Standard Guideline-Enhancing Electrical Safety Standards for Rooftop PV and BESS Installations in ASEAN through Safety Features Application

ASEAN’s ambitious push towards a sustainable energy future, championed by bodies like HAPUA and ACE under the APAEC framework, hinges significantly on the successful deployment of rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) and Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS). While these technologies are pivotal for achieving goals like the targeted 35% renewable energy (RE) share in installed power capacity by 2025, their rapid proliferation across urban and industrial landscapes introduces profound electrical safety imperatives.

This study navigates the critical intersection of technological advancement and safety assurance, revealing crucial insights necessary to underpin public trust and secure regional investment.

The analysis moves beyond general awareness to confront the specific, often unseen, electrical hazards inherent in these systems. Rooftop PV arrays operate under persistent high DC voltages, often reaching from 600 V to 1,500 V whenever sunlight is present, creating latent shock risks for anyone interacting with the system. Furthermore, the threat of DC arc faults – electrical discharges exceeding 3,000°C – looms large, frequently ignited by installation defects or environmental degradation, and proving notoriously difficult to extinguish compared to AC arcs.