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Solar power production is an industry that has been in the spotlight in the American media landscape for several years as the push towards “green” energy production gains popularity.  Generally discussed in the same vain as wind power production, these two sources of renewable energy are favored by most environmentalists due to their negligible impacts on the environment. When compared to fossil fuel energy production, both solar and wind power are far and away the more preferable choice due to their low environmental impact and elimination of greenhouse gasses produced through the burning of fossil fuels. Greenhouse gasses and known and most widely recognized as having serious impacts on our worldwide climate, and the harvesting of the fossil fuel itself has also had serious detrimental effects on our landscapes and living conditions in production areas. With the advent of wind and solar power as viable alternatives that have the promise to fulfill demands, the discussion of complete elimination of fossil fuels as a power source, and the moving to greener production methods, becomes a very relevant one.  The hindrance at this point in time are the production costs which directly dictate the price of the energy that is paid by businesses and consumers. While there is generally no argument against wind and solar power as a method of producing power, the push back comes in the form of the prices that must be paid.  (more…)

Photovoltaic (PV) systems are at risk for significant ongoing damage and revenue losses to power plant operators as a result of damaging electrical storms.  Factors ranging from their remote locations and extensive layouts, to direct or indirect lightning strikes affecting system components, can all create revenue losses experienced as interruptions in power generation and equipment replacement costs.  Significant losses are sustained if a PV system is offline for even a few hours, let alone days or weeks.  The only way to mitigate damages caused by lighting surges is by avoiding the potential effects of surges with surge protective devices (SPDs) installed at inverter locations, inside combiner boxes, as well as at various other points within the PV power facility. (more…)

Solar farms using photovoltaic (PV) systems to produce clean energy for consumer or industrial use are subject to serious potential damage due to their specific physical makeup.  The necessity to cover wide expanses of land without having direct sunlight compromised by surrounding structures makes solar installations vulnerable to lightning strikes.  Combine this threat with the physical wear and tear of exposed open spaces caused by wind, rain and other natural events, and there exists a situation where replacement costs must be figured into ongoing operations.  It must be assumed that components of the system will be significantly damaged over time and need repair and replacement.  While there is little that technology can do to stop wind and rain damage, surges as a result of electrical storms can be prevented effectively with intelligent choices of  surge protective devices (SPDs).  All SPDs are not created equal, and offer different levels of solar power surge protection. (more…)

Photovoltaic surge protection systems are some of the most effective methods of increasing profitability of solar power plant installations. Operators of PV power systems understand the significant costs associated with equipment replacement or loss, and are also well aware of the risks of damage due to remote locations and extensive layouts. While inclement weather and natural environmental factors pose significant risks to solar installations, perhaps the most critical risk factor is lightning strikes to facility components. Lightning strikes create damage in the forms of both equipment destruction as well as revenue losses associated with systems being knocked offline for extended periods of time. The only effective means of protection is avoidance of the surge itself through installation of SPDs (surge protective devices) within inverter locations, string boxes as well as various other strategic points within the solar facility boundaries. (more…)

Over the course of the last five years or so, the nationwide interest in clean energy production has sparked additional demand for larger industrial installations of clean production facilities. The growing demand has produced the need for both larger facilities but also safer and more productive systems. The main issue facing these types of installations is the production of energy at a price which can match fossil fuels. The affordability of energy produced through “less clean” means has historically lead to the stagnation in advancements within the clean energy sectors, simply due to the lack of funding to develop the technologies. As we come closer and closer to prices which are equal, we find that technological exploration into improvements can propel clean energy production to a place which is unmatched as far as affordability. (more…)

Electrical protection is the common phrase to describe the protection of electronic components from the damages that occur as a result of electrical surges.  This problem is quite common due to the fact that electrical flow across power lines is not fixed at a specific capacity, and instead has the ability to surge to unspecified levels, the maximum capacity being only capped by the amount that the supply lines themselves are designed to transfer.  Fluctuations in the power levels being transferred across supply lines are known as “transients,” and have the ability to damage or destroy equipment instantaneously.  This represents the primary reasoning behind the installation of electrical protective devices in between supply lines and sensitive equipment in so many applications. (more…)

Industrial surge protection systems protect wind farms, cell sites, electrical vehicle (EV) charging stations and other industrial installations that rely on continuous uptime to remain profitable and serve the public. In cellular installations, customer connectivity to communications and data networks is facilitated by the ongoing operations of computerized equipment at cell towers in the field. Each cellular tower or rooftop cell site is a component of a communications grid which allows customers to remain connected while they are within range of that particular tower. The structure itself is a target for lightning strikes due to its physical makeup. The tower is designed to be taller than surrounding structures to provide unobstructed signals to be sent and received via the sites remote radio heads (RRHs) installed on tower or rooftops. The RRH is a sophisticated piece of radio equipment located at the top of the tower structure, and directly connected to the base station unit through fiber-optic cable and copper power cables; or by a hybrid combination cable consisting of both. Any lightning strike to the RRH or to the structure itself will generally create a surge that travels directly down parallel lines or is coupled into lines, easily moving from one component to the next through the metal structure to the power cables. These electrical transients must be prevented from making this journey in order to minimize the damage from lightning surges. In addition to physical damage, the downtime from being knocked offline due to electrical surges creates unhappy customers who are unable to connect to the network. (more…)

Two industries which see some of the largest benefits from DC surge protection are solar and telecommunications.  Although any industrial application which utilizes DC power current setups will be benefited by the installation of SPDs to protect the levels of current running to sensitive equipment at all times, there are several unique characteristics to these industries that make them especially susceptible to lightning strikes which is one of the leading causes of damage and as a result replacement costs to the business.  Raycap is a leading producer of DC surge protection products and systems, and offers numerous configurations of its Strikesorb surge protection line, which provides the optimum level of DC power protection from electrical surges produced by lightning strikes.

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