{"id":43809,"date":"2020-10-08T05:48:27","date_gmt":"2020-10-07T19:18:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/?p=43809"},"modified":"2020-10-08T05:48:27","modified_gmt":"2020-10-07T19:18:27","slug":"solar-isolator-fire-mb1713","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/solar-isolator-fire-mb1713\/","title":{"rendered":"Another Rooftop Solar DC Isolator Up In Smoke"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Rooftop

Image: FRNSW<\/p><\/div>\n

A problem child of solar installations – rooftop DC isolators – are continuing to demonstrate why they should no longer be required.<\/p>\n

Early yesterday afternoon, Fire and Rescue NSW crews attended a residence in the Newcastle suburb of New Lambton following reports of a house fire. Crews arriving on the scene found a “solar panel isolation switch” on the roof of the home had caught fire.<\/p>\n

FRNSW says<\/a> fire-fighters were able to quickly extinguish the fire and prevent it from spreading into the roof. It looks as though there was no other damage except to the isolator:<\/p>\n

\"rooftop<\/p>\n

A rooftop DC isolator is a switch situated adjacent to a solar panel array intended as an additional safety mechanism. Manually operated, the switch shuts off DC current between the solar panels<\/a> and the solar inverter<\/a>. However, these little boxes are one of the most common single causes of rooftop solar system fires.<\/p>\n

There wasn’t any further information about the affected system, such as how old it is (DC isolator quality has generally improved) and whether inspections were kept up. In this instance, the isolator was somewhat protected from the elements by a shroud – unprotected DC isolators are subject to particularly harsh conditions.<\/p>\n

Rooftop DC Isolators Despised, But Required (For Now)<\/h2>\n

Generally speaking, installers intensely dislike rooftop DC isolator switches. There has been a push to have the blasted things removed from the AS\/NZS 5033 Standard<\/a> for years, but the wheels of standards tweaking can move very slowly.<\/p>\n

While AS\/NZS 5033 also applies in New Zealand, NZ installations do not require rooftop isolators. To the best of my knowledge, Australia is the only country in the world where the devices are compulsory.<\/p>\n

In June last year, Clean Energy Council members gave in-principle support to also do away with wall-mounted DC isolators; instead requiring the use of an isolator enclosed within the solar inverter.<\/p>\n

FRNSW has previously commented<\/a> it has seen a significant increase in solar power system related fires in the last five years, with DC isolator switches accounting for around half of PV fire incidents in the state (numbers not provided). But there’s also been a big increase in solar installations. By the end of 2015, around 327,500 solar power systems had been installed in NSW, and at the end of August this year that figure had jumped to more than 596,760.<\/p>\n

Install enough of anything and issues will emerge – but throw in dodgy components and\/or installation and a lack of inspection of ageing systems, then more bad things are bound to happen.<\/p>\n

