From July 16 this year, all makes and models of solar panels installed in Australia will need to have passed a new fire safety test.
Safety standard AS5033 will require IEC61730-2 compliance; which consists of two elements - the Spread of Flame Test and the Burning Brand Test.
The testing relates to how solar panels react to external fires, such as those experienced in bushfire conditions - a situation Australia is all too familiar with.
The Spread of Flame Test consists of a gas flame being directed over the surface of PV elements and exposed to wind. The minimum test that must be passed involves a burner with a rating of approximately 325 kW and a flame exposure period of 4 minutes.
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