EMP or Solar Flares: Do they cause any damage?

Solar panels are safe from nuclear electromagnetic pulses (EMP)s or solar flares with the exception of their diodes. However, these events may pose risks to the functionality of the components like the inverter, controller, and battery bank.

In this post, we will discuss;

What is an EMP?

An electromagnetic pulse (EMP) is a brief burst of electromagnetic radiation. It is also known as a transient electromagnetic disturbance.

The source of such a pulse can be natural or man-made, and it can manifest as a radiated, electric, or magnetic field or a conducted electric current, depending on the source.

EMP interference is often disruptive or destructive to electronic equipment, and at higher energy levels, a significant EMP event like a lightning strike can cause physical damage to objects like buildings and aircraft structures. EMP effect control is a significant area of electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) engineering.

Weapons designed to deliver the devastating effects of high-energy EMP have been developed.

According to research from the US Department of Homeland Security, EMP weapons have the capacity to destroy unguarded key infrastructure in the US, affecting millions over wide areas of the country.

There is anxiety about the EMP threat, but no precise estimate of how many people may suffer catastrophic damage as a result of this attack.

According to Martin and Mathew Weiss’ research, of the possibilities that could lead to electrical network breakdown, EMP has attracted the most public attention.

An EMP strike has become more of a possibility than it was previously when it was not viewed as an approaching threat to the United States.

What is a Solar Flare?

A solar flare is a brightening of the Sun that occurs suddenly near its surface and in close proximity to a group of sunspots. A coronal mass ejection is frequently, but not always, associated with powerful flares.

In the total sun irradiation, even the most strong flares are scarcely visible. Solar flares have a power-law spectrum of magnitudes; a clear detectable event requires an energy release of approximately 1020 joules, whereas a big event can emit up to 1025 joules.

Although they were first discovered in the visible electromagnetic spectrum, particularly in the hydrogen Hα emission line, they can now be identified in anything from radio waves to gamma rays.

Flares are strongly linked to the ejection of plasmas and particles into space from the Sun's corona; flares also release a lot of radio waves.

If the ejection is directed toward Earth, particles from the disruption can enter the upper atmosphere (the ionosphere), causing spectacular auroras and perhaps disrupting long-range radio transmission.

The solar plasma ejecta normally takes days to reach Earth. Flares can also happen on other stars, in which case the phrase stellar flare is used. High-energy relativistic particles can arrive practically simultaneously with electromagnetic radiations.

The severity of the event matters

Depending on the severity of the electromagnetic pulse (EMP) or solar flare, most solar panels would be unaffected.

The larger the solar array, however, the more likely it is that the supporting equipment, such as the wiring, charge controller, and inverter, may be damaged.

Here is how the severity of an EMP event can affect your solar power system. A strong solar flare or strong EMP event could cause your solar panels to burn out, and it may even affect the surrounding power grid.

A small EMP can also bring down a few nearby transformers but will not be as widespread an effect as a large one would have. So you see, there is some risk with any type of high-energy radiation.

During a very severe solar storm, the power grid may be knocked offline for hours or even days. For this reason, it is wise to have a backup generator on-site at all times in case of such an event.

A solar flare has the potential to affect your solar panel equipment if you live close enough to a major substation and there are transformers near your home that could blow out as well.

In general, though, they will not damage other nearby electronics like TVs or computers because most electrical devices are designed with built-in protection against these types of events.

In the vast majority of cases, EMP or solar flare will see no harm.

The Different Parts Of A Nuclear EMP

A nuclear EMP strike will not destroy physical structures such as buildings in the same way that a conventional nuclear explosion would, but it can cause havoc on a country’s electricity grid.

The energy waves caused an overload of electrical equipment and circuitry, particularly microchips.

Wiring works as a conductor, carrying them directly to the heart of your circuitry; microchips are particularly vulnerable. EMPs emitted by a nuclear explosion occurred in three waves. The E1, E2, and E3 waves are the names given to these waves.

A nuclear EMP manifests itself in three distinct waves known as the E1, E2, and E3 waves.

An E1 pulse is the first to strike. This is the most devastating force, with a jolt of up to 50,000 volts of electricity. It occurs as a quick burst of gamma radiation within seconds of a thermonuclear blast, overwhelming the air in its path.

I’m referring to a wave of energy that will encircle Ground Zero for thousands of kilometers.

The E2 wave follows, and it is the easiest to defend against. It has the force of a regular bolt of lightning, which is generally protected against by standard safeguards such as surge protectors.

However, by the time an E2 pulse strikes, the power grid has most certainly been devastated by the E1 blast.

The last and slowest traveling electromagnetic pulse of a nuclear EMP attack is known as an E3. It generates currents in objects such as power lines and telephone wires and travels along with them, destroying transformers and power stations along the way.

Smaller devices that do not have long transmission lines linked to them will most likely survive this third and final wave, albeit they were most certainly destroyed by the previous waves by this point.

According to studies commissioned by the US government throughout the years, replacing the bigger components of the electricity grid might take weeks or months.

Many larger transformers used in the US power grid are only manufactured in Europe, and only a limited number are created each year. As a result, it would take months for them to be manufactured and shipped over.

