There are three important parameters in solar photovoltaic (PV) panel performance, namely maximum output power, short-circuit current, and open-circuit voltage. All these parameters are affected by temperature fluctuations. This research is focused on the behaviour of a mono-crystalline solar PV panel under different temperatures using experimental work and the results are validated with a corresponding simulation using Matlab/Simulink software. The experimental and simulation results show that the electrical parameters change with a variation in temperature. When the temperature rises, the maximum output power and the open-circuit voltage decrease while the short-circuit current increases. Typically, when the surface temperature of the solar PV panel increases, the efficiency of the solar PV panel reduces.

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Solar photovoltaic (PV) farms currently play a vital role in the generation of electrical power in different countries, such as Malaysia, which is moving toward the use of renewable energy. Malaysia is one of the countries with abundant sunlight and thus can use solar PV farms as alternative sources for electricity generation. However, lightning strikes frequently occur in the country. Being installed in open and flat areas, solar PV farms, especially their electronic components, are at great risk of damage caused by lightning. In this paper, the effects of lightning currents with different peak currents and waveshapes on grid-connected solar PV farms were determined to approximate the level of transient effect that can damage solar PV modules, inverters and transformers. Depending on the location of the solar PV farm, engineer can obtain information on the peak current and median current of the site from the lightning location system (LLS) and utilise the results obtained in this study to appropriately assign an SPD to protect the solar panel, inverter and the main panel that connected to the grid. Therefore, the simulation results serve as the basis for controlling the effects of lightning strikes on electrical equipment and power grids where it provides proper justification on the 'where to be installed' and 'what is the rating' of the SPD. This judgment and decision will surely reduce the expensive cost of repair and replacement of electrical equipment damages due to the lightning.

A solar PV system was modelled and the effect of lightning striking different parts of a solar PV system was studied and the results discussed appropriately. Lightning strikes of different wave shapes and different magnitudes were considered. The purpose of this research is to observe the transient current and voltage that appears in a solar PV system when struck by lightning. The results show that a transient current will appear at the nearest point to the lightning strike and the value of the transient current is same as the lightning current, while the transient voltage will appear at AC side at any point of lightning strike. This could damage the inverter which requires a high cost to repair or replace. The information of this paper can be useful to decide a suitable lightning protection system before installing a solar PV system.

With increased electrical energy demands projected in the future, the development of a hybrid solar photovoltaic (PV)–battery energy storage system is considered a good option. However, since such systems are normally installed outdoors and in open areas, they are vulnerable to lightning strikes and may suffer from malfunctions or significant damage to sensitive components, which may result in a major breakdown and loss of revenue due to equipment replacement costs and inefficient operation. Thus, the objective of this paper is to investigate the effect of lightning-induced overvoltage on a hybrid solar PV–battery energy storage system, considering indirect lightning strikes nearby the system. The presented hybrid solar PV–battery energy storage system and lightning-induced overvoltage are modeled in Electro-Magnetic Transient Program-Restructured Version (EMTP-RV) software. The lightning-induced overvoltage is simulated based on a lightning waveshape of 10/350 µs using the Heidler expression, whilst the Rusck model is used to simulate the lightning-induced overvoltage. Different lightning current amplitudes (3, 19, and 169 kA), lightning strike locations (20, 50, and 100 m), and cable lengths (5, 10, and 20 m) are used to investigate the induced effects on the system and on the impulse withstand voltage of 6kV, as stated in MS IEC 60664-1 for solar PV–battery systems and inverters at the DC side. The results indicate that as the lightning strike distance increases from 20 to 100 m, the percentage of strikes exceeding the impulse withstand voltage reduces from 67% to 54% at 19 kA. At 169 kA, the impulse withstand voltage is exceeded by more than 100%, regardless of the strike distance (from 20 to 100 m). Furthermore, differences in cable length do not have much impact on the lightning-induced overvoltage due to the small voltage drop across the short cable length. This study provides useful information for PV systems owners and will be useful in assigning appropriate lightning protection schemes for PV farms.