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Will Solar Panels 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
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:
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.
Enjoy your next adventure through common sense and thoughtful preparation!
Gaye
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One Second After
Ambient Weather Emergency Solar Hand Crank Radio
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Dorcy LED Wireless Motion Sensor Flood Lite
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Will Solar Panels Survive an EMP? is the latest article from Gaye Levy at Backdoor Survival.
Source: http://www.backdoorsurvival.com/will-solar-panels-survive-emp/
You can wrap your inverter and controller in aluminum foil. The panels should be ok. If you are really worried,keep a standby inverter and controller inside an old microwave oven. They make a perfect faraday cage.
I have an emergency solar panel setup too, just in case. The solar panels themselves are safe, EMP is not a threat the the actual panels. However the charge controllers, voltage inverters and any peripheral electronics are subject to damage from an EMP. So I keep all such gear well insulated and packed away in a steel trash can with a tight fitting lid…
It is good, very good, to see that proper/common sense advice is spreading across the web; about EMP and protection methods or plans…bravo!
#1. I don’t know if you could “just wrap your inverter/controller” for meaningful protection – due to the still connected wires running from them to other devices/loads… The concept of “protecting what you’ll need to make it run/work” after the fact seems very prudent and should sidestep the effect of the connecting wires, etc.
The truly basic question to ask “first” is… Do you want an operational, used daily, system to survive? Or, are you looking to have a “stand-by system” inhand to then “start using/running” after the fact?…
Your own answer to these questions will then lead you to the proper level of preparation and protection needed to support your planned usage.
The use of the aluminum/metal foil wrap needs to understood – as well as the overall gross area/capacity of a metal trashcan or small room, etc. You NEED to somehow insulate the device itself FROM that foil wrap, to be effective… In most cases a simple cardboard box, over-sized for the device, can provide this by way of a “void air” space..AND, THEN, remember to “insulate” that wrapped box from any “other” conductive surfact (like the inside of your trash can) AND THE GROUND ITSELF! Think of this as a “box within a box within a box” series. The foil must be solid/continuous – no gaps or tears. I personally use two full, cross wrapped, layers. Common, DRY, wood blocks will provide the stand-off from ground.
REMEMBER…we will have ZERO, NONE, ZIP/ZILCH warning before such an event… ALL of your protection(s) must be IN PLACE now…before!
Check-6 and we’ll see you on the other side.
NO mention here of solar/sun generated EMPs? This is, of course, a major unknown. It has happened before.
http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2008/06may_carringtonflare/
The EMP might or might not survive. The owner definitely won’t.
For starters picture thousands of commercial jetliners falling from the sky and starting fires when they crash.
Who will put out the fires? Not the fire department because the electronics of the trucks could be fried. If they survive, the roads will be blocked by dead vehicles.
The water facilities will also become dysfunctional if they haven’t been hardened against the EMP attack.
EMP attack? Everyone dies.
If nuclear bombs go off, it is going to be every man for themselves. If you have a functioning solar system, you should have a very good rifle or pistol and a lot of ammunition to defend it with.
The police won’t be able to help you, the National Guard won’t be able to help you. You will be on your own.
I have two small micro solar setups, a 5 watt and a 20 watt. If there is a problem with either of them I have enough components stored in a faraday cage to make two more 5 watt setups. So I will just replace any fried components. If I am lucky I will only be replacing a charge controller.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Uses-For-Dead-Car-Batteries-And-Sealed-Lead-Acid-B/?ALLSTEPS
The car batteries for these were actually in my car at one time and were replaced because they could no longer start a car (hundreds of amps) but they work just fine to run some LED lighting at night or a small DC fan.
I also have a couple of volt meters in the faraday cage. You really need a volt (multi-meter) meter. It will be very useful to troubleshoot all kinds of things including which ones of your rechargeable batteries will no longer recharge.
Put them all in a steel fuse box like the houses other fuses/switches.