Radiated High-Altitude Electromagnetic Pulse Testing of Photovoltaic Panels

High-altitude electromagnetic pulses pose an unknown risk to the electric power grid, and the vulnerabilities will continue to arise as the structure and needs of the grid change. This is especially true with the increasing prevalence of renewable energy sources. This work investigates the vulnerability of photovoltaic modules to E1-like radiated environments with maximum field levels exceeding 100 kV/m. State of health checks via I-V curve trace measurements and physical inspection indicated no readily observable damage or degradation of the module behavior after multiple field exposures. Any variation in I-V curve data was attributable to ambient conditions at the time of measurement and was reflected in similar measurements of the experimental control. Follow-up measurements with a calibrated light source showed that all modules aligned with the experimental control and exceeding the manufacturer ratings for fill factor and efficiency, implying that no damage was incurred from field exposure. Coupled current measurements were also performed over the course of testing, showing a damped sine response in common mode and double exponential response in differential mode. The responses were observed to scale with incident field and were dependent on the module orientation.