Why Protecting Wind Turbines from Lightning is Critical

News by Alltec Corporation
Tuesday December 29, 2009

Exactly when and where lightning will strike is an unpredictable act of nature. If scientists could calculate the exact location of future lightning, the United States would be able to avoid the $2 billion in annual property damage due to this awesome yet terrifying natural phenomenon. However, the fact that lightning usually strikes the highest point is indisputable. Height, shape and isolation are all leading factors in determining the place where lightning will choose to strike. One of the worst possible courses of action during a storm is to stand under a tree; in fact, this is the number one leading cause of death or injury from lightning strikes. Wind turbines act in a similar manner, as they are the tallest point and sustain a high probability of being struck by lightning. Therefore, it is often not a matter of “if” but “when” a wind turbine will be struck by lightning or experiences other types of overvoltages and currents.

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