Investigation of lightning effects on solar power plants connected to transmission networks

TL;DR

This study examines how lightning affects solar power plants connected to transmission lines, analyzing overvoltage impacts and the effectiveness of surge arresters to improve safety and reliability.

Contribution

It provides a detailed simulation-based analysis of lightning-induced overvoltages and evaluates surge arrester performance in protecting solar plants.

Findings

Surge arresters significantly reduce lightning overvoltages.

Lightning parameters greatly influence overvoltage severity.

Proper protective measures enhance solar plant reliability.

Abstract

The increasing integration of solar power plants into transmission grids has raised concerns about their vulnerability to disturbances, particularly lightning strokes. Solar energy, while offering significant environmental and economic benefits, faces challenges when connected to transmission lines that are prone to lightning discharges. This paper investigates the impact of lightning events on solar power plants, focusing on overvoltage effects. Lightning stroke simulations were conducted at various distances from the solar power plant along the transmission line, considering scenarios with and without surge arrester. Key lightning parameters such as peak current, front time, and tail time were varied to simulate different lightning strokes. The study also includes a Fourier transform analysis of the resulting overvoltages with and without a surge arrester, along with the Hilbert marginal spectrum of these overvoltages. The results provide insights into the effectiveness of surge arresters in mitigating lightning overvoltages and highlight the importance of proper protective measures for enhancing the reliability and safety of solar power plants connected to transmission networks.