Laupheim, 28.18.2016 An individual energy concept from IKEA provides for the use of renewable energies in all new buildings, including the recently opened IKEA in Wiesbaden. Photovoltaics and geothermal energy are used here to generate electricity and heat/cooling.
The 300 kWp PV system was planned and built by the solarSTEP group of companies from Frankfurt. solarSTEP offer experience from over 450 planned photovoltaic systems and opted for the QFire fire switches from Q3.
The installation of fire switches is specified by IKEA. The sun cannot simply be switched on and off and therefore neither can a photovoltaic system. In the event of a fire, the high DC voltages pose a potential risk to anyone entering the building or working in the vicinity of the modules and connection cables. However, dangers can also lurk elsewhere during the 20-year service life if, for example, repairs have to be carried out on the system itself or on parts of the building on which system components are located. Even under normal circumstances, a cable may be damaged, e.g. by a marten bite, and an electric shock may occur on contact.
For the 300 kWp system, one control box, four slave control boxes and 13 generator disconnectors for four strings each were installed from the modular, expandable QFire system. With the Q3 system, all cables from the disconnection box on the roof are galvanically isolated from the PV generator in the event of switching. Switching takes place via the control box, which is ideally installed near the inverters or connected to another point in the AC grid. The main advantage of the AC-coupled switch-off is that in the event of a fire, for example, it is no longer necessary to search for a switch or it is no longer accessible. When the AC grid is switched off, the DC lines from the switch box on the roof are also automatically disconnected. When the AC grid is reconnected, the system automatically goes back into operation.
Further information at www.q3-energie.de/produkte/feuerwehrschalter/
Image copyright: obs/IKEA Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG/obs/IKEA Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG/Inter IKEA Systems B.V.