Renewable energies secure our future, as these energies are not generated from increasingly scarce fossil energy sources. Solar cells that convert sunlight directly into electricity offer great advantages. The systems are usually located in exposed locations and attract not only sunlight but also other, unwanted energy in the form of lightning. Direct or indirect lightning strikes can damage or destroy installations. Lightning and surge protection is therefore essential. Solar systems supply direct current, which is either used directly to power electrical devices or can be stored in batteries. Most often, however, solar electricity is converted into alternating current by inverters. This can be fed into the power grid or used for personal consumption. Lightning and surge protection therefore consists of components for the DC voltage and also arresters for the AC voltage.