United Kingdom – Intelligent power management company Eaton has introduced a new line of photovoltaic (PV) direct current (DC) string boxes designed for single-family homes or smaller commercial buildings. The xComfort IKA SOLAR range is full tested and pre-wired, offering a safe, future-proof and economical way to protect PV modules in low-voltage DC applications.
The IKA SOLAR string boxes are tested in accordance with IEC 61439-2 Annex DD, the international standard for photovoltaic assemblies (PVA). This means that they effectively protect the DC side of solar installations, including PV panels and inverters, against overvoltages. Moreover, the string boxes are pre-assembled and ready to install, reducing the time and cost of wiring and commissioning.
The IKA SOLAR devices are suitable for inverters with one or two maximum power point (MPP) trackers and come with either an integrated Type 2 or Type 1+2 surge arrester. They are optionally available with or without a DC string circuit breaker and can be connected either via MC4 connectors or directly to the equipment using VM cable glands.
Inside, each IKA SOLAR string box features a new type of surge protection device (SPD) from Eaton’s SPPVR family. Eaton has launched these SPDs specifically to meet the needs of photovoltaic installations, with a view to ensuring the safety of residential and commercial buildings.
If customers opt for a version with DC string circuit breaker, the IKA SOLAR product will be equipped with a PKZ-SOL breaker. This circuit breaker from Eaton’s Moeller range is a fuseless alternative for protecting solar installations against short-circuit currents.
The IKA SOLAR string boxes are part of Eaton’s xComfort family of compact distribution boxes, which includes a wide selection of products for residential applications. For more information, visit https://www.eaton.com/gb/en-gb/catalog/low-voltage-power-distribution-controls-systems/xcomfort-ika-solar.html?source=post:1785280831270034226