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Industrial Surge Protection Devices, Systems, and Uses

Industrial surge protection products are technologies, and product solutions used to protect equipment that is being used during industrialized processes. Industrial facilities may be designed and built to function during adverse weather conditions, but ultimately they will need extra protection from extremely harsh weather events such as lightning. The systems that are installed in these locations must go beyond the “hardening” of the materials from which machines are constructed. They must be protected from electrical surge damage that comes as a result of lightning strikes. Lightning produces two distinct types of damage at these facilities, the most obvious are direct strikes, which cause fire, explosions and destruction at the strike point itself. Little material can withstand a direct strike of lightning without being completely destroyed, with the heat itself from lightning able to melt metal. Damage from lightning strikes is as common in remote and exposed industrial locations as it is in populated areas. Lightning takes the path of least resistance, most of the time (but not always) striking the tallest structure or component in a region that is constructed from a conductive material. It will begin its descent from the cloud where it has formed and needs to meet the earth within a short distance horizontally from the point it began. A typical cloud to ground flash comes from the sky but the visible part to the human eye comes actually from the ground. When lightning forms over an industrial facility it will most of the time strike the tallest component or structure within that facility on its way to earth. Preventative measures can be taken in the form of overhead shielding or lightning rods, but these do not provide the entire Lightning Protection System (LPS). The placement of surge protection in various areas along the path is also needed to fully protect the sensitive components in a tall structure such as a building or cell tower from damage. However, in many ways, a direct strike damage is the least of the worries.

As a result of the lightning strike, a massive surge of power is produced at that strike point, and flows outward along any path it can take. In many industrial facilities, the exposed structures and equipment are directly connected by cable lines to sensitive control equipment and devices crucial to the industrial process. These connection pathways are ideal for electricity to flow along, making a perfect pathway from wherever the nearby strike point is to the most critical equipment. Unfortunately, computerized equipment is easily damaged at the circuitry level by electrical overvoltages, since safe operation is only within a specific electrical range. When electricity moves outside that range, the computerized equipment is damaged or destroyed. This is where industrial surge protection comes into play and is crucial to maintaining functionality and conserving operational budgets. Surge protection devices, mounted at junction points along the pathways ensure that the electricity can not move to the next point, thereby protection the downstream equipment. They monitor the levels of electricity for safe ranges, and if the range is breached, they create a gap that cannot be crossed and will divert the electricity away to ground. This protection of the downstream devices can save the industrial facility from thousands of dollars in lost equipment and downtime. Once addressed, undamaged equipment can be restored once safe electrical levels are certain, and the facility can be placed back online. Industrial surge protection is critical to most operations today, and saves millions of dollars in “damage budget” every year that can be allocated to more necessary expenses.

Photovoltaic Surge Protection Explained

Photovoltaic surge protection, also known as “PV surge protection” is an industry term used to describe the devices and systems that protect the equipment used in energy production systems that utilize solar panels and equipment in their processes. The production of solar power involves broad and exposed solar panels that are connected directly to sensitive control equipment. Since the connections must use cables, and cables easily conduct electricity, this leaves equipment exposed to electrical surges, if surge protection is not designed into the system. When a lightning strike happens to a panel that is positioned in the field, these connection pathways are the perfect way to allow the massive power surge that follows a lightning strike to flow to all the connected equipment. If this happens, and surge protection is not installed, it overwhelms the circuitry in the devices and causes damage that must be repaired or replaced for the functionality of that panel and system to be restored. If this is allowed to happen there is no technological way to prevent the electrical excess from using the same pathways that are designed to carry normal amounts of electricity and data necessary for the function of the solar park. The excess electricity must be prevented from flowing along these lines before it reaches a point of potentially doing damage. This is where the PV surge protection devices come into play.

A surge protection device is designed to allow electricity to flow through it unfettered, enabling the designed electrical level or stopping it if it goes out of a safe range. If the electrical surge from a lightning strike is detected, that device will either create a gap that the electrical flow cannot cross or divert that electricity flow to the ground. This will protect the equipment downstream by only allowing the electrical flow of a specific range to pass, and preventing that flow if it becomes dangerous. This type of protection will limit the amount of damage that happens after the inevitable nearby lightning strike happens, isolating that damage to only a panel or a more restricted area. A panel can be fairly easily replaced, restoring the system to function and thus salvaging the equipment further down the line. Surge protection saves the equipment from a catastrophic loss, allowing the system to remain functional. It enables a faster restoration, keeping power production online for longer periods. Because the fuel in the photovoltaic process is sunlight, the systems of this kind produce more power in the same 24-hour period if they are kept online for longer periods. The sunlight itself does not cost money, and therefore it is in the best interest of the solar park operator to keep the power collection systems functional for as long as possible while the sun is shining. Every second these solar power systems are offline due to a power surge will cost valuable production time. Photovoltaic surge protection systems assist in the optimization of this power solution.