FRNSW has again advised solar buyers to exercise caution when choosing a solar installer<\/a> and for system owners to ensure professional maintenance is kept up. While solar power systems are very low-maintenance, SolarQuotes founder Finn Peacock recommends having an inspection and system test<\/a> performed every five years by a suitably qualified professional – isolators will\u00a0 be checked as part of this exercise.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A problem child of solar installations – rooftop DC isolators – are continuing to demonstrate why they should no longer be required.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":43810,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[678],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-43809","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-solar-battery-news","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nAnother Rooftop Solar DC Isolator Up In Smoke - SolarQuotes Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A problem child of solar installations - rooftop DC isolators - are continuing to demonstrate why they should no longer be required.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/solar-isolator-fire-mb1713\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Another Rooftop Solar DC Isolator Up In Smoke\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A problem child of solar installations - rooftop DC isolators - are continuing to demonstrate why they should no longer be required.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/solar-isolator-fire-mb1713\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"SolarQuotes Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SolarQuotes\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-10-07T19:18:27+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/solar-panel-fire.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"630\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Michael Bloch\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@solar_quotes\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@solar_quotes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.solarquotes.com.au\\\/blog\\\/solar-isolator-fire-mb1713\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.solarquotes.com.au\\\/blog\\\/solar-isolator-fire-mb1713\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Michael Bloch\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.solarquotes.com.au\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/66afd571aa00c2e442f0192ebac2f6f1\"},\"headline\":\"Another Rooftop Solar DC Isolator Up In Smoke\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-10-07T19:18:27+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.solarquotes.com.au\\\/blog\\\/solar-isolator-fire-mb1713\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":502,\"commentCount\":13,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.solarquotes.com.au\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.solarquotes.com.au\\\/blog\\\/solar-isolator-fire-mb1713\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.solarquotes.com.au\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/10\\\/solar-panel-fire.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"General Solar & Storage News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.solarquotes.com.au\\\/blog\\\/solar-isolator-fire-mb1713\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.solarquotes.com.au\\\/blog\\\/solar-isolator-fire-mb1713\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.solarquotes.com.au\\\/blog\\\/solar-isolator-fire-mb1713\\\/\",\"name\":\"Another Rooftop Solar DC Isolator Up In Smoke - SolarQuotes Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.solarquotes.com.au\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.solarquotes.com.au\\\/blog\\\/solar-isolator-fire-mb1713\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.solarquotes.com.au\\\/blog\\\/solar-isolator-fire-mb1713\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.solarquotes.com.au\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/10\\\/solar-panel-fire.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-10-07T19:18:27+00:00\",\"description\":\"A problem child of solar installations - rooftop DC isolators - are continuing to demonstrate why they should no longer be required.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.solarquotes.com.au\\\/blog\\\/solar-isolator-fire-mb1713\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.solarquotes.com.au\\\/blog\\\/solar-isolator-fire-mb1713\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.solarquotes.com.au\\\/blog\\\/solar-isolator-fire-mb1713\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.solarquotes.com.au\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/10\\\/solar-panel-fire.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.solarquotes.com.au\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/10\\\/solar-panel-fire.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":630,\"caption\":\"Image: FRNSW\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.solarquotes.com.au\\\/blog\\\/solar-isolator-fire-mb1713\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Blog\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.solarquotes.com.au\\\/blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"General Solar & Storage News\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.solarquotes.com.au\\\/blog\\\/category\\\/solar-battery-news\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Another Rooftop Solar DC Isolator Up In Smoke\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.solarquotes.com.au\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.solarquotes.com.au\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"SolarQuotes Blog\",\"description\":\"An independent reckoning of the Aussie solar scene\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.solarquotes.com.au\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.solarquotes.com.au\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.solarquotes.com.au\\\/blog\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"SolarQuotes\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.solarquotes.com.au\\\/blog\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.solarquotes.com.au\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.solarquotes.com.au\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/05\\\/solarquotes-logo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.solarquotes.com.au\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/05\\\/solarquotes-logo.png\",\"width\":592,\"height\":600,\"caption\":\"SolarQuotes\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.solarquotes.com.au\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/SolarQuotes\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/solar_quotes\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/solarquotes\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/au.linkedin.com\\\/company\\\/solarquotes\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/user\\\/SolarQuotesAustralia\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.solarquotes.com.au\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/66afd571aa00c2e442f0192ebac2f6f1\",\"name\":\"Michael Bloch\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/c65d1fbade4404d88617552594a54366d8ca4a78bd617a48e64f9340c0b5dc09?s=96&d=monsterid&r=r\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/c65d1fbade4404d88617552594a54366d8ca4a78bd617a48e64f9340c0b5dc09?s=96&d=monsterid&r=r\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/c65d1fbade4404d88617552594a54366d8ca4a78bd617a48e64f9340c0b5dc09?s=96&d=monsterid&r=r\",\"caption\":\"Michael Bloch\"},\"description\":\"Michael caught the solar power bug after purchasing components to cobble together a small off-grid PV system in 2008. He's been reporting on Australian and international solar energy news ever since.