Thunderstorms occur virtually everywhere and that puts any buildings at risk. Packing up to 100 million volts of electricity, a bolt of lightning has the power to rip through roofs, explode walls of brick and concrete and ignite deadly fires. At any given moment there are 2000 thunderstorms happening somewhere in the world. Unlike most other weather hazards, lightning is a preventable risk.
A lightning strike to an unprotected structure can be disastrous and a single incident can be very costly, with losses ranging from damage to expensive electronics to fires that destroy entire buildings.
A direct hit to a building, nearby strike to a power line, or even a voltage surge originating from your utility company can cause a fire in the electrical service panel boxes or seriously damage equipment by frying insulation and sensitive microprocessor components.
Lightning protection systems are installed more today than ever before. Prior to the age of electronics, the threat to structures from lightning was primarily fire-related. With high-rise buildings and enhanced communication lines, power and generation systems, and water piping have since created induction problems for today’s structures, allowing lightning’s access through energized lines or system grounds.
A full system with all the elements (strike termination devices, conductors, bonds, grounding and surge protection) are essential for safe and effective protection. Lightning protection systems are designed to protect a structure and provide a specified path to harness and safely ground the super-charged current of the lightning bolt.
The system neither attracts nor repels a strike, but receives the stroke and routes it harmlessly into the earth, thus discharging the dangerous electrical event. Surge arresters and suppressors are devices designed to protect a building’s electronics and software systems from harmful lightning surges. (Floro Mercene)