Hefei, China – A comprehensive field test conducted on Sungrow's latest 1+X 2.0 modular inverter has successfully verified its Intelligent DC-Side Full-Scope Safety Solution. The tests, performed with TÜV Rheinland, demonstrate significant progress in active safety, precise fault diagnosis, and system-level protection for large-scale photovoltaic plants.

In utility-scale PV installations, the DC-side is a primary vulnerability. Complex wiring and numerous connection points mean a single minor fault can lead to equipment damage or fire, with industry data attributing nearly 90% of plant incidents to this area. Sungrow's 1+X 2.0 addresses this with an upgraded PDC safety model—Prevent, Diagnose, and Contain—providing a proactive and precise approach to DC-side safety.

The joint evaluation tested the inverter's response to four key DC risks: short circuits, arc faults, loose-connection overheating, and low-magnitude overcurrent.

Short Circuit Test: Millisecond-Level Disconnection
Traditional combiner boxes using copper fuses can fail to disconnect quickly during a short-circuit, leading to sustained arcing. Sungrow's solution employs silver fuses with a lower melting point and a multi-breakpoint design for superior arc suppression. In a comparative test, a copper fuse burned through with a strong arc flash, while the silver fuse safely disconnected within milliseconds, leaving the fuse body intact.

Arc Fault Test: 32ms Isolation
Arc faults pose a severe fire risk, with temperatures instantly exceeding 3000°C. When an arc was triggered during the test, the combiner box detected and disconnected the fault in just 32 milliseconds. The inverter also coordinated a system-wide disconnection for the entire unit, isolating the risk and preventing propagation without damage or ignition.

Loose-Connection Overheating: Targeted Branch Shutdown
Loose connections, often undetected, can cause slow temperature rises that lead to shutdowns. Using high-precision temperature sensors and intelligent algorithms, the 1+X 2.0 monitors temperatures continuously. When a loose connection was simulated, the system issued a warning about 15 minutes after the temperature threshold was exceeded and precisely isolated the faulty branch without affecting overall yield.

Low-Magnitude Overcurrent: Sub-2ms Cutoff
For hidden faults like low-magnitude overcurrent, traditional fuses often react too slowly, risking damage to components like IGBTs. Sungrow's pioneering pyro-fuse scheme integrates active arc control and efficient cutting. During the test, it disconnected a fault in just 1.472 milliseconds, leaving the inverter undamaged and able to restart, compared to a traditional fuse's 526-millisecond response.

An expert from TÜV Rheinland who witnessed the tests affirmed the system's leading capabilities in proactive detection and precise disconnection. The successful validation establishes a new, verifiable safety standard for the industry, offering enhanced assurance for the long-term reliability of large-scale solar projects as they grow in size and system voltage.