\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.solarquotes.com.au\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/michael\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Another Rooftop Solar DC Isolator Up In Smoke - SolarQuotes Blog","description":"A problem child of solar installations - rooftop DC isolators - are continuing to demonstrate why they should no longer be required.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/solar-isolator-fire-mb1713\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Another Rooftop Solar DC Isolator Up In Smoke","og_description":"A problem child of solar installations - rooftop DC isolators - are continuing to demonstrate why they should no longer be required.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/solar-isolator-fire-mb1713\/","og_site_name":"SolarQuotes Blog","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SolarQuotes\/","article_published_time":"2020-10-07T19:18:27+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":630,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/solar-panel-fire.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Michael Bloch","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@solar_quotes","twitter_site":"@solar_quotes","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/solar-isolator-fire-mb1713\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/solar-isolator-fire-mb1713\/"},"author":{"name":"Michael Bloch","@id":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/66afd571aa00c2e442f0192ebac2f6f1"},"headline":"Another Rooftop Solar DC Isolator Up In Smoke","datePublished":"2020-10-07T19:18:27+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/solar-isolator-fire-mb1713\/"},"wordCount":502,"commentCount":13,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/solar-isolator-fire-mb1713\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/solar-panel-fire.jpg","articleSection":["General Solar & Storage News"],"inLanguage":"en-AU","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/solar-isolator-fire-mb1713\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/solar-isolator-fire-mb1713\/","url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/solar-isolator-fire-mb1713\/","name":"Another Rooftop Solar DC Isolator Up In Smoke - SolarQuotes Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/solar-isolator-fire-mb1713\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/solar-isolator-fire-mb1713\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/solar-panel-fire.jpg","datePublished":"2020-10-07T19:18:27+00:00","description":"A problem child of solar installations - rooftop DC isolators - are continuing to demonstrate why they should no longer be required.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/solar-isolator-fire-mb1713\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-AU","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/solar-isolator-fire-mb1713\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-AU","@id":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/solar-isolator-fire-mb1713\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/solar-panel-fire.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/solar-panel-fire.jpg","width":1200,"height":630,"caption":"Image: FRNSW"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/solar-isolator-fire-mb1713\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Blog","item":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"General Solar & Storage News","item":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-battery-news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Another Rooftop Solar DC Isolator Up In Smoke"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/","name":"SolarQuotes Blog","description":"An independent reckoning of the Aussie solar scene","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-AU"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/#organization","name":"SolarQuotes","url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-AU","@id":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/solarquotes-logo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/solarquotes-logo.png","width":592,"height":600,"caption":"SolarQuotes"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SolarQuotes\/","https:\/\/x.com\/solar_quotes","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/solarquotes\/","https:\/\/au.linkedin.com\/company\/solarquotes","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/SolarQuotesAustralia"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/66afd571aa00c2e442f0192ebac2f6f1","name":"Michael Bloch","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-AU","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c65d1fbade4404d88617552594a54366d8ca4a78bd617a48e64f9340c0b5dc09?s=96&d=monsterid&r=r","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c65d1fbade4404d88617552594a54366d8ca4a78bd617a48e64f9340c0b5dc09?s=96&d=monsterid&r=r","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c65d1fbade4404d88617552594a54366d8ca4a78bd617a48e64f9340c0b5dc09?s=96&d=monsterid&r=r","caption":"Michael Bloch"},"description":"Michael caught the solar power bug after purchasing components to cobble together a small off-grid PV system in 2008. He's been reporting on Australian and international solar energy news ever since.","url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/author\/michael\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/solar-panel-fire.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2FF2s-boB","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":42630,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/solar-power-fire-mb1661\/","url_meta":{"origin":43809,"position":0},"title":"Warning From FRNSW On Solar Power System Safety\u00a0","author":"Michael Bloch","date":"August 28, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Fire and Rescue NSW has sounded a new warning after another solar PV related incident in the state. The Camden Advertiser reports FRNSW responded to a call on Wednesday morning after smoke was reported \"coming from a switch\" (assumed isolator switch) connected to solar panels on the rooftop of a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General Solar & Storage News"","block_context":{"text":"General Solar & Storage News","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-battery-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Solar power system fires - FRNSW","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/solar-panel-fire.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/solar-panel-fire.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/solar-panel-fire.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/solar-panel-fire.