Effective Protection For Wind Turbines

Green energy technology has been developing for decades, with supporters pushing for more governmental involvement in development and opponents lobbying against it. The need for massive amounts of funding that can only be achieved via the adoption of green energy programs by governments worldwide would move the industry forward in a way that has never been seen before, but unfortunately the fossil fuel industry is threatened by technology that could cut into their bottom line, and therefor work against these cash infusions. As a result, the majority of the technological advancements relating to the production of energy that uses sustainable sources has come from the private sector, with private companies devising methods of increasing production and reducing costs. The entire sector could be advanced far faster with the cooperation of governments, but until such a time comes when fossil fuel companies are not such a force to be reckoned with, sustainable energy will rely primarily upon private innovation.

One of the advances that is helping sustainable energy production comes in the form of surge protection devices. Through the integration of advanced surge protection devices throughout the systems that are creating sustainable energy, costs can be driven down and production levels can be raised at the same time. This is because a big risk to effective production of wind and solar power is the exposed components that are at risk from inclement weather events, including being struck by lightning. While an actual lightning strike will always produce damage that must be repaired or replaced, the issue is the additional damage to the system that comes as a result of the power surge following the strike. This powerful surge of electricity flows along the connectivity cables and lines that join critical equipment. When lightning strikes a solar panel or wind turbine because it is exposed to the weather, that power surge will then move from the strike point and from component to component, often overwhelming the circuitry and forcing repairs to that connected equipment. This compounds both the costs of repairs and impacts the amounts of energy that can be produced due to system failures at times when the fuel sources are available and could be harnessed. Through integrating effective surge protection devices, we find that repair costs can be minimized, and systems can be returned to functionality at a faster rate, ultimately making them able to produce more power using using the sun or wind. Keeping green energy systems online for as long as possible is critical to making them a viable method of producing the power necessary to fully service metropolitan areas without the need for fossil fuel backup systems to cover the shortages. With the development of better and more effective surge protection devices and other preventative maintenance solutions, green energy production methods will simply become more effective and less expensive overall than fossil fuel alternatives. Forwarding this type of technological development will create a cleaner and better planet for all to enjoy, leading to a better world.

Factoring Surge Protection Into Wind Power

There are numerous issues with wind power which make it difficult to discuss as the obvious choice for primary power source consideration. Wind power has existed for many years as an add on to the power grids and production methods that use fossil fuels or hydropower to create their product. Wind is not always available in order to turn the turbines, the way that fossil fuels can continually be fed into burners. While the prices of fossil fuels may fluctuate higher and lower, they are always available as a method of producing the motion within turbines to produce electricity. With wind power, if there is no wind available it is not like more can be purchased at a higher price. This is why it is so critical that as much electricity as possible is produced while the wind is blowing, and stored or sent to the power grid in order to increase the capacities using this free fuel source. The power that is produced during heavy wind can then be stored for longer time frames through increases in battery capacities and new technologies which are being developed constantly. This is not the only issue that needs to be faced and corrected however. We need to increase the capacities while the wind is blowing by avoiding the damage that can take wind turbines offline during these times. We have not yet realized the full capacities that can be achieved, because our technology is still improving in this area.

Wind power production can be increased through the use of better more robust systems in the field, and by the integration of electrical surge protection solutions. The wind power production systems can be improved through the use of better composite materials in places where lightning is most likely to strike, and by avoiding damage from the lightning power surges that come after those strikes. The blades of wind turbines are made from composite materials so as not to be able to effectively conduct electricity the way metal does. These are more easily destroyed by lightning strikes as a result. The power surges that move through the structures and systems along connectivity cables will damage the components that are directly connected one another, so through the integration of surge protection devices along these critical pathways the amount of surge-related damage can be limited.. Once the systems are brought to a minimal level of expected damage as a result of an inevitable lightning strike, the systems can be restored to functionality faster. This enables more power to be produced during the times when we would expect outages due to system failures. When you look at production costs in macro, you realize that every second that a system can be functional beyond the expectation will increase the viability of wind power as a whole. We will eventually have less expensive and cleaner power, produced in part by the avoidance techniques that surge protection systems provide. Wind power and solar will one-day be our primary methods, and technological advancement is the key to achieving this state.

