Energy industry

Lightning strikes, transient overvoltages and arc faults present a risk to sensitive systems and components in the power sector. In today’s competitive environment, system failure is a serious threat.

Reduce cost-intensive operational disturbances in wind turbines, PV systems, battery storage systems and LED components, and in the broad field of power networks. With a comprehensive protection concept to combat lightning effects, overvoltage and arc faults, you can optimise the availability of your systems and, at the same time, protect your staff and the environment.

Wind turbines

Protection in case of direct lightning strikes and transient surges

Lightning is particularly likely to strike wind turbines due to their exposed location, height and complexity.

As lightning strikes often cause considerable material and economic damage, it is important to protect your turbines. The chief objective is to prevent lightning from damaging the rotor blades, bearings and electrical systems. Permanent availability is the top priority, both for on- and offshore wind turbines.

More about wind turbine protection

Photovoltaic systems

Secure the availability of the PV system

Surge damage due to a thunderstorm is one of the most frequent causes of damage in PV systems

Surges often lead to the destruction of system parts such as modules, inverters and monitoring systems. The financial consequences are dire. Replacement of a faulty inverter, new installation of the PV system, loss of revenue resulting from downtime… all mean that the break-even point and thus the profit zone is reached much later.

Decide in favour of a professional and comprehensive lightning protection system
consisting of

External lightning protection with an air-termination and down conductor system
Internal lightning protection with surge protection for lightning equipotential bonding,

In doing so, you increase system availability and secure your revenue in the long term.

More about photovoltaic system protection

Smart grids

Solutions for smart grids

In the power grid of the future, power generation will be decentral. An increasing number of distribution networks are taking green power from PV systems and wind turbines and transporting it in all directions. As a result, we now have a multi-directional flow of energy. Widescale networking of different smart technologies is becoming commonplace.

Modern technology = higher risk

Operators, therefore, need to pay more attention to the protection of their systems. Smart telecontrols, data and communications technology require an increasing number of electronic components. This leads to a greater risk of damage to electronic devices due to

Lightning interference
Surges
Electromagnetic interference

More about the protection of smart grids

Battery storage systems

Protect electric battery storage systems

Battery storage systems store the excess energy produced by PV systems and feed it back into the grid when required. This counterbalances fluctuations and peak loads in the power supply network.

Surges, direct lightning strikes put your battery storage system at risk.

Lightning discharge jeopardises the sensitive electronics required for the process of loading and discharging. The surges which occur often exceed the dielectric strength of the electronic components installed many times over. Network-related voltage peaks can also damage electronic parts.

In fact, just ONE defective component in the chain could be enough to cause the whole battery storage system to malfunction. The operator then has to resort to other systems, e.g., water pumping power stations, in order to fulfil his contractual obligations. A very costly process for him.

Minimise expensive maintenance and repair work. Safeguard the availability of your storage system. With a customised lightning and surge protection concept.

More about the protection of battery storage systems

LED

Surge protection concepts for LED street lighting systems

Long-lasting LED technology means less maintenance jobs and lower costs

Street lights are currently being retrofitted by many communities and municipal utilities. Conventional luminaires are primarily replaced with LEDs. Why is this conversion taking place now? There are many reasons: funding programmes, energy efficiency, bans on certain lighting technologies and, of course, lower maintenance for LED luminaires.

Better protection for expensive technology

LED technology has many advantages. However, it also has a lower surge immunity than conventional luminaire technologies. What is more, the LED luminaires are more expensive to replace. In practice, damage analyses have revealed that surges usually damage more than one LED street light at a time.

More about the protection of LED-Systems