EMPs are dangerous things. Although they don't effect people, they can result in the loss of sensitive equipment necessary for our survival. Not only that, but losing this equipment can be costly, which can be a major letdown when you've spent thousands of dollars preparing your ultimate bug out location only to have your power system useless when you get there. To learn how this works, and how to avoid it, take a look at the article below.

EMP is a pulse of energy created by an atomic or chemical blast under highly specialized conditions. The easiest way to create it is to set off a fairly high yield atomic blast above the Earth’s atmosphere. Gamma radiation, upon striking the upper atmosphere, sets off the pulse which is about one-third the length (or smaller) than the duration of a lightning strike.
In the analysis of EMP damage, one needs to look not only at the device itself (the solar panel) but you also need to take into account the peripheral equipment and wiring. A solar panel itself may be inherently resistant to EMP to some extent. But, if damage occurs, it is likely due to the wires between the solar panel and (most often) the solar charge controller.
Making a major commitment to solar and keeping it online during [whatever] involves a number of subtle design attributes and your readers are wise to think of these up front.
If you’re looking at a couple of discrete panels and a small $200-class inverter and a few car batteries? Simply keep the charge controller in your metal (Faraday cage) garbage can and short the solar panel leads (not in bright sun, of course!) and don’t worry.
The Final Word
As I said at the onset, no one really knows what will happen if there is a catastrophic EMP. George’s answer is to get the best surge protection possible and don’t worry. Actually, when you think about it, if a huge EMP was going to take down the grid, we would have a lot more to worry about than our home-based solar setup.
Just thinking about it makes me want to eat chocolate.

While it appears that there is nothing you can do to ensure your solar equipment won't be destroyed by the surge created by an EMP, it is nice to know you can at least lessen the risk. While it may be difficult to justify the expenditure, spending a little extra money on surge protection may be a wise decision, especially if the alternative is to lose your entire system to a lightning strike or EMP.

There is quite a bit more to this article, so if you'd like to read more visit Backdoor Survival.