Model and experiment for study and analysis of Photovoltaic lightning effects

This paper will present the proposed model and experiment of effects from lightning impulse on photovoltaic. The study will show results of effect from lightning impulse indirect striking on Photovoltaic. As the increasing of photovoltaic applications worldwide, there are varieties of photovoltaic applications around the world have been installed. From the records and reports of photovoltaic applications, there are many serious cases that photovoltaic applications were damaged by thunder lightning strikes on photovoltaic module or its components. When lightning impulse strikes to the area of PV system, the effects cause a failure of PV system therefore it is really necessary to study this problem in order to find the appropriated method to protect the PV system. The paper proposes a simulation model to study phenomena and characteristic from lightning impulse on PV system by Matlab/Simulink. The PV experimental platform is also constructed for the implementation in the High volt laboratory of Rajamangala University of Technology Thunyaburi (RMUTT). The experimental platform is tested by lightning impulse generated from 100 - 800 kV. The results from the laboratory will be investigated comparing to the simulation results. Moreover the method of protecting PV system from the Lighting Impulse will be introduced.