Animal activity

Animal activity means wildlife or livestock on a PV site damaging equipment by biting, causing corrosion or leaving dirt, which can cost power. Rodents and birds can damage DC cables and cause insulation defects, and animal bites on cables have been seen in the field. Field failure surveys record animal bites and other animal problems as a cause of interconnect failures. Animals such as goats sometimes damage modules and contribute to glass breakage. Look for rats inside distribution boxes and termites around DC cables under the modules. Damaged cables can lead to insulation faults, ground faults, lost production and fire risk. Replace damaged cable runs, protect exposed wiring from mechanical damage and check insulation after the repair. Wild animals such as snakes and rats also put O&M staff at risk. Use protective equipment, follow the safety rules and train staff in first aid.

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• sentence 1: support check: partial - Evidence only lists 'Animal -> bite/corrosion/dirt' as a cause of power loss; the definition of wildlife or livestock and the framing are not stated, though the core is supported.
• sentence 3: support check: partial - Survey form lists 'Animal bite/other animal issue' as an interconnect failure option, but passages do not say surveys recorded actual findings.
• sentence 4: support check: partial - Passage says animal damage sometimes happens with animals like goats, but the text is truncated and doesn't explicitly tie goats to glass breakage beyond context under that heading.
• sentence 5: support check: partial - Figure caption shows a rat in a distribution box and termites around DC cables, but the inspection instruction is an inference not stated. -->