Alternative Energy Applications

Alternative Energy Standards and Electrical Safety Testing

Conformity Magazine

by Robert M. Brown, QuadTech VP Technical Operations

With the soaring cost of oil, manufacturers and consumers are switching to alternative energy sources. These sources include solar, wind, renewable resources such as wood and biomass, and fuel cells. This article will discuss various standards covering alternative energy sources, with the primary focus being on electrical safety and other electrical testing.

Read more about electrical safety testing in the alternative energy industry.

QuadTech’s Application Note Library on Alternative Energy
QuadTech's library has numerous application notes on new alternative energy sources, the standards manufacturers must comply to and how they can perform electrical safety testing to reach those standards.
035172	Standards and Safety Testing - SOLAR MODULES
035173	Standards and Safety Testing - WOOD FURNACES
035174	Standards and Safety Testing - PELLET STOVES

QuadTech Has The Solution!

The Guardian 6000 Plus is ideal for manufacturers performing power and inverter testing for hipot and ground bond.

The 7600 Plus LCR Meter's capabilities are a perfect for improving efficiency by the characterization of components going into alternative energy products including wind turbines and inverters.

Standards and Safety Testing - SOLAR MODULES

Solar power is once again back in the spotlight as a viable source of alternative energy. Solar power is based upon the photovoltaic cell. This article will discuss various standards covering alternative energy sources with the primary focus being on electrical safety and other electrical testing of solar modules.

Read more about solar module electrical safety testing standards.

Top

Standards and Safety Testing - WOOD FURNACES

There are three different types of furnaces: the central furnace, the combination furnace and the supplementary furnace. These three types of furnaces are covered by a common safety standard UL391. The Canadian standard is CAN/CSA B366.1-M91. Most stoves sold in North America meet both UL391 and CSA B355.1-M91. These standards involve electrical safety tests including grounding conductor tests and dielectric withstand.

Learn about electrical safety testing requirements of these standards.

Top

Standards and Safety Testing - PELLET STOVES
	Pellet stoves are the cleanest of solid fuel-burning residential heating appliances with combustion efficiencies of 78%–85%. This application note describes the electrical safety standards of pellet stoves and the electrical tests that need to be performed; including dielectric withstand, ground bond and leakage current.
Read more about electrical safety testing for pellet stoves.
Top