Solar panels are liable to be damaged by lightning. One of the common causes of failures in photovoltaic systems is lightning. We know that metallic systems are subjected to the risk of lightning. By proper preventive measures, the so called damages can also be prevented.
What happens when the solar installation is struck by lightning?
Direct lightning strikes can destroy the panels and inverters connected to it. Indirect lightning strikes can induce high surges in the installation which can even cause ignition in the system components.
Most of the solar farms are installed in open areas with no high rise buildings or towers. Such installations are more prone to lightning. Also, the solar panels that are used for roof mounting some buildings are also vulnerable to lightning strikes.
How to protect the solar installations from lightning?
It is very necessary to place the solar panels within the range of protection. Let us see how to protect these installations from lightning surges.
- Proper grounding- Good grounding is essential for the safe operation of photovoltaic(PV) systems. It is always better to ensure that your installations are properly grounded. A conductive path to ground can be made by bonding the metallic structural components of the PV system such as PV module frames, mounting racks and other electrical enclosures with the ground.
- Arrestors and capacitors- Arrestors and capacitor combination can absorb the very high voltage surges. It is better to install DC surge arresters on the solar array side and a surge arrester and capacitor on the AC side so that the complete solar installation can be protected.