Green Energy Is Becoming More Affordable

When most people in the public think about green energy, they believe that there little cost to produce it. Since the wind and sun are free sources of energy that can be converted into electricity, and then sold to consumers, it must be free to produce right? Unfortunately and surprisingly for many people, this is far from the case. Even though the fuel sources themselves are without cost, the actual process to make that transfer from sunlight or wind to actual electricity is expensive. At the current time, it is so expensive that it actually costs more to produce electricity this way than by burning fossil fuels, which have a cost incurred by the extraction as well as the increasing environmental costs which over time have proven to be increasingly more expensive. Technology will typically start out expensive and gradually get less expensive as it is adopted and improved, as seen with every type of new consumer electronic device that has ever been sold. In the beginning, a DVD player cost well over a thousand dollars. By the time they were mainstream, a DVD player could be had for only a few hundred dollars. This rule is based on the popularity of something drawing more competitors into the market, and creating a competition that will fuel innovation. If the deciding factor of one brand over another is cost, then innovators will figure out ways to produce that item for less in order to capture sales.

The technological innovations in the green energy markets that are fueling lower prices for production are found in less expensive components being manufactured in the form of solar panels and wind turbine parts. These parts can be damaged by lightning strikes and weather in the field, necessitating their replacement. Through manufacture of less expensive components that can do the same job, costs are lowered. Another method of driving down costs is through the integration of preventative maintenance equipment such as surge protection equipment that can prevent damage as a result of power surges. When lightning hits exposed components, it causes a power surge that travels through the connected system components, overwhelming circuitry and creating damage that also needs to be repaired or replaced. Through the integration of more advanced surge protection devices, this damage can be minimized, or potentially localized to only the exposed components. By eliminating or at least reducing the amount of damage that occurs as a result of the inevitable lightning strikes that happen every day, the overall costs of production can be driven down significantly. Once this is achieved, the combination of lower operating costs and a free fuel source can create systems that produce energy at a lower price than fossil fuels. Once this happens, there is no need to continue the more antiquated methods, ultimately innovating us into a cleaner and more sustainable world. Were you aware of the reasons that solar and wind power are being lobbied against by the fossil fuel industry? Now you know the truth and can support the innovation that will bring about cleaner and cheaper power.

How Surge Protection Is Improving Green Energy

With electric vehicles finally becoming a status symbol as well as desirable for ownership by the masses, we have turned a corner as a culture with regard to consumerism addressing the impact of climate change and the desire to actively take part in the care of the environment. Our past reliance upon fossil fuels extends beyond just gas powered cars, also entering our lives in our homes. This reliance comes in the form of electricity, which is created in most regions through the burning of fossil fuels in order to turn turbines and create electricity. Once this electricity is harnessed within the power grid, it is able to be stored and then delivered to homes in the form of current, providing us with the ability to conveniently and safely use our devices, turn on lights, etc. Many people are unaware that fossil fuels are the source for the beginning of that energy creation process and are also unaware that our reliance upon electricity within our homes and businesses contributes to the warming of the planet. When we think about the ways that we can help to slow down the pollution of our own atmosphere, the first thought that comes to mind today is to switch from a gas-powered to an electric vehicle. There is no doubt that this will help, but another way is to pressure your local officials to begin the process of switching the community over to power that is generated using sustainable resources. This means more-widespread adoption of hydro, wind and solar power.

One of the main issues with convincing people that switching over from fossil fuel generated energy creation to green energy technology is the high costs associated with going green. No one denies that using sustainable and free fuel sources like the wind and sun instead of burning fossil fuels is going to cause less pollution, but people tend to choose things based on their cost vs the amount of damage that can be immediately perceived. This means that if they cannot see the damage of greenhouse emissions, they will generally choose the methods that will cost them less. Unfortunately, wind and solar power currently cost more than fossil fuels to create power, even though the fuel sources themselves are free. This is due to the fact that it is an emerging technology which has not yet become able to be cheaply produced because of expensive system components. Solar panels and wind turbines are also at risk of being damaged or destroyed in the field by weather including lightning strikes, and as we develop cheaper components to replace those which are damaged, the price for production will begin to drop. We also need to integrate better preventative maintenance such as surge protection devices throughout the new energy systems in order to protect the sensitive computer control devices inside these high tech energy production systems from the power surges that follow a lightning strike. Adequate surge protection can reduce and potentially eliminate much of the damage that results, significantly reducing those production costs as a result. Contact your local and national leaders and request more funding towards green energy, and we will some day have both cheaper and cleaner power for our homes, as well as our cars.

