Lightning protection in agrivoltaic systems: Assessment of step and touch voltages tailored to livestock

Agrivoltaic (Agri-PV) systems enable the dual use of land for agricultural production and photovoltaic energy generation. When combined with livestock grazing, however, specific safety challenges arise under lightning conditions. This study investigates lightning-related hazards in livestock-integrated Agri-PV environments, focusing on the mechanisms of injury and safe exposure limits for step and touch voltages relevant to cattle. Analytical models and electromagnetic simulations performed in XGSLab, complemented by Python-based post-processing, are used to evaluate the performance of a conventional earth-termination system (ETS) for a representative Agri-PV site. The analysis considers typical lightning current waveforms, soil resistivities, and earthing configurations, and compares frequency-domain and time-domain approaches. The results show that hazardous voltage levels may occur under certain conditions, particularly near system boundaries and conductive elements. Mitigation strategies and tailored design recommendations are proposed to enhance lightning protection and improve livestock safety in Agri-PV installations.