Rapid Shutdowns

Rapid Shutdown

If you got your first solar panel system installed in your house, chances are you will see a box with an on/off switch that says “rapid shutdown.” But do you have any idea what does it mean or why is it important to know when installing a solar panel system at home? 

In today’s article, we will provide you with an overview of rapid shutdown requirements, and everything you need to know about it. 

What is Rapid Shutdown?

Rapid shutdown is an electrical safety regulation that requires every solar panel system to set the solar panel shut-off switch. The National Electrical Code (NEC) introduced it to the public in 2014 with the aim to provide a simple way for firefighters to quickly cut off the current in the DC conductors of the rooftop solar panel systems. It is basically set to make sure that the roof of a building is safe from fire. Usually, when the standard inverter of a solar system is switched off, the DC wiring, from the solar unit, still runs particularly when the sun is up.

Why is Rapid Shutdown Requirement Implemented?

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) provides rapid shutdown requirements and writes them to the NEC to ensure safety measures. Your home may not catch fire so you don’t have to worry about rapid shutdown functionality. However, if it accidentally happens, firefighters can easily use rapid shutdown solutions to de-energize your solar panel system. 

Remember that simply turning off the solar inverter doesn’t shut down the unit. Turning it off may not power off some inverter setups, wires, and circuits, increasing the risk of electric shock. But if you have a rapid shutdown device, then you can easily power off the entire unit, reducing the electrical voltage of your solar panel system in less than a minute. Generally, the rapid shutdown code set the standard to quickly reduce the voltage of any conductors.

Is Rapid Shutdown Required?

Rapid shutdown is a safety measure of the National Electrical Code (NEC). The NEC releases a new or updated set of requirements for safe electrical systems every three consecutive years. Technically speaking, the rapid shutdown is not required everywhere in the United States, although it’s a good idea to install a solar panel system with a rapid shutdown switch. 

Another important thing to note is the NEC is not federally mandated, so individual states can freely choose to follow and abide by the code within their time frame and discretion. Some states choose an independent, state-wide electrical code instead.

Should You Comply with the Rapid Shutdown Regulation?

Generally, solar power systems without rapid shutdown switches are not totally unsafe to first fire responders. If you have a solar power system installed before the implementation of the rapid shutdown, it is less likely to expose your building to more risk. As long as your solar installer is well-experienced with the job, you have nothing to worry about.

However, if you want to be safe and secured, and for your peace of mind, it’s certainly worthwhile to follow the rapid shutdown requirement. Most of the time your installers are highly educated when it comes to changing codes for your state. They also can design your solar power system that can easily comply with all rapid shutdown requirements.

OEM

Custom Made Solar Products OEM

OEM stands for Original Equipment Manufacturer which is commonly referred to as a company that manufactures and offers parts and accessories of items that are used as components of a product from another company. To sum it up, OEM commonly manufactures specific items on behalf of brands. Though OEM typically operates in the computer and technology industries, it also works in the solar industry.

Factories for White Label Solar Products

In the case of the solar industry, most solar companies work with solar OEMs to build and design their own solar products such as solar panels, cells, modules, etc. OEM becomes their outsourcing partner that helps them in assembling and reproducing their solar products.

Nowadays, a huge number of solar companies, particularly those large solar manufacturing companies, are partnering with outstanding solar OEMs to deliver the best quality solar products to their solar customers. Mainly, the reason is, these solar OEMs help solar manufacturers cut down their production costs since they no longer have to operate their own factories, purchase needed materials and hire labour to produce their solar products.

As a solar manufacturing company, the first thing you need to consider is to find the most reliable solar OEM in the market. One of the biggest perks of the internet these days is you can now easily find these OEMs even in the comfort of your home. With the help of a solar outsourcing marketplace such as SolarFeeds.com, you can easily find the most reliable and right OEM partner for your solar company. Solar outsourcing marketplace helps solar industry professionals gather accurate and timely information about solar including the list of most trusted Solar Original Equipment Manufacturers.

Poland

Solar Market Outlook in Poland

Poland is considered as the solar market to watch in Europe. Needless to say, solar energy is becoming increasingly popular and in demand in Poland and it continues to boom. 

The Institute for Renewable Energy in Poland reports that the country is experiencing a developmental boom in terms of the PV market. In fact, this country is the first one in the European Union based on the PV power growth rate, especially based on cumulative annual growth rate.

From 2016 to 2020, the growth rate of the solar power market is 114% (the EU average is only 10.3%). The PV market growth in Poland for 2020 nearly landed it in the top 10 in the world (it was ranked at 13). 

The rapid growth of solar power in Poland puts it at 3.9 GW capacity as of 2021. It puts the country right on track to achieve its goal of 7.8 GW in solar capacity by 2025. 

Based on the existing data and forecast trends, experts agree that Poland will hit 46% in annual solar capacity by 2024. This growth will be supported by the drop in prices of renewable energy in the country along with distributed energy technologies. 

Solar Energy Equipment Supply Capacity in Poland

There is a huge array of options for solar power equipment suppliers and distributors in or outside of Poland. This makes it easy for residential and industrial installations of solar energy possible. 

It is also part of the reason why there is a significant developmental boom in the country’s solar market.

Top 8 Major Seaports & Logistics in Poland

Poland has a thriving maritime port industry making it efficient for logistics company to handle goods and equipment in and out of Poland. The Port of Gdynia is the main seaport in Poland but there are a few other options too such as: Darlowo, Hel, Świnoujście, Władysławowo, Kołobrzeg, Gdansk, and Poznan.