Safety is at the heart of Conduct. Over the past year, we have been closely involved in a wide range of projects where fire and lightning protection are critical – including tunnels, data centres, utility buildings and industrial PV installations. Demand for structural safety is growing across nearly all market segments. According to the National Solar Trend Report, 55% of the solar electricity sector is concerned about safety. In the solar thermal sector, this applies to 35%. The vast majority of respondents support mandatory inspections and stricter enforcement for newly commissioned installations.
Compliance with applicable standards such as NEN 1010:2020 including amendment C1:2024 is central to this.
This standard is frequently used to meet the safety requirements set out in the Dutch Building Decree 2012. With RoofSupport, we offer a safe and standards-compliant approach to cable routing. In combination with RoofSupport PVbox, we ensure correct connection and protection of the installation, including surge protection and firefighter switches from SALTEK. These applications directly align with one of our core values: Safety. For this reason, we are continuously expanding our portfolio with solutions for electrical and fire safety. Our PVshelter also provides full integration of safety measures at the system level, reinforcing our vision: safety is a determining factor in the application of normative requirements and Scope 12 inspections.
NEN 1010:2020+C1:2024 and surge protection
Key provisions from the standard include:
- 131.6 Protection against voltage disturbances and electromagnetic influences
- 131.6.1 People, livestock, and property must be protected against injury or harmful effects resulting from faults between circuits with different voltage levels.
- 131.6.2 People, livestock, and property must be protected against damage caused by overvoltages, for example from atmospheric discharges or switching operations.
Note: for protection against direct lightning strikes, refer to the NEN-EN-IEC 62305 series.
443.1 General
When designing the system, overvoltages that may occur at the origin of the installation must be taken into account. This includes the local lightning strike density and the position and characteristics of the SPDs used. The aim is to reduce overvoltage-related faults to an acceptable level in terms of personal safety and business continuity.
712.443.101 – Protection against transient overvoltages
If surge protection is required under section 443, it must also be applied on the DC side of the PV installation.
More information about the application of surge protection in solar panel installations can be found on the Scope 12 Inspections website.