Lightning Risk Assessment of Rooftop Photovoltaic Systems: A Case Study Approach

The growth of photovoltaic (PV) technology in a global context is evident due to a drop in costs. In Africa, there is potential for expansive growth of solar PV due to favourable climatological conditions. PV systems, due to their inherent exposure to the elements, are prone to damage caused by lightning. For small- to medium-scale rooftop PV systems in particular, there is currently no well-defined methodology for assessing risk of lightning damage and determining protection requirements. In this paper, a framework for risk assessment of rooftop PV systems is proposed. The framework is applied to two practical case studies. It is found that the larger a rooftop PV system is, the higher the contribution of the PV system to the overall risk of lightning damage to the structure. These findings will lead to the further development of PV standards where in both the African and global context, continuous knowledge production in this regard is necessary.