Simulation of Lightning Strike Impact on a Polysilicon PV Module

It is common knowledge that Malaysia’s solar photovoltaic system is prone to lightning strikes because they must be installed in areas with a lot of open space to operate in full condition, which results in high radiation and a lot of lightning density. Exposure to lightning strikes can harm all electric components of solar photovoltaic systems and cause electromagnetic interference. This interference may result in losses and have an impact on the efficiency of solar photovoltaic systems. A photovoltaic module was modelled and tested under normal and lightning conditions using COMSOL Multiphysics software to observe how the lightning affected the electromagnetic interference of magnetic field and magnetic flux density on the photovoltaic system. The Polycrystalline Silicon solar cell material was analyzed with different assigned electric current injection points which are middle and corner of the photovoltaic module. The result shows that during lightning, the simulated model produces greater electromagnetic interference than the normal condition. In addition, different electric current injection points have a significant impact on the electromagnetic interference which affects the induced current when exposed to lightning. Lastly, there was a slight impact on electromagnetic interference due to the change of solar cell material.