First Energy Supports Lightning Research on Solar Panels at the University of Colombo

Lightning is a real risk for solar installations in Sri Lanka, and better protection starts with better research. First Energy supplied the solar panels and inverters for a study at the Department of Physics, University of Colombo, presented at the University's Annual Research Symposium 2025 on 28 October 2025.

About the research

The study, Induced effect on the solar panel due to Narrow Bipolar Pulses, by G. Lokuhettige, S. Nanayakkara, M. Fernando and V. Cooray (University of Colombo, NitroCapt and Uppsala University), measured how a type of lightning discharge called a Narrow Bipolar Pulse affects a rooftop solar panel and microinverter.

• 83 pulses were recorded, seven of them negative Narrow Bipolar Pulses
• The highest induced peak to peak voltage was 1.44 V
• The induced current was negligible

The researchers note that understanding the shape, size and duration of lightning induced voltages is essential for designing effective protection for solar PV systems, and that further measurements are planned.

Supporting work like this helps the whole industry build safer, longer lasting solar systems for Sri Lankan conditions.

Source: Proceedings of the Annual Research Symposium 2025, University of Colombo