Many photovoltaic panels are not equipped with lightning protection

Many PV systems may not be properly protected against lightning. Due to this exposure, the PV systems may be liable to suffer a crucial impact in a way that can lead towards severe damage for instances; failure of the electrical and electronic parts in the building or PV installation and disruption of their normal operation.

Type 2 SPDs protect against indirect lightning strikes, which are characterized by 8/20 µs waveforms. An 8/20 µs waveform means that the strike has an 8 µs rise time and a duration to one-half peak of 20 µs. Type 2 SPDs prevent the spread of overvoltage into electrical installations and equipment.

Figure 5 shows an appropriate integrated lightning protection system for a sample solar power system located on a building at roof level, while figure 6 depicts a free field solar panel farm equipped with a lightning protection system. Both examples include the discussed air termination network, SPDs and earthing system.

Lightning is a common cause of failures in photovoltaic (PV) and wind-electric systems. A damaging surge can occur from lightning that strikes a long distance from the system or between clouds. But most lightning damage is preventable. In this article, you will learn how to protect your solar power system from lightning.

The protection of PV systems is an important issue to keep the continuity in service and protect PV panels against lightning occurrence to avoid damage of PV panels. To reduce the lightning transient effects on the PV system, some protection measurements were proposed, including the grounding of the metal parts, providing external lightning .

Many photovoltaic panels are not equipped with lightning protection [PDF] Chat with us

6 FAQs about [Many photovoltaic panels are not equipped with lightning protection]

Do PV panels need a lightning protection system?

Consequently, they are frequently subjected to lightning strikes, which may cause damage to PV arrays, service interruption, and additional cost for PV replacement. Therefore, an adequate lightning protection system (LPS) must be installed to protect the PV panels.

What happens if a PV system is not protected against lightning?

Does a solar power system have a lightning protection system?

Can lightning cause a photovoltaic system failure?

Lightning can cause photovoltaic (PV) system failures as lightning that strikes the system from a great distance away, or even between clouds, can generate high-voltage surges.

How does Lightning affect a PV system?

After studying the influences of lightning strikes on the PV system and modeling methods, it is mandatory to design a protection system for the PV system during lightning. The lightning protection system (LPS) is used to protect the PV system from damage and service interruption.

Can a PV system be struck by lightning?

A PV system installed above the protective zone offered by the existing Lightning Protection System may be at risk of receiving a direct lightning strike. This could make the existing Lightning Protection System non-compliant and provide a path for lightning currents to enter the building and endanger life.

Many photovoltaic panels are not equipped with lightning protection