What protecting a park includes
- Air terminals – isolated rods or ESE terminals positioned to cover the arrays without shading the modules
- Earthing grid – a common ring for the mounting structures, inverter stations, substation and fence
- DC-side SPDs – in the combiner boxes and at the inverter inputs
- AC-side SPDs – at the inverters and in the substation switchboard
- Protection of monitoring and communication lines (RS485, Ethernet)
- Testing, test certificates and installation record – for acceptance and for the insurer
Rooftop photovoltaics
- Check of whether the modules fall within the protected zone of the existing lightning protection
- Isolated air terminals, or bonding of the mounting structure – depending on the separation distance
- Connection to the building's earth electrode and SPDs for the inverter
Why VM Electric
We come from VM Solar and know photovoltaic installations inside out. We design the protection in coordination with the electrical design, so that it does not get in the way of production, and hand it over with documents that insurers and acceptance committees accept.
Frequently asked questions
My modules are earthed through the mounting structure – isn't that enough?
Earthing the structure is mandatory, but it is not lightning protection. Without air terminals and SPDs the lightning current passes through the modules themselves and the cables to the inverters. Full protection includes all three elements: interception, conduction to earth and surge protection.
Do insurers require lightning protection for a PV plant?
Many insurers require documented lightning protection and SPDs as a condition for covering lightning and surge damage. We hand over a design, test certificates and an installation record that you can present.
