Page 19 - North American Clean Energy July August 2015

Residential Rapid Shutdown System

Bentek's Residential Rapid Shutdown System (RSS) is gaining customer acceptance where NEC 2014 690.12
is being enforced. he RSS is available with two and three string options. he product is built with a low
proile that allows it to it underneath panels. he whips that extend out of the RSM make connections with
the strings very easy. he RSS Includes two components: he Rapid Shutdown Controller (RSC), installed

at the service entrance, and the Rapid Shutdown Module (RSM) installed within 10 feet of the PV array.
weathering. Historically, there has Bentek’s RSS is a cost-efective, easy-to-install, stand-alone solution
been some membership overlap in Bentek | www.bentek.com
ASTM committees E44 and G03, and

these relationships stimulated the
development of E3006.
he new standard was the idea of
ASTM E44 Chairman, David Burns,

and committee member Sean Fowler,
who proposed the work item during
July 2012 committee meetings in
San Francisco. Having worked in

ASTM G03 for decades, the idea
developed organically during the
course of discussions about gaps
in photovoltaic standards ASTM

E44 might ill. Burns noted that
ASTM could serve the industry by
improving and standardizing the

UV conditioning test to improve the
reliability of test results. Fowler, an
expert on weathering, agreed, and
volunteered to lead the development

of the new standard.
he new E3006 standard provides
guidance on using luorescent
ultraviolet lamps and related

technology standardized in ASTM
G154 to meet the UV conditioning
requirements. he result promises
to simplify the lives of people who

are testing to meet the qualiication
requirements by providing guidance
on how to perform testing. hey may
also choose to use the test method

in product development eforts
aimed at improving the long-term
durability of modules.
he IEC committee is working on

increasing the dosage requirement
in its module qualiication standards
and adding weathering test
requirements to new component and

material standards. IEC recognizes
that the current requirements are
insuicient to address long-term
wear-out due to polymer degradation

of materials from exposure to
sunlight, heat, and moisture.
Although E3006 is not intended to

address these issues speciically, the
importance of standardizing the
current test will become apparent
as the industry gears up for a new

and improved regime of weathering-
related stress tests.

Jefrey Quill, Q-Lab Corporation.

Q-Lab Corporation was involved in
the development of this new standard.
A free electronic copy is available to
members of the industry at www.q-lab.

com/ASTME3006.

Q-Lab Corporation | www.q-lab.com

North American Clean Energy 19