Thunder storm
Thunder storms are seasonal but can occur all year round depending on the part of the world.
Thunderstorms generate lightning which is a form of electricity with high voltage.
Though thunderstorms are short lived, installed solar panels can absorb the high voltage electricity generated by lightning and send it to the inverter, if the system is not properly earthed/grounded, thus damaging electronic components of your inverter or solar charge controller.
To prevent this;
- Install a lightning protection device surge as thunder arrestor to divert charge to the earth/ground.
- Ensure proper earthing of all solar systems to properly absorb diverted charge. Earthing, when properly done should read zero ohms.
- In addition, use surge protector (DC) for higher capacity inverters (3.5kva and above) to avoid damage(s) caused by lightning …..To be continued
