Just drive down any street and you will see an ever increasing number of photovoltaic, PV, panels on the roofs of homes and businesses. Along with the increase of these solar PV systems is an increased concern for the safety of those who come into contact with the high voltage portions of these systems. This concern is not only for installers and owners but also for firefighters and first responders to a scene that includes a PV system. This concern has led agencies such as the National Fire Protection Agency, NFPA, to request guidelines for PV installations that help protect fire fighters from potential electric hazards. Earlier this year a rapid shutdown requirement for PV systems was added to the National Electric Code. NEC article 690‐12 requires a shutdown or disconnect within ten seconds of demand.
Massachusetts was the first state to adopt NEC 690‐12. Before this year installers were unable to find a solution to effectively switch off the DC portion of PV systems in ten seconds or less. Then installer companies were reporting that Gigavac’s first MiniTactor the P105, was the only solution to meet the code. Now Gigavac offers that solution with UL Certification in the P115.
According to Markus Beck, Gigavac’s vice president of sales and power products, "The solar market has increasing requirements for a cost‐effective, sealed high voltage contactor. The P115 provides the perfect solution for sealed switching applications at a price that allows our customers to be competitive in their market. Plus, our P115 has performance specifications that you would expect in far more expensive contactors.”
