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Lightningandsurgeprotectionforrooftopphotovoltaic
systems

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PVsystemswillbeintegraltoelectricalinstallationsofthefuture,buttheyareexposedtoallweatherconditions
andmustwithstandlightningstrikesoverdecades.
ThecablesofPVsystemsfrequentlyenterthebuildingandextendoverlongdistancesuntiltheyreachthegridconnection
point.
Lightningdischargescausefieldbasedandconductedelectricalinterference.Thiseffectincreasesrelativetoincreasing
cablelengthsorconductorloops.SurgesdonotonlydamagethePVmodules,invertersandtheirmonitoringelectronics,but
alsodevicesinthebuildinginstallation.Moreimportantly,productionfacilitiesofindustrialbuildingsmayalsobedamaged
andproductionmaycometoahalt.
Ifsurgesareinjectedintosystemsthatarefarfromthepowergrid(standalonePVsystems),theoperationofequipment
poweredbysolarelectricity(e.g.medicalequipmentorwatersupply)maybedisrupted.

Fig.1:Functionalearthingofthemountingsystemifnoexternallightningprotectionsystemis
installedortheseparationdistanceismaintained.
Theneedforrooftoplightningprotection

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Theenergyreleasedbyalightningdischargeisoneofthemostfrequentcausesoffire.Therefore,personnelandfire
protectionisofparamountimportanceincaseofadirectlightningstriketothebuilding.
AtthedesignstageofaPVsystem,itisevidentwhetheralightningprotectionsystemisinstalledonabuilding.Some
countriesbuildingregulationsrequirethatbuildings(suchasplacesofpublicassembly,schoolsorhospitals)beequipped
withlightningprotectionsystems.
Thelocation,constructiontypeandpurposeofindustrialorprivatebuildingsdetermineswhetherlightningprotectionsystems
mustbeinstalled.Itmustthereforebedeterminedwhetherlightningstrikesaretobeexpectedorcouldhavesevere
consequences.Structuresinneedofprotectionmustbeprovidedwithpermanentlyeffectivelightningprotectionsystems.

Fig.2:Lightningequipotentialbondingforthemountingsystemsiftheseparationdistanceisnot
maintained.
TheinstallationofPVmodulesdoesnotincreasetheriskofalightningstrike.Therefore,therequestforlightningprotection
measurescannotbederiveddirectlyfromthemereexistenceofaPVsystem.However,substantiallightninginterference
maybeinjectedintothebuildingthroughthesesystems.Therefore,itisnecessarytodeterminetheriskresultingfroma
lightningstrikeaccordingtoIEC623052andtotaketheresultsfromthisriskanalysisintoaccountwheninstallingthePV
system.
Softwaresolutionsallowonetodeterminetherisk.Ariskanalysisperformedbymeansofsoftwareprovidesaresultwhich
isunderstoodbyallpartiesinvolved.Thesoftwarecomparestheriskwiththetechnicalexpenditureandprovides
economicallyoptimisedprotectionmeasures.

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Fig.3:UNIearthingclamp:Astainlesssteelintermediateelementpreventscontactcorrosion,and
establishesreliablelongtermconnectionsbetweendifferentconductormaterials.
Section4.5(riskmanagement)ofSupplement5oftheGermanDINEN623053standardstatesthatalightningprotection
systemdesignedforclassofLPSIII(LPLIII)meetstheusualrequirementsforPVsystems.Inaddition,adequatelightning
protectionmeasuresarelistedintheGermanVdS2010guideline(Riskorientedlightningandsurgeprotection)publishedby
theGermanInsuranceAssociation.ThisguidelinealsorequiresthatLPLIII,andthereforealightningprotectionsystem
accordingtoclassofLPSIII,beinstalledforrooftopPVsystems(>0kWp)andthatsurgeprotectionmeasuresbetaken.
Asageneralrule,rooftopphotovoltaicsystemsmustnotinterferewiththeexistinglightningprotectionmeasures.
SurgeprotectionforPVsystems
Lightningdischargescausesurgestobeinducedonelectricalconductors.Surgeprotectivedevices(SPDs)whichmustbe
installedupstreamofthedevicestobeprotectedontheAC,DCanddatasidehaveprovenveryeffectiveinprotecting
electricalsystemsfromthesedestructivevoltagepeaks.Section9.1oftheCenelecCLC/TS5053912standardcallsforthe
installationofsurgeprotectivedevicesunlessariskanalysisdemonstratesthatSPDsarenotrequired.
AccordingtoIEC60364444,surgeprotectivedevicesmustalsobeinstalledforbuildingswithoutexternallightning
protectionsystemssuchascommercialandindustrialbuildings,eg.agriculturalfacilities.Supplement5oftheGermanDIN
EN623053providesadetaileddescriptionofthetypesofSPDsandtheirplaceofinstallation.

