Repair of broken PV modules [RE-wrenches] How about Lightning Damage?

[Joel Davidson]

Someone installed a PV system above 9000 ft on Mt. Gorgonio, southeast
of San Bernardio, California with the PV array located at the base of
the antenna tower. Two different times in the 1980s, I sold solar
modules to the repairman who replaced broken modules caused by ice
falling off the towers. The replacement modules were cheap compared to
his $960 helicopter trip.

One of my customers in Dallas, Texas had 1 of 12 solar modules broken by
golf ball size hail a little over a year ago. That's 1 hail damaged
module in over 150,000 modules (I lost count a few years ago).

How about lightning damage to solar modules (not controllers, inverters
or batteries)? I have never had a solar module damaged by lightning. In
1983, Arco Solar did a report on "The Ability of Photovoltaic Modules to
Withstand Lightning Strikes." In summary, glass encapsulated metal
framed modules that are properly grounded can take direct lightning
strikes with no damage, grounded plastic modules experienced some
damage, ungrounded glass modules experienced some damage and ungrounded
plastic modules were destroyed.

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