Fast solar cell shut-down will be mandatory, says relay firm

This DC relay is designed to be capable of rapidly interrupting 25A at 1,000Vdc in the event of an emergency.

“Rapid photovoltaic (PV) shut-down is moving from being highly desirable to mandatory in some markets in order to protect fire fighters and other first responders,” said Steve Drumm, European marketing manager at Omron.

The G7L-X relay has a rated load of 1,000Vdc at 25A and a release time of just 30ms. The relay can be installed close to a PV panel or other renewable source, and disconnect it quickly in an emergency, to permit maintenance or in response to utility requests.

“Rooftop solar panels are becoming increasingly popular in offices and homes, and as a result the issue of their shut-down in the event of a fire in the building is moving up the agenda,” said Drumm.

The G7L-X conforms to UK and IEC solar inverter standards, as well as applicable UL and VDE electrical standards.

The relay contacts have been designed to handle the very high DC loads that are a feature of this application, and have a contact gap of 6.0mm for safety.

The relay is rated at 6,000 operations at 600Vdc, and 100 operations at 1,000Vdc. The device measures 52.5 x 35.5 x 41.0mm.