Results 1 to 2 of 2

Thread: Will your solar panel system survive an EMP

  1. #1
    looking at their tools while posting pictures of mine.
    Domeguy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    about 20 minutes outside Lynchburg, TN...but which way...
    Posts
    1,604

    Will your solar panel system survive an EMP

    Copied from backdoorsurvival.com

    Will your solar panels and associated solar system survive an EMP.

    When in comes to all things solar, I am a novice. I have a very basic set-up from Harbor Freight that is used for light duty power in my garage but other than that, I have a long way to go. So when I was asked the question, “Will solar panels survive an EMP?” I was stumped.

    First of all, no one really knows what will or will not survive a massive EMP such as the type in the hugely popular book, One Second After. Second, and more to the point, I am not well versed on the technical side of electronics even though I am a techy nerdy type when in comes to computers.

    will solar panels survive an EMP


    Faced with a good question and no answer, I turned to my long time friend, George Ure, who I have known since 1971. George writes a popular news and economics column at UrbanSurvival.com is also the author of Peoplenomics. He is an absolute whiz at this stuff so I turned the question over to him.

    George Ure Answers the Question: Will Solar Panels Survive an EMP?
    The answer to EMP protection is fairly complex, as you might imagine.

    EMP is a pulse of energy created by an atomic or chemical blast under highly specialized conditions. The easiest way to create it is to set off a fairly high yield atomic blast above the Earth’s atmosphere. Gamma radiation, upon striking the upper atmosphere, sets off the pulse which is about one-third the length (or smaller) than the duration of a lightning strike.

    In the analysis of EMP damage, one needs to look not only at the device itself (the solar panel) but you also need to take into account the peripheral equipment and wiring. A solar panel itself may be inherently resistant to EMP to some extent. But, if damage occurs, it is likely due to the wires between the solar panel and (most often) the solar charge controller.

    Another way of looking at it is to pretend that the system you are trying to protect is a complex network of components that might (in simplest form) look like this:

    Will Solar Panels Survive an EMP


    I’ve drawn three transparent areas to represent the three “antennas” that are commonly created by this kind of installation:

    · Upper left: Solar panel to battery including the wire run from the panels, DC disconnect switch, wiring to the charger controller.

    · Right: Wiring from the charge controller to the battery.

    · Lower left: From the battery to the inverters (which turns the DC into useful AC power) and the inverter output wiring.

    I have a fairly extensive grid-interactive system so I’ve installed multiple layers of protection. On the panel side I have transient voltage suppressors (TVSs) from the panels to ground. Next there is a network of TVS (actually 5 discrete devices wired in parallel across the battery bank) and then a serious (4,000 joule) line surge device on the inverter’s AC side.

    Now, as to what’s going to “give” first (in the event of an actual emergency, eh?) that becomes anyone’s guess. What I can tell you is that lightning plays havoc (and is a very likely enemy of any off-grid installation, particularly in the South during spring tornado and thunderstorms).

    About a year ago we had a serious lightning strike about 500-feet from our solar panels. The panels did just fine. What blew out was the AC grid-interactive control circuitry which is how I spent $1,200 to learn that my fancy inverter-chargers, while great in general (Outback power GTFX 2524’s stacked) they were no match for a surge of many hundreds of volts coming directly over from our neighbor’s house which takes off from the same power pole transformer.

    You talk about turning ol’ George into a True Believer in the best surge protection you can afford! Making a major commitment to solar and keeping it online during [whatever] involves a number of subtle design attributes and your readers are wise to think of these up front.

    If you’re looking at a couple of discrete panels and a small $200-class inverter and a few car batteries? Simply keep the charge controller in your metal (Faraday cage) garbage can and short the solar panel leads (not in bright sun, of course!) and don’t worry.


    The Final Word
    As I said at the onset, no one really knows what will happen if there is a catastrophic EMP. George’s answer is to get the best surge protection possible and don’t worry. Actually, when you think about it, if a huge EMP was going to take down the grid, we would have a lot more to worry about than our home-based solar setup.

    Just thinking about it makes me want to eat chocolate.
    "Teach the children quietly
    For someday sons and daughters
    Will rise up and fight while we stood still"

    I stayed up all night to see where the sun went. Then it dawned on me.

  2. #2
    I'll most likely shit myself



    bacpacker's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    East Tennessee
    Posts
    7,599
    Thanks for sharing the article Domey.

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •