Solar plants have quickly become one of the fastest-growing sources of renewable energy in many parts of the world because of the sharp drop in panel costs and the increase in the efficiency of these systems. These PV plants are becoming integral to many electrical networks where they provide independence from the central grid but at times also cheaper generation rates. However, the location of these solar projects makes them susceptible to the impact of lightning
Lightning are extremely powerful and can spread across the whole solar farm in a fraction of a second, damaging the equipment irreversibly.
For protecting the PV array against direct lightning strikes, it is necessary to arrange the solar modules in the protection zone of an isolated lightning protection system. That is the building housing the electrical and electronic systems is to be equipped with an external lightning protection system and the down conductors are to be connected with this system.
Additionally, the installation of a stable, low resistance and low impedance grounding system to bond all electrically conductive surfaces together is necessary. The installed grounding system should provide safety step and touch voltage criteria appropriate for a power generation facility. After obtaining a thorough understanding of how soil conducts electricity and obtaining multilayer soil resistivity test results, specialized grounding software can help model the best grounding system for an array. By using a computer model; Smart Ground Testing Service, designers can complete a comprehensive fault analysis.
SPDs must also be installed to protect the electrical systems in a PV power plant. In case of a lightning strike to an external lightning protection system, high voltage impulses are induced on all electrical conductors and partial lightning currents flow into all sorts of park cables (D.C., A.C. and data cables).
It’s recommended that a comprehensive network of quality SPDs be installed throughout the solar farm’s AC and DC power distribution to protect critical circuits against hardware damage and from operational disruptions resulting from lightning and non-lightning related transients.
PV power plants require well-designed lightning protection system and products to ensure that they meet their advertised working life. As an alternative to the traditional Franklin rod system, DAS type lightning air terminals can protect your solar farm.
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