Overvoltages on DC side of power conditioning system caused by lightning stroke to structure anchoring photovoltaic panels

Abstract

Photovoltaic power plants and wind turbines are eco-friendly power generators that utilize solar energy and wind energy, respectively. Many large-scale photovoltaic power plants have been constructed using government subsidies. Large-scale photovoltaic power plants are usually constructed in large open spaces that contain some tall structures. Therefore, such large-scale photovoltaic power plants are likely to attract lightning, which may result in the malfunction or breakdown of the electrical and electronic equipment. In this study, overvoltages generated when a lightning strikes a structure anchoring photovoltaic panels are measured using a 1 : 10 scale model. Additionally, the measurements have been verified using the FDTD (finite-difference time-domain) method. The mechanisms of the overvoltage generations on an actual-scale photovoltaic power plant have also been clarified. © 2012 The Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan.