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CEA Proposes Tighter Safety Standards for Solar and Wind Projects
POWER & RENEWABLE ENERGY

CEA Proposes Tighter Safety Standards for Solar and Wind Projects

The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has proposed a detailed set of Indian and international standards for safety requirements at renewable-energy installations. The draft, prepared under the CEA (Measures relating to Safety and Electric Supply) Regulations, 2023 and subsequent amendments, provides technology-specific provisions for solar photovoltaic (PV), wind power and battery energy storage systems (BESS).

Regulation 121 of the draft focuses on solar installations and covers earthing, lightning protection, over-voltage protection, combiner-box safety, PV module qualification, fire protection and floating solar projects. Solar PV plants would require earthing systems aligned with IS 3043 and IS 732, along with lightning arresters and other protection against electrical surges.

Combiner boxes would need suitable surge-protection devices with arc-extinguishing capability to reduce fire risks. The draft also identifies standards including IS 14286, IS 16228, IS/IEC 61730-2 and IS 17210/IEC 62804-1 for module qualification, safety testing and potential-induced degradation testing. These provisions could increase the emphasis on documented equipment qualification and safety systems during design and commissioning.

Floating solar projects would face additional requirements linked to their operating environment. Modules and supporting structures would need to meet standards for salt-mist and ammonia corrosion, environmental stress cracking of high-density polyethylene, and the tensile properties of plastics. The provisions address durability risks associated with reservoirs and other water bodies.

The draft separately covers wind turbines and onshore and offshore wind power plants connected to the grid. Wind-generation systems and transformers used in turbine applications would have to comply with relevant standards, including IS/IEC 61400 for turbine safety. BESS provisions cover testing, fire and explosion protection, equipment spacing, thermal management, hazard detection, ventilation, cooling, earthing and automatic fire suppression. Testing would apply at cell and module levels, while protection measures would extend to battery containers and project sites. Detection systems would monitor smoke, gas, heat and flame.

The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has proposed a detailed set of Indian and international standards for safety requirements at renewable-energy installations. The draft, prepared under the CEA (Measures relating to Safety and Electric Supply) Regulations, 2023 and subsequent amendments, provides technology-specific provisions for solar photovoltaic (PV), wind power and battery energy storage systems (BESS). Regulation 121 of the draft focuses on solar installations and covers earthing, lightning protection, over-voltage protection, combiner-box safety, PV module qualification, fire protection and floating solar projects. Solar PV plants would require earthing systems aligned with IS 3043 and IS 732, along with lightning arresters and other protection against electrical surges. Combiner boxes would need suitable surge-protection devices with arc-extinguishing capability to reduce fire risks. The draft also identifies standards including IS 14286, IS 16228, IS/IEC 61730-2 and IS 17210/IEC 62804-1 for module qualification, safety testing and potential-induced degradation testing. These provisions could increase the emphasis on documented equipment qualification and safety systems during design and commissioning. Floating solar projects would face additional requirements linked to their operating environment. Modules and supporting structures would need to meet standards for salt-mist and ammonia corrosion, environmental stress cracking of high-density polyethylene, and the tensile properties of plastics. The provisions address durability risks associated with reservoirs and other water bodies. The draft separately covers wind turbines and onshore and offshore wind power plants connected to the grid. Wind-generation systems and transformers used in turbine applications would have to comply with relevant standards, including IS/IEC 61400 for turbine safety. BESS provisions cover testing, fire and explosion protection, equipment spacing, thermal management, hazard detection, ventilation, cooling, earthing and automatic fire suppression. Testing would apply at cell and module levels, while protection measures would extend to battery containers and project sites. Detection systems would monitor smoke, gas, heat and flame.

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