Lightning Protection Standards

1. UNITED STATES

NFPA 780 Standard for the installation of Lightning Protection Systems.

NFPA 780 provides lightning protection system installation requirements to safeguard people and property from fire risk and related hazards associated with lightning exposure.

2.IEC

IEC 62305-1 Protection against lightning - Part 1: General principles.

It provides general principles to be followed for protection of structures against lightning, including their installations and contents, as well as persons.

IEC 62305-2 Protection against lightning - Part 2: Risk management.

It is applicable to risk assessment for a structure due to lightning flashes to earth. Its purpose is to provide a procedure for the evaluation of such a risk. Once an upper tolerable limit for the risk has been selected, this procedure allows the selection of appropriate protection measures to be adopted to reduce the risk to or below the tolerable limit.

IEC 62305-3 Protection against lightning - Part 3: Physical damage to structures and life hazard.

It provides the requirements for protection of a structure against physical damage by means of a lightning protection system (LPS), and for protection against injury to living beings due to touch and step voltages in the vicinity of an LPS (see IEC 62305-1).

IEC 62305-4 Protection against lightning - Part 4: Electrical and electronic systems within structures.

It provides information for the design, installation, inspection, maintenance and testing of electrical and electronic system protection (SPM) to reduce the risk of permanent failures due to lightning electromagnetic impulse (LEMP) within a structure.

IEC 62561-1 Lightning Protection System Components (LPSC) - Part 1: Requirements for connection components.

It specifies the requirements and tests for metallic connection components that form part of a lightning protection system (LPS). Typically, these can be connectors, clamps, bonding and bridging components, expansion pieces and test joints.

For the purposes of this document the following connection types are considered as connection components: exothermic, brazing, welding, clamping, crimping, seaming, screwing or bolting. Testing of components for an explosive atmosphere is not covered by this document.

IEC 62561-2 Lightning Protection System Components (LPSC) - Part 2: Requirements for conductors and earth electrodes

It specifies the requirements and tests for:

· metallic conductors (other than "natural" conductors) that form part of the air-termination and down-conductor systems,

· metallic earth electrodes that form part of the earth-termination system.

IEC 62561-3 Lightning protection system components (LPSC) - Part 3: Requirements for isolating spark gaps (ISG)

It specifies the requirements and tests for isolating spark gaps (ISG) for lightning protection systems. ISGs can be used to indirectly bond a lightning protection system to other nearby metalwork where a direct bond is not permissible for functional reasons.

IEC 62561-4 Lightning protection system components (LPSC) - Part 4: Requirements for conductor fasteners

It deals with the requirements and tests for metallic and non-metallic conductor fasteners that are used to retain and support the air-termination, down-conductor and earth-termination systems.

This document does not cover the fixing of conductor fasteners to the fabric of structures due to the vast number and types used in modern day construction.

LPSC can also be suitable for use in hazardous atmospheres. There are therefore additional requirements when installing the components in such conditions.

IEC 62561-5 Lightning protection system components (LPSC) - Part 5: Requirements for earth electrode inspection housings and earth electrode seals

It specifies the requirements and tests for earth electrode inspection housings (earth housing) installed in the earth and for earth electrode seals.

Lightning protection system components (LPSC) can also be suitable for use in hazardous atmospheres. There are therefore additional requirements when installing the components under such conditions.

IEC 62561-6 Lightning protection system components (LPSC) - Part 6: Requirements for lightning strike counters (LSC)

It specifies the requirements and tests for devices intended to count the number of lightning strikes based on the current flowing in a conductor. This conductor may be part of a lightning protection system (LPS) or connected to an SPD installation or other conductors, which are not intended to conduct a significant portion of lightning currents.

LSCs may also be suitable for use in hazardous atmospheres and there are therefore extra requirements necessary for the components to be installed in such conditions.

IEC 62561-7 Lightning protection system components (LPSC) - Part 7: Requirements for earthing enhancing compounds

It specifies the requirements and tests for earthing enhancing compounds producing low resistance of an earth termination system.

IEC TS 62561-8 Requirements for components for isolated LPS.

