Tigo Energy, a solar flex module-level power electronics (MLPE) supplier, has announced that its rapid shutdown and monitoring technology is now in use at a mining plant in NSW. The company will showcase its rapid shutdown technology at a CEC Masterclass session at All-Energy Australia 2022.

Smart Commercial Solar, an installation and management company based in North Sydney, designed and deployed the ground-mount installation from Tigo Energy.

“With Tigo, we get rapid shutdown technology as well as plug-and-play compatibility with all the inverters we use, and that made Tigo the obvious choice for the system we deployed for our mining customer,” Smart Commercial Solar chief marketing officer Anastasi Kotoros says.

“These installations are a win for everyone involved: the mining operation has a safe solar system they can monitor remotely, Tigo has added yet another impressive site to its portfolio, and we have great new customers to serve with ongoing maintenance and energy production insights.”

Powered by the TS4-A-S and Energy Intelligence (EI), Tigo technology reduces the electrical output of each module upon rapid shutdown initiation. With a primary focus on safety, the Tigo TS4-A-S Flex MLPE device is UL PV Rapid Shutdown System (PVRSS) certified with leading inverters to meet United States NEC 2014, 2017 and 2020 rapid shutdown requirements and provide module-level monitoring.

Rapid shutdown requirements, similar to those of the US NEC, have been adopted worldwide, including in The Philippines and Thailand. The new safety requirements in force for mining operations in Australia represent yet another instance in which regulatory entities implement solar rapid shutdown requirements for the safety of first responders and anyone that needs access to the solar array.

The Smart Commercial Solar mine deployment is the first Tigo TS4-A-S site fully tested and compliant with the Electrical Safety standard under the Work Health and Safety (Mines and Petroleum Sites) Act 2013, Regulation 2022. The standard mandates that all carriers of DC energy comply with certain short circuit and earth fault protection requirements.

In meeting the updated safety standard, Tigo Rapid Shutdown technology is now available for customer deployment at mining operations and the growing commercial and industrial solar market in Australia.

“With the largest list of compatible inverters in the industry and a particular focus on a high-quality installed solution, we aim to provide solar solutions that give our installer partners the most choice and flexibility possible,” Tigo Energy chief marketing officer James Dillon says.

“We help our installers succeed in various industries and environments, including compliance with local standards and requirements. We are grateful to collaborate with Smart Commercial Solar and open up this important market segment for Tigo in Australia. I look forward to discussing the importance of fire safety for solar in Australia at All-Energy this month.”