So it wouldn't effect power going from the array? So I need one on each end of the pv wires?
Lets Play Sherlock Holmes - The lightning incident.....
- Thread starter Crowz
- Start date
Hedges
I See Electromagnetic Fields!
- Joined
- Mar 28, 2020
- Messages
- 21,094
The voltage at which it fires is well above the nominal PV (or AC system voltage.
I think that provides a path for earth voltage, elevated by lightning, to enter the PV wires.
Instead, put them where PV wires enter your equipment or the house.
I think better only at equipment end.
Or one where it enters your power shed, another at inputs to SCC.
I think none at remote PV array.
Where it enters the workshop is 9 feet from the scc. Still do two or just one outside the workshop?
Bob B
Emperor Of Solar
- Joined
- Sep 21, 2019
- Messages
- 8,870
Any time we had wiring of any kind exiting or entering a building, we always put lightning protection at both ends.
Most of the time a lightning strike would take out the protection and still get our equipment.
Lightning was the one thing that always won.
Most of the time a lightning strike would take out the protection and still get our equipment.
Lightning was the one thing that always won.
Hedges
I See Electromagnetic Fields!
- Joined
- Mar 28, 2020
- Messages
- 21,094
You're in a high lightning area. Maybe higher voltage one where it enters, another at SCC.
Perhaps something spark gap based at the entrance? Not sure what's available. I wonder if Delta is good even for that.
I understand high energy surge will fail to negotiate a hairpin turn (so put a spark gap there.)
Perhaps something spark gap based at the entrance? Not sure what's available. I wonder if Delta is good even for that.
I understand high energy surge will fail to negotiate a hairpin turn (so put a spark gap there.)
Well there is a reason I'm all over this method being discussed and it is ALL based on the insurance company I have.
State Farm.
They are on a warpath cancelling peoples insurance that makes claims. Now the strike your referring to is mass damage. I would make a mass damage claim since it would cost a fortune out of my pocket.
Minor claims which this would be even if it was a bit worse isn't happening since they are the cheapest insurance around here to insure the house with.
So if I can spend some money and do some work to prevent this kind of minor effects in the future it makes perfect sense to at least try.
Bob B
Emperor Of Solar
- Joined
- Sep 21, 2019
- Messages
- 8,870
When we installed lightning protectors each one of them had their own ground rod that wasn't connected to anything except that lightning protector ...... I don't know the engineering behind that, but each company I worked for had the same install specs for those protectors.
Bob B
Emperor Of Solar
- Joined
- Sep 21, 2019
- Messages
- 8,870
We were able to improve our odds ..... but never gained total protection .... Your mileage may vary.
When we could prove lightning damage to our equipment it was always on their insurance to cover the damage, not our maintenance contract.
I don't know the details of how the customer insured themselves .... maybe there are insurers who specifically cover acts of god? Maybe take it outside homeowners insurance?
Hedges
I See Electromagnetic Fields!
- Joined
- Mar 28, 2020
- Messages
- 21,094
State Farm. They wrote my new homeowner's policy, just before ceasing writing in California.
They're now planning to cancel some. I'm hoping that's only houses next to forests, not in the middle of a large city.
Any electronics you have probably costs about as much as an insurance premium. Self-insure and don't file a claim.
They're now planning to cancel some. I'm hoping that's only houses next to forests, not in the middle of a large city.
Any electronics you have probably costs about as much as an insurance premium. Self-insure and don't file a claim.
Bob B
Emperor Of Solar
- Joined
- Sep 21, 2019
- Messages
- 8,870
That was per the spec of the lightning protectors we used .... They had to be able to shunt the spike directly to ground or they couldn't work.
The ground rod wasn't connected to the equipment in any way, only to one of the leads of the lightning protection.
I'm aware of the risk of multiple grounds in an electrical system .... we worked to avoid that also .... the lightning protectors were a special case where each one had to have their own driven ground
Somebody misinterpreted the spec or used wrong type of protectors. Having multiple unbonded ground rods across your equipment is like the worst thing you can do in terms of avoiding ground potential surge pickup. You literally had differential earth current pickup rods wired across your equipment. No wonder lighting strikes blew up your stuff.
ricardocello
Watching and Learning
i’ve got one of those for each ground mount string (3 total)
i’ve also got one 220 feet away where the pv enters the house
so far, so good
I’ve got multiple square D surge protectors in multiple panels for the AC side
My video cameras use shielded cat5 up to the camera, and PoE power supplies with surge protection.
I’ve got gas discharge tubes in the patch panel before plugging into network gear.
does any of this help? hard to say, but that’s the extent of my budget for protection
Bob B
Emperor Of Solar
- Joined
- Sep 21, 2019
- Messages
- 8,870
I guess all the engineers across 3 different companies I worked for misinterpreted the specs ..... These ground rods were in no way connected to our equipment .... the path to ground for the lightning protector was totally separate.
If you didn't do it that way, where would the spike be shunted to?
Oh the lightning "protector" is a type of lightning rod or air terminal? By lightning protector I thought you meant a surge protector that connected your electrical or data line entering the building to a ground rod.
timselectric
If I can do it, you can do it.
- Joined
- Feb 5, 2022
- Messages
- 19,120
They protect whatever is at the end that they are connected to.
You are protecting what is connected to the wires, from the surge induced on the wires.
Bob B
Emperor Of Solar
- Joined
- Sep 21, 2019
- Messages
- 8,870
It had an active element that triggered at specified voltage level and shunted the voltage spike directly to ground thru a dedicated driven ground rod. It was a type of diode similar to a high current zener diode.
OK yep it was a voltage surge protector. My original comment stands. Connecting it to separate unbonded ground rod was very wrong way to do it.
Bob B
Emperor Of Solar
- Joined
- Sep 21, 2019
- Messages
- 8,870
It was a type of diode with current only flowing in one direction .... to ground.
Similar threads
