Application of Module Ground Clips: An Enhanced and Simplified Approach for PV System Grounding

Recently, the problem of climate change caused by the increase in greenhouse gases has become a major issue, and the importance of eco-friendly energy is increasing worldwide. The installation of PV systems is increasing, and they are being installed in areas adjacent to users. Nevertheless, the concerns relevant to safety problems, such as grounding modules to prevent electric shock accidents, should be addressed. This study examined the effectiveness of applying grounding clips for PV module installations. When the grounding clip was applied, it showed approximately 6.7% improvement compared to the resistance value of the existing grounding wire. The grounding performance and construction convenience of the technology applied with the new grounding clip were verified by a comparison with the existing conventional grounding wire. For manufacturing the clips, a mold with a 32° cone angle and a height of 3.5 mm was used, and a fastening torque of 225 kgf∙cm was found to achieve satisfactory grounding resistance values compared to the conventional approach. Using a power tool and expanding it to nine modules (=5.56 kWp), the clip installation process took 585 s, which succeeded in reducing the installation time by approximately 38.1% compared to the 945 s taken using wires. Moreover, the module could be installed and grounded with only a two-step process of installing the module and fastening it with bolts, increasing the installation economy.