Hi everybody,
I am just searching information regarding EMP protection for the essential units powering my home and was unsure if Victron products are shielded against natural or man made EMPs.
Any information is welcome.
Thanks, Michel
asked
Victron SmartSolar and Multiplus protection vs EMP ?
The short answer is no. True, some elements of Victron components and their design will make them slightly less susceptible than some other brands to naturally-occurring EM surges such as seen this past weekend, but Victron components are not specifically hardened against such events, as truly hardened components cost exponentially more than the consumer market will bear.
It's worth noting of course that unfortunately the vast majority of "shield your home (or car) from EMP" products are 100% snake oil unless you intend to put your entire home into a Faraday cage, which of course most people object to both in terms of cost as well as because you then also lose all wifi, cellular coverage, and etc; as well as because the wires entering your home would still be conductors of EM surges regardless of a whole-home Faraday cage, unless the wires too were hardened which would require a massive infrastructure overhaul.
There are steps that can be taken to mitigate the risk of damage to critical infrastructure and individual components from EM damage, though of course the effectiveness of any such steps depends entirely on the class and duration of the event. As seen this past weekend, most of our everyday equipment is already remarkably tolerant to natural EM events, but a man-made event would tend to be orders of magnitude higher-class if not necessarily longer duration.
The NCCIC's publication detailing threat analysis and steps that can be taken is a valuable read if you're looking into the topic. It's a few years old, but of course more recent official studies and publications remain largely classified, so sometimes slightly older suggestions are the only suggestions that are accessible.
