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 projects 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 lightning and surge protection.

This is according to Julienne Puttkammer, part of the technical team at DEHN AFRICA, who says, “We have seen a recent focus on the importance of solar power in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries, where the installation of solar projects is gathering momentum. At DEHN AFRICA, we’ve definitely had an upswing in this area over the past six months, as well as involvement in projects in more northern and central Africa.”

DEHN AFRICA, the local subsidiary of DEHN, a globally active electrotechnical company offering comprehensive services, products and solutions in the field of surge protection, lightning protection and safety equipment, offers turn-key services for lightning and surge protection as well as AC system earthing, from the beginning to the end of a project. These services include lightning risk assessments, soil-resistivity testing, earth-grid design for AC system faults, detailed lightning protection designs, design and system inspection reports, including the final lightning safety reports.  

Across Africa, says Puttkammer, DEHN AFRICA has seen a focus on ground-mounted utility-scale PV installations, generally implying a strong government 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 including Mozambique, Namibia, Mauritius, Madagascar and Swaziland.

“We are seeing a mix of both private and government projects, and it appears that more and more African countries are becoming aware of the advantages of using the sun’s energy as a resource, as solar energy becomes cheaper due to global economies of scale causing prices to drop in recent years. Obviously, the growing use of solar energy also assists with the global desire to commit to a reduction in global warming,” he adds.

This growth in solar installations in Africa is consistent with a report released earlier this year by HIS Markit, a global information provider based in London, which noted that 2017 had seen annual global solar installations grow by almost 20 percent from 2016, with capacity expected to reach the milestone of 100GW this year[1]. In Africa itself, access to affordable power is critical for the economic growth and development of the continent.

This growth in solar installations in Africa is consistent with a report released earlier this year by HIS Markit,a global information provider based in London, which noted that 2017 had seen annual global solar installations grow by almost 20 percent from 2016, with capacity expected to reach the milestone of 100GW this year. In Africa itself, access to affordable power is critical for the economic growth and development of the continent.

At the same time, 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 other parts of the world. Additionally, many countries in Africa face the issue of unreliable utility power grids, with frequent outages, which can in turn create power surges. Therefore, new and existing solar farms must be protected against the possibilities 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 protection devices help prevent downstream damage because of conducted and induced surges from the strike, while further allowing the renewable energy system to stay online,” clarifies Puttkammer.

DEHN AFRICA’s engagement in the protection of solar farms in South Africa has helped inform its approach towards new installations in other African countries, says Puttkammer. “We’ve been involved in lightning and surge protection for solar projects in South Africa since 2013, during the initial roll-out of a solar plant here. Our local experience followed on from our initial capabilities and experience in Europe, where conditions are very different. We noted initially in South Africa that we were largely being called in for retro-fitting of lightning and surge protection measures, but this is changing. We are now being called in increasingly at the design stage of a new round of renewable energy projects, which is obviously more desirable from a technical standpoint.

“There has been a growing realisation 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 introduce well-known international standards of lightning and surge protection to countries 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 components, tested to international standards, which allow flexible comprehensively designed systems. In addition, custom components and devices can be engineered for the unique requirements of individual systems. From its lightning current tested air-termination systems, to surge protection 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 perspectives 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 possibilities,” concludes Puttkammer.