SNEC 2023 | Fonrich: Module-Level Solutions for PV Power Plants Providing Safety Protection and Digital Management

The 16th SNEC (2023) International Solar Photovoltaic and Smart Energy (Shanghai) Exhibition was held from May 23-26 in Shanghai. Industry leaders, academic experts, and representatives from enterprises and institutions gathered at the forum for in-depth discussions and exchanges.

At the conference, Mr. Qin Xingjie, an application engineer from Fonrich New Energy Technology Co., Ltd., delivered a keynote speech titled “Module-Level Solutions for PV Power Plants Providing Safety Protection and Digital Management.” It is well known that safety is the lifeline of PV power plants and the foundation for investment returns.

Fonrich identified two major pain points for PV power plants:

Safety Issues: 80% of fire accidents are caused by DC arcs due to high voltage, which typically occur in PV systems installed on residential or factory rooftops. These incidents can lead to significant property damage and even threaten lives. Moreover, burning systems can still contain hundreds to thousands of volts of high DC voltage. If firefighters attempt rescue without caution, it can result in severe consequences. Therefore, emergency responders usually have to wait for the entire system to burn out before intervening, causing significant delays in firefighting efforts.

Lack of Fine-Grained Data Support: Existing PV solutions suffer from inconsistencies due to shading, dust accumulation, and micro-cracks in the components. These issues result in the largest loss of generated power. Without module-level data, it is impossible to determine the specific reasons for low power generation.

To address these pain points, Fonrich offers the following solutions: Install these devices behind each PV module. Using PLC transceivers, they receive data and connect to monitoring devices and IoT gateways, outputting to the SafeSolar cloud platform. Users can view real-time data via web or mobile app.

1. Rapid Shutdown:In emergencies, the voltage at any point of the PV module is reduced to a safe level to address high DC voltage issues.
2. Module-Level Power Optimization:Each module operates independently with its own MSPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking), resolving the issue of power loss due to component inconsistencies.
3. Module-Level Arc Fault Protection:Real-time monitoring of series arcs, parallel arcs, and ground arcs, with pre-emptive warnings, protection, and fault location.
4. Module-Level Data Detection:Real-time monitoring of voltage, current, power generation, temperature, and other data, providing support for fine-grained operations and maintenance.

Although mainstream inverters integrate AFCI (Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter) functionality, there are limitations, such as the inability to detect ground arcs or parallel arc faults and the inability to pinpoint the exact location of the arc. Fonrich’s module-level arc fault protection solution integrates AFCI into each module. By installing smart safety protection devices or smart safety optimizers behind each module, Fonrich provides real-time monitoring of various arc faults and uses big data analysis to determine their precise location.