Mauricio Ritter

For years, the Brazilian photovoltaic market has focused its efforts on the accelerated expansion of distributed generation. Now, a new movement is gaining momentum: adapting the vast existing park to current safety requirements. Imagine an integrator who has installed hundreds of photovoltaic systems in recent years. Everything is functioning normally, generating energy and meeting the standards in effect at the time of installation. Now, with the updated security requirements, a new question arises: do these systems still meet current standards? This new reality goes far beyond the need to adapt existing projects. It also brings new challenges for professionals in the sector, who now need to learn about technologies that were not previously part of most photovoltaic projects, understand how they integrate with different system architectures, and evaluate which solutions offer not only compliance with standards but also additional benefits for the performance, operation, and maintenance of power plants. At the same time, integrators and designers are starting to look for new manufacturers, compare different technologies, and identify reliable partners to meet this growing demand for adaptations. More than just choosing equipment that meets a regulatory requirement, the decision now considers factors such as reliability, ease of installation, technical support, parts availability, and added benefits throughout the system's lifespan. The publication of ABNT NBR 17193 and the updating of Technical Notes from Fire Departments in various states have established new requirements related to fire safety in photovoltaic systems, especially regarding the reduction of direct current voltage during emergency situations. More than just a new regulatory requirement, this scenario opens up a new area of activity for integrators, designers, and operation and maintenance companies: the adaptation of existing systems. At a time when the market for new installations is operating at a different pace than in recent years, influenced by network connectivity restrictions, regulatory changes, and increased competition, retrofitting is gaining relevance not only from a security standpoint but also as an opportunity to generate new business. Furthermore, there is a significant number of installed systems considered orphaned, whose original installers have either left the market or no longer offer customer support. These facilities are likely to require inspections, adjustments, and technological upgrades in the coming years, creating opportunities for new specialized services. But, given this scenario, another important question arises: how to meet the new safety requirements without viewing these adjustments merely as an additional cost? Why did these demands arise? Strengthening safety standards is a natural consequence of the maturing of the photovoltaic sector. As the number of installed systems grows, so does the concern to ensure that these installations remain safe throughout their lifespan. The modules continue to produce energy whenever they receive solar radiation. Therefore, even after the inverter is switched off, voltage may still exist in part of the direct current circuit. When this characteristic combines with aging components, degradation due to weathering, inadequate connections, mechanical damage, or fires starting in other parts of the building, situations arise that require specific care to reduce risks during maintenance and firefighting operations. Retrofit: From Regulatory Obligation to Business Opportunity. The evolution of regulations, coupled with the aging of the installed base, means that many plants are being evaluated for the need for adjustments to meet current safety requirements. With the slowdown in new installations in parts of the market, retrofitting expands the service portfolio of integrators and strengthens operation and maintenance contracts. For many clients, compliance ceases to be merely a regulatory obligation and becomes an opportunity to modernize the system with technologies that provide greater security for the investment. Choosing the right solution architecture makes a difference. There are devices developed exclusively to perform the Rapid Shutdown function, and also architectures where this functionality is part of the photovoltaic system platform itself. In many solutions, Rapid Shutdown (RSD) consists of independent equipment from different manufacturers. This integration requires attention to design, commissioning, version compatibility, technical support, and even alignment of warranties for the different components. Many of these solutions only perform the Quick Shutdown function, without continuous monitoring of devices or additional features for operation and maintenance. In commercial applications, some architectures utilize communication over the power line itself (PLC). Depending on the architecture and installation, the application of power line communication may require specific precautions to minimize electromagnetic interference (crosstalk), as well as to avoid impacts on functions such as arc flash detection (AFCI). For this reason, when evaluating a retrofit solution, it is important to consider not only compliance with the standard, but also the robustness of the architecture, the level of integration, the ease of monitoring, and the operational benefits throughout its lifespan. Among the different approaches available on the market, natively integrated architectures have stood out for combining the RSD function with features that add value throughout the plant's operation. One example is the SolarEdge platform, whose architecture incorporates security, monitoring, and performance optimization in a single solution. Table 1 – Comparison between dedicated Rapid Shutdown devices and the SolarEdge architecture. While devices dedicated to Rapid Shutdown primarily aim to meet the requirement of voltage reduction during emergencies, the SolarEdge architecture incorporates this function along with module-level monitoring, SafeDC™, Sense Connect, Safe Start, native communication between inverter and optimizers, proactive alerts, and energy generation optimization. In conclusion, the evolution of standards demonstrates that safety plays an increasingly important role in the Brazilian photovoltaic market. More than just meeting regulatory requirements, investing in integrated solutions allows you to transform an obligation into an opportunity to add value to the system, combining security, performance, monitoring, and reliability in a single architecture.

Mauricio Ritter

Published articles

Retrofitting and fire safety: how evolving standards are transforming the photovoltaic market.