink between the dimension of hole between a roof floor and the modules, and decide how huge a initials there needs to be a hearth in order that the hearth spreads and grows.
“This, and different experiments, level out {that a} bigger hole distance reduces the unfold of the flame, however different parameters, resembling inclination, supply of ignition, flamable supplies may also have an effect on on hearth dynamics within the air hole,” says Fjellgaard Mikalsen.
He admits that there aren’t any take a look at strategies or requirements that correctly consider the interaction between PV modules and constructing surfaces.
“The take a look at strategies for constructing supplies don’t embody the opportunity of including PV modules, and the take a look at strategies for PV modules don’t take into account what constructing content material needs to be put in,” he mentioned. “For the development of built-in PV modules, the modules should adjust to the rules for constructing supplies and as {an electrical} set up.”
He mentioned the modules have been examined in opposition to one of many 4 European take a look at strategies listed in CEN/TS 1187, however famous that these take a look at strategies will not be notably appropriate for testing PV modules.
“The American take a look at commonplace UL 1703 / UL 61730 contains some hearth checks the place the mixture of roof materials and PV set up is managed,” he mentioned. “That is primarily based on testing for roofing supplies UL 790 the place the roof is uncovered to an outside flame.”
Scientists say that the longer term requirements for Norwegian PV installations needs to be harmonized on the European stage, and ideally worldwide.
“Ideally, the take a look at requirements ought to take into account the interactions between the constructing floor and the PV modules and take a look at the methods on a big sufficient scale to incorporate essential particulars of the constructing’s inside, system to restore PV modules,” says Fjellgaard Mikalsen. “To doc the hearth efficiency of various mixtures of roof supplies, restore methods and PV modules, a structured classification methodology will be developed.
An analogous research, revealed by the College of Edinburgh and the Technical College of Denmark, confirmed related outcomes. The scientists analyzed the dynamics of the hearth and the unfold of the flame on the substrate below the panels. They concluded that the shorter the gap between the panels and the rooftop, the upper the opportunity of bigger and extra damaging fires.
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