It specifies the requirements and tests for insulating stand-offs, used in conjunction with an air termination system and down-conductors with the aim of maintaining the proper separation distance, and the requirements and tests for insulating down-conductors, including their specific fasteners, able to reduce the separation distance.

IEC 62793 Protection against lightning - Thunderstorm warning systems

It describes the characteristics of thunderstorm warning systems and evaluation of the usefulness of lightning real time data and/or storm electrification data in order to implement lightning hazard preventive measures. This standard provides the basic requirements for sensors and networks collecting accurate data of the relevant parameters, giving real-time information of lightning tracks and range. It describes the application of the data collected by these sensors and networks in the form of warnings and historical data. This standard applies to the use of information from thunderstorm warning systems (systems or equipment providing real-time information) on atmospheric electric activity in order to monitor preventive measures.

IEC 61400-24 Wind energy generation systems - Part 24: Lightning protection

It applies to lightning protection of wind turbine generators and wind power systems. Refer to guidelines for small wind turbines in annex.

This document defines the lightning environment for wind turbines and risk assessment for wind turbines in that environment. It defines requirements for protection of blades, other structural components and electrical and control systems against both direct and indirect effects of lightning. Test methods to validate compliance are included.

Guidance on the use of applicable lightning protection, industrial electrical and EMC standards including earthing is provided.

IEC 61643-11 Low-voltage surge protective devices - Part 11: Surge protective devices connected to low-voltage power systems - Requirements and test methods

It is applicable to devices for surge protection against indirect and direct effects of lightning or other transient overvoltages. These devices are packaged to be connected to 50/60 Hz a.c. power circuits, and equipment rated up to 1 000 V r.m.s. Performance characteristics, standard methods for testing and ratings are established. These devices contain at least one nonlinear component and are intended to limit surge voltages and divert surge currents.

IEC 61643-22 Low-voltage surge protective devices - Part 22: Surge protective devices connected to telecommunications and signalling networks - Selection and application principles.

It describes the principles for the selection, operation, location and coordination of SPDs connected to telecommunication and signalling networks with nominal system voltages up to 1 000 V r.m.s. a.c. and 1 500 V d.c. This standard also addresses SPDs that incorporate protection for signalling lines and power lines in the same enclosure (so called multiservice SPDs).

IEC 61643-31 Low-voltage surge protective devices - Part 31: Requirements and test methods for SPDs for photovoltaic installation

It is applicable to Surge Protective Devices (SPDs), intended for surge protection against indirect and direct effects of lightning or other transient overvoltages. These devices are designed to be connected to the DC side of photovoltaic installations rated up to 1 500 V DC. These devices contain at least one non-linear component and are intended to limit surge voltages and divert surge currents. Performance characteristics, safety requirements, standard methods for testing and ratings are established. SPDs complying with this standard are exclusively dedicated to be installed on the DC side of photovoltaic generators and the DC side of inverters. SPDs for PV systems with energy storage (e.g. batteries, capacitor banks) are not covered. SPDs with separate input and output terminals that contain specific series impedance between these terminal(s) (so called two-port SPDs according to IEC 61643-11:2011) are not covered. SPDs compliant with this standard are designed to be permanently connected where connection and disconnection of fixed SPDs can only be done using a tool. This standard does not apply to portable SPDs.

IEC 61643-32 Low-voltage surge protective devices - Part 32: Surge protective devices connected to the D.C. side of photovoltaic installations - Selection and application principles.

It describes the principles for selection, installation and coordination of SPDs intended for use in Photovoltaic (PV) systems up to 1 500 V DC and for the AC side of the PV system rated up to 1 000 V rms 50/60 Hz. The photovoltaic installation extends from a PV array or a set of interconnected PV-modules to include the associated cabling and protective devices and the inverter up to the connection point in the distribution board or the utility supply point. This part of IEC 61643 considers SPDs used in different locations and in different kinds of PV systems: PV systems located on the top of a building. PV systems located on the ground like free field power plants characterized by multiple earthing and a meshed earthing system. The term PV installation is used to refer to both kinds of PV systems. The term PV power plant is only used for extended free-field multi-earthed power systems located on the ground. For PV installations including batteries additional requirements may be necessary.