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Fig.4:Distancebetweenthemoduleandtheairterminationrodrequiredtopreventcoreshadows.
CableroutingofPVsystems
Cablesmustberoutedinsuchawaythatlargeconductorloopsareavoided.Thismustbeobservedwhencombiningthe
DCcircuitstoformastringandwheninterconnectingseveralstrings.Moreover,dataorsensorlinesmustnotberouted
overseveralstringsandformlargeconductorloopswiththestringlines.Thismustalsobeobservedwhenconnectingthe
invertertothegridconnection.Forthisreason,thepower(ACandDC)anddatalines(e.g.radiationsensor,yield
monitoring)mustberoutedtogetherwiththeequipotentialbondingconductorsalongtheirentireroute.
EarthingofPVsystems
PVmodulesaretypicallyfixedonmetalmountingsystems.ThelivePVcomponentsontheDCsidefeaturedoubleor
reinforcedinsulationasrequiredinIEC60364441.Thecombinationofnumeroustechnologiesonthemoduleandinverter
side(e.g.withorwithoutgalvanicisolation)resultsindifferentearthingrequirements.Theinsulationmonitoringsystem
integratedintheinvertersisonlypermanentlyeffectiveifthemountingsystemisconnectedtoearth.

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Fig.5:SourcecharacteristicsofaconventionalDCsourcevs.thesourcecharacteristicofthePV
generator.WhenswitchingPVsources,thesourcecharacteristicofthe
PVgeneratorcrossesthearcvoltagerange.
ThemetalsubstructureisearthedfunctionallyifthePVsystemislocatedintheprotectedvolumeoftheairtermination
systemsandtheseparationdistanceismaintained.Supplement5requirescopperconductorswithacrosssectionofat
least6mm2orequivalentforfunctionalearthing(seeFig.1).
Themountingrailsmustalsobeinterconnectedpermanentlybymeansofconductorsofthiscrosssection.Ifthemounting
systemisconnecteddirectlytotheexternallightningprotectionsystembecausetheseparationdistancescannotbe
maintained,theseconductorsbecomepartofthelightningequipotentialbondingsystem.Consequently,theseelements
mustbeabletocarrylightningcurrents.TheminimumrequirementforalightningprotectionsystemdesignedforclassLPS
IIIarecopperconductorswithacrosssectionof16mm2orequivalent.Inthiscase,themountingrailsmustalsobe
interconnectedpermanentlybymeansofconductorsofthiscrosssection(seeFig.2).Thefunctionalearthing/lightning
equipotentialbondingconductorshouldberoutedinparallelandascloseaspossibletotheACandDCcablesorlines.
UNIearthingclamps(seeFig.3)canbefixedonallcommonmountingsystems.Theyconnect,forexample,copper
conductorswithacrosssectionof6or16mm2andbareroundwireswithadiameterfrom8to10mmtothemounting
systeminsuchawaythattheycancarrylightningcurrents.Theintegratedstainlesssteel(V4A)contactplateensures
corrosionprotectionforthealuminiummountingsystems.
SeparationdistancesaccordingtoIEC623053
AcertainseparationdistancesmustbemaintainedbetweenalightningprotectionsystemandaPVsystem.Itdefinesthe
distancerequiredtoavoiduncontrolledflashovertoadjacentmetalpartsresultingfromalightningstriketotheexternal
lightningprotectionsystem.Suchanuncontrolledflashovercansetabuildingonfire.Inthiscase,damagetothePV
systembecomesirrelevant.
Coreshadowsonsolarcells

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Thedistancebetweenthesolargeneratorandtheexternallightningprotectionsystemisabsolutelyessentialtoprevent
excessiveshading.Diffuseshadowscast,forexample,byoverheadlines,donotaffectthePVsystemanditsyield
significantly.However,incaseofcoreshadows,adarkclearlyoutlinedshadowiscastonthesurfacebehindanobject,
changingthecurrentflowingthroughthePVmodules.

Fig.6:Atype2SPDintegratedintheinverterfortheACandDCsides.
Forthisreason,solarcellsandtheassociatedbypassdiodesmustnotbeinfluencedbycoreshadows.Thiscanbe
achievedbymaintainingasufficientdistance.Forexample,ifanairterminationrodwithadiameterof10mmshadesa
module,thecoreshadowisreducedsteadilyasthedistancefromthemoduleincreases.After1,08m,onlyadiffuse
shadowiscastonthemodule(seeFig.4).
Specialsurgeprotectivedevices
TheU/IcharacteristicsofPVcurrentsourcesareverydifferentfromthoseofconventionalDCsources:Theyhaveanon
linearcharacteristic(seeFig.5)andcauselongtermpersistenceofignitedarcs.ThisuniquenatureofPVcurrentsources
doesnotonlyrequirelargerPVswitchesandPVfuses,butalsoadisconnectorforthesurgeprotectivedevicewhichis
adaptedtothisuniquenatureandcapableofcopingwithPVcurrents.

