The recent publication of “ABNT NBR 17193:2025 – Fire safety in photovoltaic installations — Project requirements and specifications — Use in buildings” has raised questions among of CB-24 (Brazilian Fire Safety Committee) about how the process has developed since the creation and publication of the text.
Ao Canal Solar, these professionals stated that the text submitted to the National Consultation was still under analysis and that, according to the agenda established at the end of 2024, it would continue for improvement and debate throughout 2025.
“At the last meeting held in November 2024, there were still several pending points that needed to be discussed and refined. Since then, no other meetings have been held, and ABNT published the standard without finalizing the discussions and without ensuring consensus among the committee ,” reported Bruno Furtado, Applications Engineer and Project Manager at SMA.
Furthermore, they reported that there were multiple points in the text that still needed to be discussed and put on the group’s agenda. “It was understood that the meetings would continue until a consensus was reached among the committee . However, the standard was published without the due approval of the participants who were actively involved in its preparation and discussion from the beginning,” explained Ariel Martins, technical coordinator at Sungrow.
“We recognize that safety in photovoltaic systems is a fundamental and non-negotiable aspect. For this reason, we always adopt a collaborative stance, based on transparency and the construction of an environment for fair, technical and well-founded debate,” he emphasized.
Another member of the committee, Fabio Bortoletto, Senior Project Engineer at TBEA, stressed that the ABNT procedures for reviewing the public consultation were not respected. “Not all the necessary meetings were held to reach a consensus among the of the technical committee,” he said, adding that there are points in the standard that are very restrictive to the sector and need to be reviewed and discussed.
ABNT’s lack of communication with market professionals was also criticized. “Committee spent hundreds of hours in meetings and did not have access to the final text of the standard before its publication. If there was a deadline for publication, why was it not discussed? Why have no new meetings been scheduled since November?” Furtado asked.
ABNT standard requires the use of AFCI and quick shutdown function in buildings
Uncertainties and market impacts
In addition to the issues raised, Ariel Martins said that the text disregards the deadlines established by Inmetro for the adaptation and commercialization of products, as well as the incompatibility of certain required functionalities with the stock of equipment already imported by distributors and installers in national territory.
Another controversial point in the standard, pointed out by Martins, is the inclusion of safety features that lack a defined testing scope. “A clear example is the rapid shutdown device, mentioned in the text as a mandatory item, but without clear technical parameters for its evaluation and certification.”
“The non-inclusion of photovoltaic systems integrated into electrical energy storage systems and their accessories highlights the weakness of the text, as it ignores an application with great potential for growth in the country,” he concluded.
ABSOLAR discusses the impacts of the standard with associates
A ABSOLAR (Brazilian Association of Photovoltaic Solar Energy) held a meeting with last Tuesday (11) to discuss NBR 17193:2025. On the occasion, the development history of the standard was presented, the first draft of which was presented in March 2024, underwent National Consultation between August 7 and September 5 and was published on February 4, 2025.
Participants also highlighted that, throughout the process, there were several technical contributions from the sector and that there was an expectation that discussions would continue in 2025, as reported at the last meeting, held on November 5, 2024.
With the requirements brought by the standard, regarding mandatory safety equipment against electric arc and rapid shutdown, NBR 17193:2025 raised questions about the impact of this anticipation and the ways to ensure adequate alignment between the standard and the market reality. The associates reinforced the importance of seeking understanding with the CB-24 committee about the progress of the process and assessing possible future developments.
A ABSOLAR He also highlighted the importance of market participation in the CB-24 meetings, which will discuss the publication of a fire safety standard for ground systems in 2025. To , simply access the website: https://www.abntonline.com.br/normalizacao/form.aspx and select CB 024:107.002.
What does ABNT say?
When asked about the standard process, ABNT's advisory team informed, through a note signed by Mario Esper, president of the Association, that all Brazilian technical standards are prepared through a participatory and transparent process, conducted by technical committees composed of specialists, representatives of the productive sector, consumers and regulatory entities.
“The NBR 17193:2025 standard was developed with the aim of increasing the safety of photovoltaic installations in buildings, preventing fire risks through technical guidelines based on international best practices,” he said.
“During its preparation, several technical discussions and a phase of national public consultation were held, allowing any interested party to submit suggestions. All contributions received were analyzed by the responsible technical committee, following technical and consensus criteria for their incorporation or possible rejection,” Esper highlighted.
