If a nuclear weapon of sufficient size is detonated high in the atmosphere an emp can disrupt everything that uses electronic circuitry potentially causing irreversible damage to electronics in cars airplanes the u s.
Would a cme affect solar panels.
We had a near miss in 2012 with a cme that could have knocked out power in the us for years and there s a 12 chance another one will hit within the next 10 years so it s a real concern.
If a direct collision occurs the event will cause disruptions in earth s magnetic field.
Electric grid and yes your home solar system.
Solar flares and cmes affect the earth differently.
A cme would affect your home solar system similar to a nuclear attack.
The carrington event aka the solar storm of 1859 saw a huge solar coronal mass ejection unleashed at earth s protective magnetosphere producing an epic geomagnetic storm the scale of which modern civilisation had never before witnessed.
Solar panels and temperature believe it or not warmer temperatures actually have an adverse effect on the production of solar panels.
There are several other factors that affect solar panel efficiency and the ability to convert sunlight into energy for use in our homes and businesses.
As a barrage of charged particles collided with earth s magnetic field intense auroras lit up skies around the world but with strong electrical.
So unless the owner of the solar system has the foresight to store spare parts in a faraday cage their working solar panels won t do them much good.
However the larger the solar array is the more likely that there will be damage to the supporting equipment including the wiring charge controller and inverter.
The chances of.
The problem is that the solar charge controller used to charge the batteries and the voltage inverter that converts the battery power to 120 volts ac will probably be destroyed by the emp.
During a cme the fluctuations of the sun s magnetic fields cause a large portion of the surface of the sun to expand rapidly ejecting billions of tons of particles out into space.
But another solar event called a coronal mass ejection cme can cause serious problems for electrical systems here on earth.
Of course if a nuke is detonated a little closer to the ground the emp will be the least of your worries.
The plasma is released into the solar wind and can be observed in coronagraph imagery.
They often follow solar flares and are normally present during a solar prominence eruption.
It could also trigger polar lights and geomagnetic storms in areas that will be affected by the solar.
Thirdly cmes affect a wider range of technologies like communication systems and power grids and can do more permanent damage.
Solar panels are unlikely to be affected but your inverter and controller will likely be destroyed.
In 2012 where cme missed earth by only about a week.
Secondly cmes that makes direct contact with earth can cause electrical grid collapse.
Depending on the strength of the electromagnetic pulse emp most solar panels would likely not be affected.