SMA and Tigo Introduce Rapid Shutdown Solution for Commercial Market

SMA and Tigo have announced a new rapid shutdown solution for the commercial market, which will be available in the second half of 2018. The solution will use proven technology from SMA and Tigo to provide rapid shutdown only, creating a reliable, economical product that focuses on key functions to enable NEC compliance.

“Since we introduced the Power+ Solution, we have received feedback from installers who are looking for a more cost-optimized way to achieve rapid shutdown in commercial installations,” said Nick Morbach, executive vice president of SMA’s Residential and Commercial Business Unit. “This new offering gives our commercial customers an SMA branded option to comply with the NEC 2017 rapid shutdown requirement, and gives them the specific functionality they need.”

The new rapid shutdown solution will fulfill UL 1741, NEC 2014 and NEC 2017 requirements – particularly the stricter module-level shutdown requirements that will be effective in January 2019. It will be compatible with the power line-based SunSpec Communication Signal for Rapid Shutdown, making it simple and robust. Using the existing DC wires between the inverter and module-level electronics as a communication channel will drastically reduce installation time. Mechanically, it will be compatible with Tigo’s existing TS4 platform.

The product will offer outstanding system safety thanks to full integration with SMA’s world-leading AFCI function. It joins SMA’s portfolio of products that comply with rapid shutdown requirements, including the Power+ Solution and the Rapid Shutdown System.

“We are pleased to work with SMA to develop an option that meets the needs of commercial installers,” said Zvi Alon, CEO of Tigo Energy. “The rapid shutdown solution will be compatible with a variety of modules, and we anticipate that commercial integrators will widely adopt the module-integrated platform.”

Image Source: SMA