Indeed.
Is there a high likelihood that fire-fighters will have to climb on your (burning) roof?
No.
Is there any requirement to shut down power to <80V for the rest of the house?
No.
Is the danger of unintentionally grabbing hold of any particular combination of hazardous leads from the solar panels high?
No.
Is the regulation retro-active?
No.
Will fire-fighters encounter solar installations that do NOT have this feature?
Yes.
So don't fire-fighters have to assume there's no shut down?
Yes.
Won't firefighters treat the array as if it is energized anyway?
Yes.

Conclusion: This is either the nanny state legislating in an area where it really doesn't have a damned clue (sort of like Kalifornia's bid to convert to electric vehicles, even as their electric grid cannot even sustain customers WITHOUT the additional drain of EVs), or it's an attempt to drive up the cost of solar energy. Or both.

I don’t see how using contactors would comply. Doesn’t the rapid shut down device system have to cut power to the PV array in the event of a short anywhere in the PV system? You mentioned you were triggering them with grid power correct?

That’s interesting. Makes one wonder if rapid shutdown requirements might be a solution to a fictitious problem–a clever political attempt by entrenched energy interests to impede a rapidly-growing solar industry in the noble name of protecting first responders.

Yes, it should be acceptable. I’ve done exactly that on a system (with the contactors inside the attic), and my particular AHJ was fine with it.
However, I suspect that future code versions could close this window of opportunity.

I just want to clarify on the rapid shutdown. The law states that voltage must be less than 80V within 30S. What should be the specific voltage as a basis. If the module’s open circuit voltage or module’s operating voltage?

Thanks,
Que

No, I don’t believe so. The point of a rapid shutdown device is to cut electricity to the solar panels, in case the panels are in a dangerous situation.

If the ground mount solar system has the inverter inside the residence, does NEC 17 require the system to have RSD?

There are many MLPEs that fit rapid shutdown requirements. We did not provide an entire list.

This is only in the United States

I would strongly suggest taking a look at DCSunVolt.com for all of your NEC compliance needs. All UL listed products with quick turnaround times. 1500V capacity with tons of customizable options. Industry wide compatibility while meeting top quality standards.

DCsunvolt.com