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Fig.7:CaseA:BuildingwithoutexternalLPS.
Tofacilitatetheselectionoftype1SPDs,therequiredlightningimpulsecurrentcarryingcapabilityIimpdependsonthe
classofLPS,numberofdownconductorsoftheexternallightningprotectionsystemsaswellasontheSPDtype(voltage
limitingvaristorbasedarresterorvoltageswitchingsparkgapbasedarrester).SPDswhichcomplywiththeapplicable
standardmustbeused.Subsection9.2.2.7ofCenelecCLC/TS5053912alsoreferstothisstandard.
SelectingSPDsaccordingtovoltageprotectionlevelUp
TheoperatingvoltageontheDCsideofPVsystemsdiffersfromsystemtosystem.Atpresent,valuesupto1500VDC
arepossible.Consequently,thedielectricstrengthofterminalequipmentalsodiffers.ToensurethatthePVsystemis
protectedreliably,thevoltageprotectionlevelUpoftheSPDmustbelowerthanthedielectricstrengthofthePVsystemit
issupposedtoprotect.
TheCenelecCLC/TS5053912standardrequiresthatUpisatleast20%lowerthanthedielectricstrengthofthePV
system.Type1ortype2SPDsmustbeenergycoordinatedwiththeinputofterminalequipment.IfSPDsarealready
integratedinterminalequipment,coordinationbetweenthetype2SPDandtheinputcircuitofterminalequipmentis
ensuredbythemanufacturer(seeFig.6).
Applicationexamples
CaseA:buildingwithoutexternallightningprotection
Fig.7showsthesurgeprotectionconceptforaPVsysteminstalledonabuildingwithoutanexternallightningprotection
system.DangeroussurgesenterthePVsystemduetoinductivecouplingresultingfromnearbylightningstrikes,ortravel
fromthepowersupplysystemthroughtheserviceentrancetotheusersinstallation.Type2SPDsaretobeinstalledatthe
followinglocations:
DCsideofthemodulesandinverters.
ACoutputoftheinverter.
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Mainlowvoltagedistributionboard.
Wiredcommunicationinterfaces.
EveryDCinput(MPP)oftheinvertermustbeprotectedbyatype2surgeprotectivedevicewhichprotectstheDCsideof
PVsystemsreliably.CenelecCLC/TS5053912requiresthatanadditionaltype2DCarresterbeinstalledonthemodule
sideifthedistancebetweentheinverterinputandthePVgeneratorexceeds10m.
TheACoutputsoftheinvertersareprotectedsufficientlyifthedistancebetweenthePVinvertersandtheplaceof
installationofthetype2arresteratthegridconnectionpoint(LVinfeed)islessthan10m.
Incaseofgreatercablelengths,anadditionaltype2surgeprotectivedevicemustbeinstalledupstreamoftheACinputof
theinverteraccordingtoCenelecCLC/TS5053912.Atype2surgeprotectivedevicemustbeinstalledupstreamofthe
meteroftheLVinfeed.CircuitInterruption(CI)standsforacoordinatedfuseintegratedintheprotectivepathofthearrester,
allowingthearrestertobeusedintheACcircuitwithoutadditionalbackupfuse.
Suitablesurgeprotectivedevicesarerequiredwhereinvertersareconnectedtodataandsensorlinestomonitortheyield.