According to him, the requirements established in the standard, including the use of Arc Flash Protection Devices (AFCI) and the rapid shutdown function, follow international recommendations and are intended to reduce fire risks and protect lives and assets. “These requirements are already adopted in other countries and reflect ABNT’s commitment to ensuring greater safety for s and professionals in the sector,” he concluded.
ABSOLAR articulates dialogue between ABNT and representatives of CB-24
In order to contribute to the dialogue between the sector and ABNT, ABSOLAR will hold a meeting with representatives of ABNT and CB-24 on February 18, at 16 pm, with the aim of better understanding the factors that led to the publication of the standard at this time and seeking ways to achieve an alignment that considers the demands of the sector.
After all, how are ABNT technical standards prepared?
ABNT has been recognized as the National Standardization Forum since its foundation on September 28, 1940, a recognition formalized by the federal government through several legal instruments, being the only entity formally authorized to prepare technical standards.
“The relevance of the standards approved by ABNT goes beyond the technical sphere, integrating themselves into the Brazilian legal system. The standards, developed by consensus in sectoral committees of ABNT, are not merely guidelines, but mandatory, not because of their origin, developed by society, but because they have the force of law due to decrees, regulations and other forms of normative acts”, explained Paulo Edmundo Freire, professor of the Grounding and SPDA Course at Canal Solar and owner of Paiol Engenharia.
According to him, normative integration is particularly evident in the Consumer Protection Code (CDC), established by Law No. 8.078 of 1990. “The CDC is a milestone in the protection of Brazilian consumer rights, determining that products or services cannot differ from the standards issued by official bodies or, in the absence of these, from ABNT standards”.
“This legal requirement emphasizes the importance of uniformity and quality in the market, safeguarding the safety and rights of consumers. The CDC, in its article 39, VIII, prohibits the offering of products or services that are not in compliance with ABNT standards, in the absence of specific regulations”, he reported.
The Brazilian Committee for Electricity, Electronics, Lighting and Telecommunications (COBEI) is the branch of ABNT that prepares technical standards for the electrical sector. It was founded in 1908 and, in 1940, was incorporated into ABNT as the committee ABNT/CB-003.
In June 2002, COBEI was refounded as a “Private Civil Association, maintained by professional associations and companies in the electronics sector”. In December 2002, COBEI began to represent Brazil before the IEC – International Electrotechnical Commission, an international regulatory body based in Europe.
“Within the scope of COBEI, there are several Study Committees that discuss and elaborate on different topics of interest to the sector. One example is CE 003:102.001 – Electrical Grounding, which elaborates and revises standards related to grounding systems”, pointed out the specialist.
COBEI study committees are formed by of society, in general, professionals from the sector, with experience in specific subjects, who meet regularly to develop new standards or update existing standards. COBEI's guidance is that the standards of the electricity sector should be aligned with the international standardization IEC.
“Within the scope of study commissions, it is normal for pressures to arise from groups with specific interests, as this is the dynamic of any society. However, the coordination of the groups acts to prioritize technical issues and, above all, security issues,” commented Freire.
Once the drafting of the text is complete, whether it is a new standard or a review of an existing standard, it goes to the National Consultation, to be submitted to the scrutiny of all interested parties, who can comment on the text, approving or rejecting the standard in three ways:
- Approval without restrictions – which means that the project is eligible to be published as a Brazilian Standard;
- Approval with formal objections, attached, with suggestions for improving the text presented in the National Consultation;
- Rejection of the technical content of the project, with the presentation of technical objections that the rejection.
Once the National Consultation period is over, the study committee that drafted the standard meets to evaluate and respond to all contributions, incorporating into the text of the standard those contributions that are recognized as improvements to the text originally proposed. At this meeting, the contributions received may be accepted or rejected, by consensus, according to three alternatives:
- Accepted – it is understood that the recommendation received is pertinent and the modification, exclusion or inclusion in the project is necessary;
- Partially accepted – it is understood that the recommendation received is pertinent and it is decided to apply it to the project, but with adjustments to the original proposal submitted;
- Not accepted – it is understood that the recommendation received is not pertinent or the technical basis does not justify changing the project.
“When the recommendations that are accepted technically alter the original text, the new text must be submitted again to the National Consultation”, concluded Paulo Freire.
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An answer
When photovoltaic technology expanded in Brazil through “N” distributors, the rules for AFCI and Rapid Shutdown were already mandatory in Europe and the USA… in short, they imported garbage to Brazil. After all this time, they are trying to implement something really effective in the country, but contrary to what we expect, the movement is to “discredit” the standard and not to disseminate it through requirements from Imetro or electric concessionaires.
I feel ashamed of these things.