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/solar-panel-fire.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":46360,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/solar-fires-nsw-mb1829\/","url_meta":{"origin":43809,"position":1},"title":"Solar Power System Fires And Blasted Rooftop Isolator Switches","author":"Michael Bloch","date":"January 6, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"There have been several fire incidents in New South Wales in the last week or so involving solar power systems - and at least two are thought to have been caused by rooftop isolator switches. Yesterday, Fire and Rescue New South Wales reported it had attended an incident at a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General Solar & Storage News"","block_context":{"text":"General Solar & Storage News","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-battery-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Solar rooftop DC isolator switch fire","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/isolation-switch-fire.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/isolation-switch-fire.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/isolation-switch-fire.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/isolation-switch-fire.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/isolation-switch-fire.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":95384,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/ant-invasion-solar-isolator-mb3296\/","url_meta":{"origin":43809,"position":2},"title":"Ant-icipating Issues: Importance Of Solar System Inspections","author":"Michael Bloch","date":"October 22, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Various critters can potentially make a home among or inside the components of your solar power system, including ants. It's another reason why visual checks where possible and regular professional solar system inspections are so important. How Can Tiny Ants Cause Big Solar Problems? Ants can cause issues in electrical\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Solar Installation"","block_context":{"text":"Solar Installation","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-installation\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Ant infestation in solar rooftop DC isolator.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/dc-isolator-ants.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/dc-isolator-ants.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/dc-isolator-ants.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/dc-isolator-ants.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/dc-isolator-ants.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":77888,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/disconnection-point-vs-dc-isolator\/","url_meta":{"origin":43809,"position":3},"title":"Disconnection Points Vs DC Isolators: A Solar Inspector’s Experience","author":"Pat Southwell","date":"August 29, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Let's shed some light on the ongoing debate between disconnection points and rooftop isolators; two critical aspects that have stirred discussions within the solar industry. As a Licenced Electrical Inspector, I'm here to look into the intriguing world of real-world solar installations in the Australian market. This is the first\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Solar Installation"","block_context":{"text":"Solar Installation","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-installation\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"a disconnection point and a rooftop isolator","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/disconnection-point-vs-isolator.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/disconnection-point-vs-isolator.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/disconnection-point-vs-isolator.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/disconnection-point-vs-isolator.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/disconnection-point-vs-isolator.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":31153,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/rooftop-dc-isolator-mb1097\/","url_meta":{"origin":43809,"position":4},"title":"Continuing Push For Rooftop DC Isolator Requirement Review","author":"Michael Bloch","date":"June 17, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"There is a growing call for an end to the very unpopular rooftop isolator requirement for solar power system installations in Australia. What Is A Rooftop DC Isolator? Pictured above, a rooftop DC isolator is manually operated switch situated adjacent to a solar panel array that shuts off DC current\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General Solar & Storage News"","block_context":{"text":"General Solar & Storage News","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-battery-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Rooftop DC isolator","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/rooftop-dc-isolator.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/rooftop-dc-isolator.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/rooftop-dc-isolator.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/rooftop-dc-isolator.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/rooftop-dc-isolator.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":44491,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/cer-annual-report-mb1746\/","url_meta":{"origin":43809,"position":5},"title":"Clean Energy Regulator Annual Report Released","author":"Michael Bloch","date":"November 3, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"The Clean Energy Regulator\u2019s 2019-20 Annual Report tabled last week indicates it was another busy year for the CER. Among its responsibilities, the Regulator oversees programs operating under Australia\u2019s Renewable Energy Target; one of which is the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES). The SRES is the mechanism that provides Australia's\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General Solar & Storage News"","block_context":{"text":"General Solar & Storage News","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-battery-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Clean Energy Regulator annual report","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/clean-energy-regulator.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/clean-energy-regulator.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/clean-energy-regulator.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/clean-energy-regulator.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/clean-energy-regulator.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43809","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43809"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43809\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":43817,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43809\/revisions\/43817"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/43810"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43809"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43809"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43809"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}