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Multiple solar installs on one building

Johno12345

I'm looking for some advice.

We have had a solar system installed with four groups of panels, going to inverters in four distant areas of the site. The installer has more or less walked.

It is a large install, I think about 1MW in total so the DNO is involved, they want to witness the shutdown. They are expecting a stop button at the ring main unit to shut all three down within 30 seconds. I think there should be a stop button near the fire panel or have them shut down with the fire alarm. Another thinks there should be a stop button next to each bank of inverters. 

I'm sure the correct answer is in there somewhere but as the inverters aren't linked, something additional is required. Solaredge want a fire cable linking all four banks of inverters together and a fire gateway on one bank, connected to a stop button or fire relay. This will require a lot of cable and not an easy job

I think the prefered option is to have a fire relay installed next to each bank of inverters, a fire gateway and then the fire alarm will shut them all down, and we can install a stop button next to the ring main unit to trigger the fire alarm, or a call point, and even call points next to each bank of inverters if we wanted, all considerably easier than anything else, and somewhat automated. 

I think the crux of the matter is what is legally required, can anyone point me in the right direction? 

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    I've just re-read your original post.

    Johno12345 said:
    They are expecting a stop button at the ring main unit to shut all three down within 30 seconds

    This sounds like they are presenting a customer interface panel of some kind, providing them with the means of remotely disconnecting the generation for the purpose of network control. Normally this is for managing rare network constraints at e.g. SWAN.

    The DNO will have a published specification for this. Usually it is something along the lines of them presenting a volt-free contact which they operate to cause your PV to shutdown and disconnect (i.e. with a disconnector, not just going into standby). You then operate your own volt-free contact (e.g. the relevant MCCB aux position indicators) to confirm to them that you have complied. Failure to present this signal in time when called upon would normally result in your site being remotely disconnected by the DNO.

    Does that sound like what they were talking about?

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