They are often chosen in situations where making a whole net of cables is cost-prohibitive or challenging to design and install.There are two main examples of lightning attraction systems: Early Streamer Emission (ESE) and Electronically Activated Streamer Emission (EASE). They, therefore, require fewer materials and less time to install. Frequently, lightning attraction systems have a single rod. By doing so, they provide protection to a much larger area than interception systems. Lightning attraction systems: While the interception systems passively collect lightning that was already going to strike in a given area, these systems actively attract lightning to a specific spot.However, other newer and more complicated lightning protection systems work differently, including: Along the roof, there will be extra fittings joining various cables together to make the next.įrom the cables, the energy is passed onto a grounding mechanism, which allows the energy of the strike to be dispersed into the ground where it can’t do any harm. In a Faraday Cage lightning protection system, the cables create a net over the whole building. There will be bonding, or fittings, to secure the cable to the roof. The cables run from the termination devices along the edges of the roof and then down through the building. Lightning protection systems direct the energy of the lightning strike through cables. System installers may place taller terminals further apart. According to Underwriters Laboratories (UL), terminals that are 10 inches in height need to be no more than 20 feet apart in order to provide adequate protection to the building below. So, their protection systems are often designed with multiple strike termination devices. A strike termination device needs to be the highest point of the building and made of a conductive metal to attract the strike.įurther, large buildings require wider coverage. The rods create a preferred point of strike. Lightning is predictable in that it prefers to strike the highest point of a structure and prefers to hit a conductive metal. It all starts with the strike termination devices. How Does a Lightning Protection System Work?Ī lightning interception system creates a preferred strike point for lightning and safely runs the energy to the ground to spare the building and the occupants. There are different lightning protection systems available, many with custom elements that can meet your building’s specific needs. The protection system must minimize the impact of this heat from the strike so that it doesn’t create a fire or melt building components. Lightning can also generate a significant amount of heat. It must bring the energy to the ground without impacting the building’s structure or the electrical equipment inside. The system does more than just capture the energy of the lightning strike. These systems are intended to guide the lightning discharge safely to the ground, ideally without impacting anything inside. Instead, they mitigate the risks of a lightning strike by controlling and harmlessly dispersing the energy they create. Most lightning protection systems are interception systems that don’t reduce the odds that lightning will strike a building. In this guide, we’ll detail how these two systems impact each other and how roofers can resolve common issues they face when working on a roof with a lightning protection system. Both systems will only work if they are in good condition and work in harmony with one another. Secondly, for commercial roofing professionals, understanding lightning protection systems is essential to ensure that any your work will not interfere with them, and that the lightning systems also won’t interfere with the roofs you install. This guide will walk you through how different lightning protection systems work to minimize the risk. Strikes cause more than a billion dollars of damages to structures annually in the United States, according to Underwriters Laboratories (UL). In this guide, we’ll provide valuable information for both roofers and property managers about the different kinds of lightning protection systems and how they function.įirst, for property owners and managers, understanding these systems will help you make better decisions so that you can protect the occupants and property in your building. Occupants and property are at risk if lightning strikes a building that doesn’t have one of these protective systems installed. Roof lightning protection systems are essential to protect buildings from lightning.
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