In February 2023, Brazil surpassed the threshold of 25 gigawatts of power via solar energy. This number, released by the Brazilian Association of Solar Photovoltaic Energy (Absolar), shows that the sector has been showing a growth bias, since, since 2022, photovoltaics are second only to water sources (109.7 gigawatts) and have already surpassed wind power ( 23.8 gigawatts) among the three main energy matrices in the country.
For this market to develop safely, it is essential to minimize the risk of damage to the photovoltaic system. This means, for example, that actions must be implemented to protect equipment and structures against lightning and electrical surges.
“It is imperative that companies operating in this sector know the importance of using a string box, which, installed on the direct current side, is responsible for protecting the inverter and photovoltaic system boards. It helps to shield photovoltaic systems, being essential for safety, operation and for increasing the useful life of the equipment in these systems”, explains Yasmim Brito, electrical engineer at Clamper.
She cites that any photovoltaic system is not complete without robust electrical surge protection. This is because photovoltaic generation systems, due to their installation characteristics, are exposed to electrical surges caused by lightning and network switching, for example. “Brazil is one of the countries with the highest incidence of lightning strikes in the world, with an estimate of something around 78 million lightning strikes per year”, says the engineer, who adds: “This means that all photovoltaic systems are subject to surges by direct and indirect lightning strikes. Indirect discharges, for example, can happen every month in most regions of the country”.
Yasmim Brito also states that, according to the standard, the inverter’s internal protection cannot be considered a Surge Protection Device (DPS). “Since surges are very common events, all electrical and electronic equipment need a minimum withstand to them, hence the internal protection. But, for effective protection, it is necessary to apply an external protection – carried out by the string box. This is the only way to ensure that the photovoltaic system is properly secured.”
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