PHOTON's 4th PV SAFETY Conference

HOW TO INSTALL AND OPERATE SAFE AND RELIABLE PV SYSTEMS   

Conference outline:

A recent report about a PV system causing a fire on a residential rooftop that was broadcasted on German public TV is another example of a trend in which the mass media is increasingly investigating whether solar power is really as safe and green as the industry claims. And while there is indeed an increasing number of technical PV safety solutions on offer and standards organizations working on improving guidelines for the safety of PV systems, it is also true that PV companies are increasingly under pressure to cut costs. 

At PHOTON’s 4th PV SAFETY Conference, experts from the PV industry, standards organizations, insurance companies and banks will discuss the achievements and further need to develop standards, procedures and technologies to make PV system operation safer – for reliable power generation, safe and accurate installation, with theft protection and products to switch off solar modules in the event of a fire.

Topics covered: 

• Status and needs: Overview of the achievements and challenges for safe and reliable PV power generation.
• Standards: Update on safety regulations for solar power in Europe.
• Insurance: The insurance industry’s view on security for PV systems. 
• Financing: The banks’ view on solar system safety.
• Technologies: The latest safety technologies – from DC disconnects to power optimizers and smart modules with integrated electronics.
• Reliability and performance of technical solutions for safe and dependable PV power generation.
Case studies.
• Executive panel discussion.

Target group:

PHOTON’s PV SAFETY Conference is a forum for decision makers in the PV industry – from module makers, producers of inverters and power optimizers to installers, system operators, electric utilities and government agencies.

Andel's Hotel Berlin
Landsberger Allee 106
10369 Berlin
Germany

March 27, 2012

Registration: 8 am, start: 9 am,
End: approx. 6 pm

Ticket: € 480
(€ 430 for PHOTON International and PHOTON Profi subscribers)

Discounts:

10% with ticket purchase before December 31, 2011

5% with ticket purchase before March 5, 2012

€ 100 when buying tickets for two or more PHOTON Europe conferences

PROGRAM

TIME	INVITED SPEAKER, ORGANIZATION TOPIC
9:00 - 9:10	CONFERENCE OPENING   Chairperson:   Anne Kreutzmann, PHOTON Europe, Germany
9:10 - 10:30	FUNDAMENTALS – SAFETY FIRST? VIEWS FROM THE SOLAR SECTOR, BANKS AND INSURERS   Adrian Häring, Fire Department of Niestetal, Germany "PV information for firefighters"   Bernd Jäger, Allianz, Germany "Liability cases in PV – an insurer's standpoint"   Martin Maslaton, Maslaton Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft, Germany "PV system safety and constuction laws"
10:30 - 11:00	Coffee Break
11:00 - 13:00	CORE SYSTEM COMPONENTS – CHOOSING THE RIGHT PARTS TO BE ON THE SAFE SIDE    Cedrik Zapfe, Schletter, Germany "How to design long-lasting and low-cost mounting structures"   Adrian Häring, SMA, Germany "Reducing fire risks for inverters and by inverters"   Karl Heinz Küsters, Q-Cells, Germany "High-quality cells and modules"   Martina Siebmanns, PHOTON Laboratory, Germany "Connectors for modules and inverters – take-aways from PHOTON's surveys and tests"   Joachim Hirmke, Multi-Contact, Switzerland "Contact technology for safe connectors and junction boxes"
13:00 - 14:00	Lunch
14:00 - 16:00	SYSTEM INSTALLATION AND OPERATION – SAFE AND WITH GOOD PERFORMANCE   Udo Siegfriedt, German Solar Energy Society (DGS), Germany "What installers need to know for optimal and safe system designs"   Heinz Neuenstein, PHOTON Laboratory, Germany "Overview on power optimizers"   Natale Aiello, STMicroelectronics, Italy "Safety in PV"   Arek Kacprzak, Texas Instruments (National Semiconductor), USA "Enabling distributed safety solutions in a PV array"   Bernd Neuner, Tigo, USA  "A smart panel is a safe panel"
16:00 - 16:30	Coffee Break
16:30 - 18:00	NEW STANDARDS AND CODES  – HOW TO MAKE PV SAFER   Chris Flueckiger, UL, USA  "Learning from America? Upcoming safety guidelines for solar installations in the US"    John Berdner, UPVI / SolarEdge, USA "A universal standard interface for smart modules"   Florian Reil, TÜV, Germany "Update on German solar fire-safety project"
18:00 - 18:30	PANEL DISCUSSION
	Conference program - download here