[RE-wrenches] Off-Grid AFCI Update...

[Dave Angelini Offgrid Solar]

  	* You do need Xanbus and all of the following

One of the reasons I always post here to not use a roof for offgrid is 
rapid disco. There are a few others also. It is the last thing you want 
offgrid and if for some reason you can't find a reasonable way to please 
an inspector, install a system that can easily be retrofitted after the 
inspection. The Schneider RS is actually valuable as it has a decent 
dual 600vdc disco that can be used after the retrofit.

Good Luck!

  	* 'MPPT Disconnect RS - 865-1036
  	* RS Initiator Switch - 865-1039
  	* Required to pair with Tigo(R) TS4-A-F [4] or TS4-A-2F [5] for PV 
rapid shutdown compliance (purchase separately)

Dave Angelini Offgrid Solar
"we go where powerlines don't"
http://members.sti.net/offgridsolar/
e-mail  offgridsolar at sti.net
text 209 813 0060

On 2023-06-15 10:31 am, Maxfield Solar via RE-wrenches wrote:

> Hello all,
> 
> I'm trying to find information on how to comply with AFCI with 
> DC-coupled off-grid systems in 2023... Obviously, there are a couple of 
> charge controllers that have AFCI built in such as the MidNite charge 
> controllers and I know about Outback's unreliable AFCI in the FM100 ... 
> but I'm trying to figure out if there is a way to do this now with 
> other brands or retrofit systems...
> 
> There used to be a lot of equipment available that you could use... but 
> Bentek discontinued their AFCI combiner box, Ouback's ICS is 
> discontinued, Sensata's PVAF-T is discontinued, SolarBOS seems to have 
> discontinued their AFCI combiner box... There's an interesting Sandia 
> report [1] where there were testing an AFCI combiner that MidNite made, 
> but it doesn't seem to be available anywhere... The only non-integrated 
> AFCI option I seem to have found that might not be discontinued is ZJ 
> Beny brand... Their website seems okay... very Chinese... and I can't 
> find it for sale anywhere except maybe Alibaba.
> 
> And now that Multi MPPT charge controllers are becoming more common 
> (like Victron's 450V 200A charge controller with 4 MPPT inputs), it 
> would be nice to have some kind of AFCI that was totally stand alone, 
> so you could have one on each MPPT... one or two strings into each 
> AFCI.
> 
> Is anyone addressing this? Someone at a conference this year told me 
> that MidNite solar was working on producing something that would work, 
> but I don't know if that's a true rumor or false... I can't seem to 
> find anything online. Does anyone know of anything I've missed?
> 
> Last question... is it possible to use schneider's MPPT disconnect RS 
> with other brand charge controllers? It has AFCI. I've read the manual 
> and it's not clear if it can function without the Xanbus connection. Of 
> course, I don't think Schneider wants you to use it with other 
> products... but I'm thinking the AFCI might functionally work... I 
> figured one of you guys might know...
> 
> I've spent the last number of years with my head in the sand as far as 
> compliant equipment availability because I've been working in locations 
> that aren't inspected, and I mount my arrays on tall poles, so there's 
> no risk of starting a fire. Now that I'm in Off-Grid Focused wholesale 
> distribution and installer consulting, I need to figure out what 
> options are available to satisfy the AHJs...
> 
> Thanks so much!
> 
> Kienan Maxfield
> Technical sales, Technical Support
> 
> Green-Go Solar Distribution
> kienan at dist.solar [2]
> maxfieldsolar at hotmail.com
> (801) 631-5584 (Cell)
> www.distribution.solar [3]
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Links:
------
[1] 
https://energy.sandia.gov/wp-content/gallery/uploads/SAND2013-5916-SeriesAndParallelArc-FaultCircuitInterrupterTests1.pdf
[2] https://kienan@dist.solar
[3] https://www.distribution.solar
[4] https://www.tigoenergy.com/product/ts4-a-f
[5] https://www.tigoenergy.com/product/ts4-a-2f
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