External Lightning Protection and Grounding in Large-Scale Photovoltaic Applications

The development of large-scale photovoltaic (PV) plants in rural areas is constantly increasing. However, the knowledge of performing and installing lightning and surge protection in large-scale PV plants is still premature. The main objective of this paper is to provide a method for assessing the external lightning protection and earthing designs that may be installed in large-scale solar applications. Consequently, the method and models presented in this paper may assist engineers to perform a comparison between the use of isolated and nonisolated lightning protection systems, and second to select suitable surge protection equipment.