In a photovoltaic system, which conductors must be automatically disconnected during a fault?

In a photovoltaic (PV) system, it is essential to ensure safety during a fault condition by automatically disconnecting certain conductors to prevent hazards like electric shock or fire. Ungrounded conductors need to be disconnected during a fault because they carry the supply voltage and may be part of circuits that are energized under normal conditions.

When a fault occurs, such as a short circuit or an insulation failure, the ungrounded conductors become critical to address. Disconnecting them helps to minimize the risk of electrical shock and allows for safe maintenance and repairs. During a fault condition in a PV system, it is particularly important to disconnect these conductors to prevent continued operation which may pose danger to personnel and equipment.

Grounded conductors, hot conductors, and control conductors have different roles and may not pose the same level of risk if not automatically disconnected during a fault. Grounded conductors are typically at earth potential and are connected to ground for safety purposes, hot conductors supply current when the system is operational but may have protective devices for overcurrent situations, and control conductors usually carry low voltage signals for system management and monitoring, often not involving high currents. Thus, the automatically disconnection requirement primarily focuses on the ungrounded conductors for