Fig.8:CaseB:BuildingwithexternalLPSandsufficientseparationdistance.
CaseB:Buildingwithexternallightningprotectionsystem,sufficientseparationdistances
Fig.8showsthesurgeprotectionconceptforaPVsystemwithexternallightningprotectionsystemandsufficient
separationdistancesbetweenthePVsystemandtheexternallightningprotectionsystem.
Theprimaryprotectiongoalistoavoiddamagetopersonsandpropertyresultingfromalightningstrike.Inthiscontext,itis
importantthatthePVsystemdoesnotinterferewiththeexternallightningprotectionsystem.ThePVsystemitselfmustbe
protectedfromdirectlightningstrikes.ThismeansthatthePVsystemmustbeinstalledintheprotectedvolumeofthe
externallightningprotectionsystem.Thisprotectedvolumeisformedbyairterminationsystemswhichpreventdirect
lightningstrikestothePVmodulesandcables.Theprotectiveanglemethod(seeFig.9)orrollingspheremethod(seeFig.
10)maybeusedtodeterminethisprotectedvolume.Acertainseparationdistancesmustbemaintainedbetweenall
conductivepartsofthePVsystemandthelightningprotectionsystem.Inthiscontext,coreshadowsmustbepreventedby,
forexample,maintainingasufficientdistancebetweentheairterminationrodsandthePVmodule.
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Fig.9:Determinationoftheprotectedvolumeusingtheprotectiveanglemethod.
Lightningequipotentialbondingisanintegralpartofalightningprotectionsystem.Itmustbeimplementedforallconductive
systemsandlinesenteringthebuildingwhichmaycarrylightningcurrents.Thisisachievedbyconnectingallmetal
systemsdirectlyandconnectingallenergisedsystemsindirectlyviatype1lightningcurrentarresterstotheearth
terminationsystem.Lightningequipotentialbondingshouldbeimplementedascloseaspossibletotheentrancepointinto
thebuildingtopreventpartiallightningcurrentsfromenteringthebuilding.Thegridconnectionpointmustbeprotectedbya
multipolesparkgapbasedtype1SPD.

Fig.10:Rollingspheremethodvs.protectiveanglemethodfor
determiningtheprotectedvolume.
Thisarrestercombinesalightningcurrentarresterandasurgearresterinasingledevice.Theprotectionissufficientifthe
cablelengthsbetweenthearresterandtheinverterarelessthan10m.Incaseofgreatercablelengths,additionaltype2
surgeprotectivedevicesmustbeinstalledupstreamoftheACinputoftheinverters.

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EveryDCinputoftheinvertermustbeprotectedbyatype2PVarrester.Thisalsoappliestotransformerlessdevices.If
theinvertersareconnectedtodatalines,tomonitortheyield,forinstance,surgeprotectivedevicesmustbeinstalledto
protectdatatransmission.

Fig.11:CaseC:BuildingwithexternalLPSandinsufficientseparationdistance.
HVresistant,insulatedHVIconductor
AnotherpossibilityintermsofmaintainingtheseparationdistancesistouseHVresistant,insulatedHVIconductorswhich
allowmaintainingaseparationdistancesupto0,9minair.HVIconductorsmaycontactthePVsystemdirectly
downstreamofthesealingendrange.
CaseC:Buildingwithexternallightningprotectionsystem,insufficientseparationdistances
IftheroofingismadeofmetalorisformedbythePVsystemitself,theseparationdistancescannotbemaintained.The
metalcomponentsofthePVmountingsystemmustbeconnectedtotheexternallightningprotectionsysteminsuchaway
thattheycancarrylightningcurrents(copperconductorwithacrosssectionofatleast16mm2orequivalent).Thismeans
thatlightningequipotentialbondingmustalsobeimplementedforthePVlinesenteringthebuildingfromtheoutside(see
Fig.11).AccordingtoSupplement5oftheGermanDINEN623053standardandCenelecCLC/TS5053912,DClines
mustbeprotectedbytype1SPDsforPVsystems.
LightningequipotentialbondingmustalsobeimplementedintheLVinfeed.IfthePVinvertersaresituatedmorethan10m
fromthetype1SPDinstalledatthegridconnectionpoint,anadditionaltype1SPDmustbeinstalledontheACsideofthe
inverter.Suitablesurgeprotectivedevicesmustalsobeinstalledtoprotecttherelevantdatalinesforyieldmonitoring.

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Fig.12:BuildingwithoutexternalLPS.Surgeprotectionofamicroinverter
locatedintheconnectionboxoftheonsitecables.
PVsystemswithmicroinverters
Microinvertersrequireadifferentsurgeprotectionconcept.Tothisend,theDClineofamoduleorapairofmodulesis
directlyconnectedtothesmallinverter.Unnecessaryconductorloopsmustbeavoidedinthisprocess.Inductivecoupling
intosuchsmallDCstructurestypicallyonlyhasalowenergeticdestructionpotential.TheextensivecablingofaPVsystem
withmicroinvertersislocatedontheACside(seeFig.12).SurgeprotectivedevicesmayonlybeinstalledontheACside
wherethemicroinverterisfitteddirectlyatthemodule.
Solarpowergenerationsystemsareanintegralpartoftodayselectricalsystems.Theyshouldbeequippedwithadequate
lightningcurrentandsurgearresters,andshouldensurelongterm,faultlessoperationoftheseelectricitysources.
ContactAlexisBarwise,DEHN,Tel0117041487,alexis.barwise@dehnafrica.com(mailto:alexis.barwise@dehn
africa.com)

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