Lowering The Costs Of Green Energy

Technology always starts out priced high and eventually comes down to more affordable prices as more technology solves problems. What this translates to is that “technology solves technological problems” and lowers costs as a result of its adoption. This mantra can easily be seen in the green energy space, where the actual process and product is seen as revolutionary and positive, yet the costs of production still outweigh those of fossil fuels. This means that for many years, even though the technology is superior to burning fossil fuels to create electricity, the higher costs made it lack support from the public. Those interested in promoting wind and solar energy are generally doing so to reduce pollution and damaging greenhouse gas effects, because they cannot yet make the argument that it is less expensive to produce. This means they face the difficult task of convincing others that paying more is worth it, and the benefits to the environment are worth more than the extra money in your pocket. Should the costs of production become lower than fossil fuels, rest assured that the public would be calling for services to be expanded so as to be able to power more areas than ever before, as a cost saving measure. Nobody can argue with cheaper and cleaner, but right now we are only cleaner.

Technologically the advancements that can be seen to drive the costs down are through the manufacture of less expensive parts that are used in the power production process, and the extension of the life span of those parts. The costs of green energy are not in the fuel source, but instead in the repair and replacement of the parts used in the process itself. The exposed solar panels and wind turbine blades get damaged as a result of weather including lightning strikes and need to be replaced. The power surges that follow a lightning strike damage equipment that is connected to the strike point will create the necessity for repair or replacement in order to restore service. This can come at any time, and when it comes while free fuel sources like wind and sun are being wasted while the systems are not functioning. Through technological advancements we are finding that companies are discovering cheaper methods of manufacturing solar panels and the composite wind turbine blades. We are also finding that better surge protection devices are enabling these systems to sustain less damage because of the inevitable lighting strikes. Preventative maintenance like surge protective devices enable systems to be restored to functionality faster with lower amounts of damage. This produces more electricity from the available sun and wind, as well as reduces the overall costs that are found to produce a single unit of electricity. This means that over time, technology will allow us to reduce the costs of the production of electricity using green production methods to below that of burning fossil fuels, thus improving the world by reducing greenhouse gasses and at the same time making power less expensive for all people.

Solar Power Surge Protection Devices

Solar power has come a long way in the last decade. This is due to new developments in the solar industry, with more efficient sunlight receptors and an ability to capture more energy while taking up less space. The reason for the progress is found in two essential developments, the transition of a generation’s ideals and the advancement of technology. Through an intersection of these two, we are seeing the progress that may finally push solar and wind power into the forefront of energy production, no longer taking a backseat to fossil fuels. Further advancement will be based on what a majority of people want and the influence that those people collectively have. For decades past, even though we knew that solar power production was feasible and could provide electricity using the free fuel source of sunlight, the technology did not develop quickly because people believed that it was not viable on a large scale. If they did believe that it could potentially make a dent in the fossil fuel market, then a large percentage of that group believed it would cost too much and was unwilling to pay extra for a cleaner method of energy production. As a result, an entire generation that had solar power as a possible alternative squandered it to save a few pennies, at the expense of the environment we live in. The generation that is replacing them is more concerned with their world because it is being inherited as opposed to simply degrading for the future. The next generation sees the issue of pollution as immediate, and they are using their voices to create the change that is necessary in the immediate future. Climate change is no longer a theory, it is here now as a result of choices that were made in the past, and the future generation has decided to do something about it. This collective sense of urgency has shifted the decisions being made on a governmental level towards renewable energy production and electric vehicles, as a way of taking back the planet they are inheriting. They are also using the weapon of technology to their advantage in order to hasten the process.

An example of a motivated generation using technology to make change is that of preventative measures, such as surge protection, being used in solar power systems to drive down production costs. Once a method of production is viewed as less expensive, it is very difficult to justify paying more for something that is equal or inferior. The new generation knows that one of the hurdles to widespread adoption of solar and wind technology is the greater cost over fossil fuel production. Simply driving down the cost of production beyond fossil fuels will push wider adoption rates due to saving money, so the new generation of thinkers is factoring surge protection and other preventative technologies into use in solar power systems. Through advanced components aiding the avoidance of damage as a result of power surges, the costs of production drop significantly. The result is cheaper and cleaner power, even if older people didn’t support it.

