Lightning Revisited [RE-wrenches [RE-wrenches]

Thu Apr 11 14:58:59 PDT 2002

Tom,

I'm not sure what you are talking about. Proper grounding has everything to
do with not becoming a target for lightning. An excellent course (and I
believe he has a textbook on it now) on grounding issues in general was put
together by Gregory Bierals, a code expert. I run into urban myths routinely
about grounding that has no good foundation on technical merits. If there is
any metal near electrical circuits, that metal had better be grounded to the
same ground whether the purpose is personnel protection or lightning
protection.

I really don't think it is truly the black art that many of us jokingly
refer to it as. It probably deserves a lot more attention and study than we
give it, however.

Bill.

-----Original Message-----
From: Tom Lane [mailto:tom at ecs-solar.com]
Sent: Thursday, April 11, 2002 1:03 PM
To: RE-wrenches at topica.com
Cc: RE-wrenches at topica.com
Subject: Re: Lightning Revisited [RE-wrenches [RE-wrenches]

 i disagree on hooking all grounds together when it comes to  lighting
heavy  lighting hit will destroy everything it can find a path to
irregardless of polyphasers etc. .  grounding for electrical and fire
protection is an entirely different subject than grounding for lighting
protection .  they often are in direct conflicts with each other    TALOC
the Aztec god of lighting plays by rules that befuddling to most bipeds on
the planet  gator tom  From: "Bill Brooks" <billbrooks7 at earthlink.net>
To: <RE-wrenches at topica.com>
Sent: Thursday, April 11, 2002 2:49 PM
Subject: RE: Lightning Revisited [RE-wrenches]

> Lightning rods only have a 45 degree downward cone of protection. Proper
> grounding, as previously mentioned, is the best method. The idea of
> grounding the frames separately from the system ground is not a good idea.
> Everybody has their fetishes related to grounding, but the grounding folks
> suggest using a good ground and tieing all the ground rods together. Not
> tieing them together presents a very real possibility of raising the
voltage
> in the current carrying conductors while the frames stay closer to ground
> potential--not good. If there is any rise in voltage, you want everything
to
> rise together. That way the transistors in the inverter don't get smoked.
>
> Bill.
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: jeff.oldham at realgoods.com [mailto:jeff.oldham at realgoods.com]
> Sent: Thursday, April 11, 2002 11:40 AM
> To: RE-wrenches at topica.com
> Subject: RE: Lightning Revisited [RE-wrenches]
>
>
> I like the PolyPhaser idea and would go with one. I would also install a
> lightning rod higher than anything else in the area bonded to a good
ground
> grid of 4 ground rods and NOT bonded to the system ground. With luck (and
> that's all you get with the wrath of lightning)the strikes will find the
rod
> tastier.
>
> Good luck!
> -jeff
>
> > From the Solar, Wind & Hydro Powered office of:
> > Jeff Oldham
> > Gaiam- Real Goods & Jade Mountain
> > Design & Consulting Group
> > 11755 Mid. Mtn. Rd.
> > Potter Valley, CA 95469  USA
> >
> > Ph: 303.222.3814
> > Fax: 707.743.1820
> >
> > www.solardevelopment.com
> >
> > "When you turn to face the Sun all shadows fall behind you"
> > - Old African Proverb
> >
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jeffrey Wolfe, Global Resources [mailto:global at sover.net]
> Sent: Wednesday, April 10, 2002 6:59 PM
> To: 'RE-wrenches at topica.com'
> Subject: RE: Lightning Revisited [RE-wrenches]
>
>
> The local lightning guru around here got somewhat involved in adding
> lightning protection to a major grid-tie solar project here, and before he
> decided it was too complex to tangle into, he did recommend an incoming
> service surge suppressor by PolyPhaser. You run the entire service through
> it, so it's a large unit. For a 200A service, you're looking at $1500 or
> so, plus installation. We don't have enough time on it to say that it's
> going to stop the flashes, but the lightning guy was pretty convinced that
> the service entrance was by far the most vulnerable, given that the rest
of
> the system has plenty of the Delta cans on it.
>
> Jeff
> Jeffery D. Wolfe, P.E.
> Global Resource Options, LLP
> A Woman-Owned Limited Liability Partnership
> 4 Kibling Hill Road
> P.O. Box 161
> Strafford, Vermont 05072
> 800-374-4494 Toll Free
> 802-765-4632 Phone
> 802-765-9983 Fax
> global at sover.net
> http://www.GlobalResourceOptions.com
>
> Nextek Certified Distributor
> SolarWall Certified Distributor
> Trace Certified Dealer - Charter Member
> Bergey Windpower Certified Dealer
>
>
> On Wednesday, April 10, 2002 10:17 AM, Holt Kelly [SMTP:hkelly6 at msn.com]
> wrote:
> > Hello all,
> > I am designing a 2kw grid-tie w/battery backup in an area that seems to
> > be prone to lightning strikes (lost power from strike last week for the
> > third or fourth time this year). The client wants to be sure the system
> > is well protected. I have some ideas of over engineering the surge
> > protection but was wondering if ya'll had any ideas. Thanks in advance
> > "We do not inherit the earth from our parents. We borrow it from our
> > children."
> > Chief Seattle
> >
> > Holt E. Kelly
> > Holtek Fireplace & Solar Products
> > Waco, TX.
> > hkelly6 at msn.com
> >
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>
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