Characteristics of Failure SiC Schottky Barrier Diode and Si Schottky Barrier Diode using Induced Lightning Serge Application Test

Recently, failures in photovoltaic systems (PVSs) caused by lightning damage have been increasing. When lightning strikes a PVS, the bypass diode (BPD), which is a protection element in the solar cell module (PV-MDL), breaks down and burns out, rendering the PVS inoperable. In this study, an impulse current test was conducted to clarify the lightning-induced BPD failure mechanism. The impulse current with a peak of 100 kA was employed to simulate a lightning strike traveling in the vicinity of a PV-MDL. The results indicated that a BPD fails because lightning (induced electromotive force) strikes in the bypass circuit of the PV-MDL as the impulse current passes in its vicinity. Furthermore, installing a metal frame in the PV-MDL was shown to reduce the negative impact of such lightning strikes.