Types of Lightning Protection Products

There are three main types of lightning protection systems that are commonly used for homes and buildings. The type of system installed will depend on factors like the structure's size, location, and risk of lightning strikes.

Conventional Systems

A conventional Lightning Protection Products is the most common and economical option. It uses air terminals, also called lightning rods, that are placed on the highest points of a building like the roof edges or peaks. The air terminals are connected to a solid copper conductor that routes the electrical charge from the strike through the structure and into the grounding system. The grounding system disperses the charge safely into the earth. Conventional systems offer good protection for smaller buildings in low to moderate risk areas.

Early Streamer Emission Systems

Early streamer emission (ESE) systems were developed more recently and work on a different principle than conventional systems. They use specially designed air terminals that generate very short duration high voltage pulses. These pulses create bidirectional streamers in the air between the terminal and the cloud before a natural lightning strike occurs. This helps control where the lightning is attracted to and gives more time for the strike to safely conduct through the protection system into the ground. ESE systems can protect larger structures and are often used on critical facilities in high risk lightning zones.

Lightning Protection Products: Fine Mesh Systems

A fine mesh system is an option for very large structures where conventional or ESE systems alone may not provide full coverage. It uses a network of interconnected conductors that form a fine mesh overlaying the entire building. The conductors are connected both horizontally across the surface and vertically down to the grounding system. When installed with other types of air terminals, a fine mesh system helps to distribute the lightning's energy more evenly over the protected area. They provide robust protection for things like very tall buildings, aircraft hangars, and chemical plants.

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