EMPs can occur as a result of a nuclear blast or as a main weapon with the purpose of disrupting electrical systems on a large scale, which is the more likely scenario. If a nuclear EMP attack occurs, you should plan on being without power for at least six months.

After An EMP or Solar Flare, What Happens to Your Solar Panels?

Within a certain range, most solar panels can withstand EMPs caused by natural phenomena such as lightning. If lightning strikes within 500 feet of your panels, they will be unharmed, but the wiring and circuitry connected to them will usually be destroyed.

After a solar flare, you can expect a similar situation.

The solar panels should be fine on their own. They may experience a slight reduction in output after being subjected to an EMP, perhaps by 5%. The diodes, which send energy from your panels to your home’s battery bank, are the only part of your solar panels that are likely to be affected.

The more solar panels you have, the more likely you are to be damaged by an EMP attack. Particularly if you have a complex setup with diode strings or rows of photovoltaic modules.

Other Solar Grid Components

While your panels will be fine, the other electronics connected to them may be fried. You can lessen the likelihood of this happening by employing surge protectors, though depending on the power of the EMP. However, this may not be enough itself.

The two most important targets are your controller, which charges the batteries from your solar panels, and your voltage inverter, which converts the power stored in the battery to 120 volts AC.

Spares of these parts, as well as extra diodes and other supplies, should be stored inside a Faraday bag to guarantee that your solar grid remains functioning in the event of an EMP attack.

How to Keep Your Solar Panels Safe?

You may take certain actions to protect your solar panels and increase their chances of surviving an EMP.

Disconnect them

If you have advance warning of an EMP, you may have enough time to disconnect your solar panels and store them, along with all of their components, in a Faraday bag. This is the best-case situation, and you will suffer little to no damage.

Go off the grid

If your solar panels are not connected to the public power grid, they have a considerably better chance of surviving an EMP strike.

The electricity system will almost surely be affected by an EMP attack since it works like a big antenna reaching across the entire country; that energy will be transported to your home and fry any gadgets attached inside.

Although, if the EMP was the consequence of a big, full-scale nuclear war, that may be the least of your concerns. If you’re not connected to the grid, you simply have to worry about the E1 hitting your panels and the E2 and E3 arriving through your own wiring.

Create a Faraday cage

You could try to create a Faraday cage out of wire mesh around your complete solar array, but this isn’t really practical. It would obstruct sunlight and significantly diminish the effectiveness of your solar unit on a daily basis until the EMP occurred.

It would also be ineffective if your solar panels were still connected to all of your home’s sensitive components.

Keep spare parts available

We said it before, but it bears repeating because it is most likely the most practical solution. Purchase spare parts for every component of your solar array. This contains extra panels, an inverter, and diodes. Put them all in a Faraday bag to maintain them safe until after an EMP event.

Use military grade components

The military has EMP-proof wiring that it uses to defend its equipment and vehicles from a potential attack.

You can buy EMP-resistant wire to use with your solar panels to boost their chances of survival. A military-grade inverter may be difficult to find but there are companies that offer solar components that are EMP-resistant.

How to fix Solar Power System following an EMP or Solar Flare?

The ability to repair your solar array after an EMP strike is determined by the strength of the strike, the proximity of the detonation, and the precautions you made ahead of time.

The first thing you should do is do a thorough examination of the system to determine what is still operational and what has been destroyed.

Begin by inspecting your diodes

You may test inspect them with a multimeter in diode mode. However, as long as they haven’t melted, they should be good. Replacing any that have been damaged is straightforward, but it’s a good idea to view a YouTube video now while you have the power to see how it’s done.

Check if any of your wirings has become fried

It is rather simple to replace with new wiring. The disadvantage is that if you detect a burned wire, the rest of your components were most likely damaged as well.

Using a multimeter, check your batteries, controller, and inverter to determine if any have shorted. Ideally, you have spares stored in a Faraday bag that you can swap them out with.

Your local electronics store is unlikely to be open following an attack, so if you don’t have spare components on hand ahead of time, you’ll be out of luck.

Panels are quite inexpensive and easy to obtain, so it’s a good idea to keep some spares on hand, even if they’re the least likely to be damaged.

How can Coronal Mass Ejections affect my solar panels?

CMEs are massive solar flares that, aside from nuclear EMPs, represent the greatest EMP worry. A CME would have the same effect on your home solar system as a nuclear attack. Solar panels are unlikely to be harmed, but your inverter and controller are almost certainly ruined.

We had a near-miss with a CME in 2012 that could have cut power in the US for years, and there is a 12% possibility that another one will impact within the next ten years, so it is a major concern.

Can solar panels be usable after a nuclear EMP?

It is dependent on the impact of the nuclear blast on the atmosphere. A nuclear EMP may just knock off power to the entire country, with no further consequences. However, if enough nuclear power is used, a nuclear winter might occur.

This is a period of cold or darkness induced by a layer of dust and smoke from the explosion, which can obscure the sun. Even a functional solar array would be useless if the country went black due to nuclear winter.

If the globe devolves into a complete nuclear war, there will most certainly be far more pressing problems than restoring power.