Electricity + Control October 2018

round up EARTHING + LIGHTNING PROTECTION

Lightning protection as solar installations gather momentum

other parts of the world. Additionally, many countries in Africa face the issue of un- reliable utility power grids, with frequent outages, which can in turn create power surges. Therefore, new and existing solar farms must be protected against the pos- sibilities of both lightning strikes as well as unexpected power surges. “Lightning strikes to solar farms will cause damage at the strike point, as well as lightning surge damage to any equipment that is connected downstream or within the area due to induced effects. External lightning protection helps avoid damage at the strike point itself, while surge pro- tection devices help prevent downstream damage because of conducted and in- duced surges from the strike, while further allowing the renewable energy system to stay online,” clarifies Puttkammer. “There has been a growing realisa- tion that damages that can be caused by lightning are worth safeguarding against from the beginning of the process, and that the attempts at cost-saving by not including surge and lightning protection systems on PV plants is simply not worth the risk. When it comes to our involvement in new solar projects across Africa, we are pleased to see a trend in protecting against lightning and surges right from the design stage.” Another trend, says Puttkammer, is that DEHN AFRICA has been called on to intro- duce well-known international standards

of lightning and surge protection to coun- tries that have not always been exposed to them. “This is more prevalent in the central African countries. One of the advantages that DEHN brings in is our long-standing history of excellence and uncompromising approach to safety.” DEHN has over 4,000 devices and com- ponents, tested to international standards, which allow flexible comprehensively de- signed systems. In addition, custom com- ponents and devices can be engineered for the unique requirements of individual systems. From its lightning current tested air-termination systems, to surge protec- tion devices for communication systems, photovoltaic (PV) energy systems can be comprehensively protected. “Against a backdrop in which many of Africa’s electrical distribution systems are in stages of development and dependent on either coal or biomass sources – both of which are finite or depletable – the use of solar energy is desirable, from the per- spectives of Africa’s abundant access to solar power as well as its environmentally friendly footprint. DEHN AFRICA is pleased to play this important role in making Africa’s solar-powered projects able to withstand the challenges of lightning and surge possi- bilities,” concludes Puttkammer. Enquiries: Hano Oelofse.

The use of solar power and solar energy installations is growing around the globe, and this holds true in Africa as well. DEHN AFRICA has worked on a number of pro- jects across the continent and notes that, while solar installations are on the rise, the use of photovoltaic (PV) installations brings with it the need for protection against light- ning and surge protection. This is according to Julienne Puttkam- mer, part of the technical team at DEHN AFRICA, who says, “We have seen a re- cent focus on the importance of solar pow- er in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries, where the installation of solar projects is gathering momentum. At DEHN AFRICA, we’ve defi- nitely had an upswing in this area over the past six months, as well as involvement in projects in more northern and central Af- rica.” Across Africa DEHN has seen a focus on ground-mounted utility-scale PV instal- lations, generally implying a strong gov- ernment commitment, but with a growing understanding from the private sector of solar energy’s profitability opportunities. Besides South Africa, the company has worked on installations in countries in- cluding Mozambique, Namibia, Mauritius, Madagascar and Swaziland. It must be remembered that Africa is a continent where vast areas are prone to lightning strikes, recording higher lightning ground flash density figures than in many

Tel. +27 (0) 11 704 1487 or email hano.oelofse@dehn-africa.com

Surge protection made easy The VAL-US series is a UL Listed series of pluggable surge protection devices that utilise high-capacity varistors to provide high-quality protection. These devices of- fer status indication contacts for remote monitoring, as well as hot-swappable plugs with integrated visual status indication for easy maintenance and replace- ment. Our VAL-US series offers a complete portfolio of configurations for U.S. power systems. As UL Open Type 1 Listed devices, these products integrate easily into new and existing systems and applications. UL recently added the ‘OpenType’ descrip- tion to complement traditional hard-wired SPDs. An Open Type rating allows DIN rail-mounted surge protection to be UL List- ed as delivered with field wiring terminals. Implementation of these high-perfor- mance surge protection devices is easier than ever for panel builders and OEMs, and can be accomplished without any additional safety evaluations. Enquiries: Sheree Britz.Tel +27 (0) 11 801 8200 or email sbtz@phoenixcontact.co.za

34 Electricity + Control

OCTOBER 2018