Emilia Sobieska
supervisor: Jacek Starzyński, Konrad Sobolewski
Photovoltaic systems are designed for a service life of up to 30 years, during which they are exposed to direct and indirect effects of lightnings. It is estimated that in Poland the number of stormy days ranges from 15 on the coast to 33 in the south-eastern regions of the country. Therefore, since the chances of a lightning event occurring are considerable, it should be considered to equip the facilities with a comprehensive lightning protection system. Its task is to protect against the effects of a direct lightning strike on an element of a photovoltaic installation and from the impact of phenomena induced by a lightning electromagnetic pulse (LEMP). Due to various technical conditions, it may implement this protection in multiple ways, which may translate into the effectiveness of protection.
The article is devoted to the qualitative analysis of various lightning protection configurations of a large photovoltaic farm. The authors presented an analysis of the lightning current flow in the conductive elements of the installation and the distribution of the magnetic field for a configuration with an integrated and free-standing lightning rod. They also performed an analysis of the effect of the grounding configuration on the electrical potential distribution on the earth's surface. In theoretical scope, a discussion of the presented solutions, including the obtained voltages induced in the assumed worst case of PV cabling, was presented, and finally conclusions were drawn.