Solar panels are necessary components of clean power generation, although the solar panels in the factory will be on the solar panels to take certain measures to prevent lightning, but inevitably will be struck by lightning, in this article we will take you together to discuss about the solar panels may be struck by lightning related issues.

Solar panels will be struck by lightning?

Although it is not common for lightning to strike solar panels, it is still possible for solar panels to be struck by lightning. All of us should be careful to consider the probability of solar panels being struck by lightning when installing solar panels to minimize this risk. Generally installing solar panels on roofs or other high places, their risk of being struck by lightning increases a lot.

Types of solar panels struck by lightning

Direct Lightning Strike

The damage caused by a direct lightning strike is very serious, it may burn or pulverize the entire solar panel. And the large amount of heat generated by the lightning strike may also affect other components such as inverters and batteries. However, if you are not in an area where lightning occurs at a high frequency, the probability of a solar panel being directly struck is relatively low.

Indirect Lightning Strikes

Indirect lightning strikes generally damage the solar panel’s cells through high voltage surges, and the effects on the solar panel are invisible to the naked eye. Therefore, this damage can be more fatal. If you assume that there is no problem with the solar panel without checking it by a professional, continuing to generate electricity with a solar panel that has been struck by an indirect lightning strike can lead to overall damage to the inverter and other components.

Ways to protect solar panels from lightning strikes

Reasonable choice of installation location

If your house is the only house for miles or higher than other houses around, it is not recommended to install solar panels on the roof, which will only increase the probability of the solar panels being struck by lightning. Generally speaking, the probability of solar panels being struck by lightning is much higher when they are installed on the roof than when they are installed on the ground or on the side of the wall. If you are in an area where lightning strikes are common, you can reduce the probability of being struck by lightning by mounting the solar panels on the wall or on the ground.

Use a surge protector

A surge protector is a protective device that is used to protect electrical equipment from the effects of lightning induction or direct lightning-induced voltage increases. It prevents solar panels from being harmed by surges by limiting the lightning-induced voltage to a safe value.

Installation of lightning rods

If the lightning rod is installed on the solar panel, because the radius of curvature of the tip of the lightning rod is small, when lightning occurs in the clouds, lightning rods will form a conductor between the clouds, which is equivalent to a conductor can be channelled into the earth, so that the lightning to the solar panels again, to ensure the safety of the solar panels.

Restriction of solar panel work during lightning

When lightning comes, if the solar panel is still generating electricity, it will have an attraction to the lightning, guiding the lightning to release energy in the direction of the solar panel. But if you stop the solar panel work in time, the solar panel can be much less attractive to the class bring you to prevent the solar panel from being struck by lightning.

Grounding protection

When installing solar panels, you can ground the solar panels and bracket wires in order to introduce lightning into the ground to avoid direct lightning damage to the solar panels but pay attention to the grounding resistance should be checked regularly to prevent the grounding resistance is too large to affect its protective effect.

Reasonable wiring

In the wiring of the solar panel system, it is necessary to take appropriate boundary measures to avoid connecting the battery box directly with the charge controller, which can increase the lightning protection performance of the solar system and reduce the risk of being struck by lightning.

What if the solar panel is struck by lightning?

The first thing you need to do is to check the damage of the solar panel, to understand your solar panel release there is obvious damage, for example, scorching or burning, this kind of damage solar panels can not be in use, know the damage of your solar panels, you have to contact the relevant manufacturer in time, consult the solar panel can be replaced or repaired.

If your solar panels into your inspection there is no obvious problem, you may have to look for professionals to check the solar panels for you again, in general, solar panels are unlikely to be no problem after being struck by lightning, perhaps your solar panels are into the high-voltage surge damage to the internal components, you can’t see on the surface. It will take some time to repair or replace the solar panel after it is struck by lightning, so it is recommended that you have a backup power supply ready.

Conclusion

We have to be very careful when using solar panels. Solar panels that have been struck by lightning generally have damage on the surface or internally, you can reduce the risk of solar panels being struck by lightning by using the precautions conveyed mentioned to minimize the occurrence of this situation.