Surge Protection In The Green Energy Industry

Wind and solar power are viable energy production methods that can be used to provide enough electricity for major metropolitan areas. There have been several instances over the course of the previous few years where 100% of the energy necessary to power all of the homes in a major metropolitan area has been provided using sustainable methods. These methods are primarily wind and solar power and these days they are being used more and more to generate enough power for an area. This has not always been the case as far as ongoing use goes, where during times of extreme need or use there can be a significant taxing of the resources available. Now it is possible to see solar and wind as viable alternatives although perhaps not yet as completely reliable as the single and only source of electricity. What this translates into is that we are proving that through ongoing technological innovation the amounts of energy that are produced can be increased, and in a way that is cost effective. Even though we are not at that point yet, by proving that it is possible the public interest in these methods will increasingly progress. Only through the public pushing for these types of methods to be used more and more are can we transition effectively away from fossil fuel production, and the powerful lobbying that keeps it as the primary method. Burning fossil fuels to manufacture electricity is not clean or sustainable, but it is more cost effective at the current state. This means that it is difficult to get people to want to spend more for the same product, unless they can witness first-hand the damage that is being caused. Since atmospheric damage is hard to see and experience on a day-to-day basis, the fossil fuel industry keeps the public interest away from developing the technologies that will push sustainable prices lower, ultimately creating a method of power generation that is both cleaner and cheaper. Naturally, the fossil fuel industry is against this process if it will eventually put them out of business.

The reason that sustainable methods are more expensive and less reliable currently is due to the equipment used in the process. Components are continually being damaged or destroyed in the field, pushing costs up and production levels down, and energy storage solutions have not yet risen to the level to be able to harness the energy created. Because keeping the systems online while the free fuel sources are available is paramount to increasing the production levels, any type of damage that takes systems offline must be minimized. This is where preventative measures such as surge protection devices come into play as important innovations in the industry. Through the integration of effective surge protection devices, the damage that is produced after lightning strikes to an exposed component can be avoided. If more damage in the field can be avoided, ultimately the capacities will be improved and operational costs driven lower. Cleaner and cheaper is on the horizon, and technology will bring it to fruition.

The Aspects Of Surge Protection For Wind Turbines

Green energy technology relies upon free and sustainable energy sources to create energy, ultimately producing electricity that can be harnessed and then delivered to customers via the energy grid in their area. This is accomplished using different methods to move the turbines within the system, ultimately mimicking the older forms of energy production by using different means. In the past, fossil fuels like wood, coal and oil were burned, creating heat and gas that ultimately pushed the turbines to a spinning motion, ultimately producing electricity that is then distributed. Green energy technology works much the same way, only using the motion of wind or the heat of the sun to cause the turbines to turn in the same way. Because nothing is being burned or destroyed, not only is the process cleaner and less damaging to the atmosphere, but also cheaper as there is no cost to extract the fuel. At least that is the plan for the future.

The costs of production of anything are based on the total amounts of money that must be spent to produce the product. This will include both the prices paid to extract the fuel sources and also the costs of production outside of those fuel purchases. Even though with solar and wind the fuel itself has no cost, there are far higher prices that are paid within the other aspects of production of green energy. The main costs in the process involve the need for repair and replacement of the components because they are continually at risk of being destroyed or damaged. Wind towers are continually being struck by lightning simply because they are the tallest structure within remote areas. They must be the tallest structure and also positioned in these regions so as to allow for unobstructed wind flow. Solar panels also must be unobstructed in order to harness as much sunlight as possible while the sun is shining. Because of this exposure, these installations attract lightning strikes which damage the exposed components, ultimately requiring repair or replacement in order to keep the systems functioning. The lightning strike also causes a power surge which damages circuitry within the control systems, also needing repair and replacement as a result. These deficiencies are being addressed as cheaper components are developed for replacement, but also through prevention techniques. A very effective preventative is the integration of surge protection devices through out the systems, stopping the excess power from surging to the components that are connected directly to those exposed pieces of equipment. These surge protection devices are extending the life spans of the control equipment even in situations where the strike itself does catastrophic damage. This avoidance of extended levels of damage are driving down total production costs, making green energy a viable production method to power entire cities more effectively every day. Once the costs drop below that of fossil fuels, we will enter a new age of cheap and clean power for all people.

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