Abstract
The global PV market has grown extensively for small- to large-scale systems. Inevitably,
this leads to the increased development of PV technology. PV systems are intrinsically exposed to
weather phenomena. One such phenomenon is lightning. Direct and indirect effects of lightning
can cause damage to PV systems. However, lightning protection for PV systems is often neglected
and existing standards for protection are underdeveloped. In this paper, previous work is analysed to
understand the interaction between lightning and PV systems and to ascertain gaps in current knowledge
thereof. Investigation of these aspects will ultimately assist in understanding lightning risk, protection
system design and aid in the development of lightning protection standards for PV in the renewable
energy industry.