Tigo Energy Fire Safety Endorsed by First Responders in Brazil

Collaborative program educates the 6^th Military Fire Brigade on the benefits of deploying PV safe solar with Tigo Energy rapid shutdown.

CAMPBELL, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Tigo Energy, Inc., the solar industry’s leading Flex MLPE (Module Level Power Electronics) supplier, today announced a program to train firefighters on the basics of solar energy and the benefits of rapid shutdown as the residential and small commercial markets take off throughout Brazil. The initial training session in Camp Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, covered all aspects of solar equipment selection, installation, and safety over a four-day period from June 15-18, 2021.

"The idea is to take this informational program to as many firefighters as possible, training them on the benefits of residential solar while warning them of the risks without adequate safety legislation," explains Manoel Monteiro, sales manager at Tigo. “While the United States has the National Electric Code to protect first responders, firefighters such as those in the 6^th Military Fire Brigade must understand how to safely deal with solar in our neighborhoods.”

Tigo’s solar industry leading Flex MLPE (Module Level Power Electronics) gives installers the freedom to choose their preferred inverters and panels along with the right features for optimized, monitored and PV safe systems. All members of the TS4-A family of products provide the rapid shutdown feature, which is critical for PV safe systems. On a typical string inverter system, the DC conductors remain live as long as the sun is shining, even if the inverter is disabled. This means that the system will still have the high voltage of up to 600V to 1000V, impacting safety for first responders in the event of an emergency. Rapid shutdown was invented to lower the voltage in the DC system conductors to 30 volts or less within 30 seconds of rapid shutdown initiation. While a regulatory requirement in the United States and the Philippines, rapid shutdown is currently optional in other regions around the world.

“The 6th Military Fire Brigade of the Military Fire Department of Mato Grosso do Sul would like to express our appreciation to Manoel and the Tigo team,” stated Lieutenant Colonel BM Danilo Santos Moreira Leite. “This training greatly contributed to a better understanding of the operation and possible risks, as an increased number of homes and businesses install solar. With this knowledge, we can avoid submitting our military firefighters to unnecessary danger as we help the community.”

To learn more about rapid shutdown and Tigo products sold in Brazil and around the world, please attend one of the many Tigo Energy webinars, found at https://www.tigoenergy.com/webinars.

About Tigo Energy

Tigo Energy is the worldwide leader in Flex MLPE (Module Level Power Electronics) with innovative solutions that increase solar energy production, decrease operating costs, and significantly enhance safety of solar energy systems. The Tigo TS4 platform maximizes the benefit of solar and provides customers with the most scalable, versatile, and reliable MLPE solution available. Tigo was founded in Silicon Valley in 2007 to accelerate the adoption of solar energy worldwide. Tigo systems operate on seven continents and produce gigawatt hours of reliable, clean, affordable, and safe solar energy daily. With a global team, Tigo Energy is dedicated to making the best MLPE on earth so more people can enjoy the benefits of solar. Find us online at www.tigoenergy.com.