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Wind Turbines And Surge Protection

One of the most important types of technology in the present time is wind power generation and the wind turbine. This technology is so important because even though windmills have been performing tasks for hundreds of years, using them to generate electricity is a relatively new and vital progression. Moreover, as the world’s population swells to numbers never before, most of these people will consume electricity. Because of this dependence, the need to find ways to generate more and supplement the existing systems becomes more critical. In a nutshell, using traditional methods, we are quickly exhausting the fuels we need to burn to generate electricity. To be able to replace fossil fuel production, alternative energy sources like wind and solar power must evolve further. In addition, green energy shows promise to be generated with less cost than traditional methods as long as technology improves.

How can green energy be improved from a cost and production standpoint to allow energy to cost the consumer less? Production methods need to be protected from damage, and the uptimes improved to enable production to happen for more extended periods. Currently, one of the highest wind power production costs is the maintenance and repair of the existing systems. The size and makeup of the equipment, and the need to position it in open areas, put it at risk. Wind towers need to be unobstructed and tall to capture the existing wind at any one time fully. Unfortunately, their structures make them prime targets for lightning strikes, damaging the equipment, taking them offline, and costing money to restore. If a wind tower is damaged, it is offline and not producing power even though the wind is blowing. The uptimes can be extended, and the damage minimized through improvements to the materials and the systems. These improvements come through using better materials for the blades, so they can withstand lightning strikes without being destroyed and by integrating effective and technologically-advanced surge protection devices within the structures. When lightning strikes the upper area of a wind turbine, it sends a power surge throughout the system, overwhelming and damaging much of the equipment used in the process of power generation. But the integration of effective surge protection devices protects sensitive equipment. If it is in the path of the surge, the equipment can be saved, and the money it takes just to produce the power can be lessened. The ability to keep the towers producing more energy when the wind is available helps the site’s profitability and reduces operational costs that producers must bear to stay in business. The ultimate result is cheaper and more reliable power for the masses, which can potentially help the environment and people’s finances.

Solar Power Generation And PV Protection

To understand the necessity of PV surge protection (photovoltaic surge protection), we must first understand how solar power generation works. While it is far more complex than the basics stated here, it ultimately involves the collection of sunlight on specialized panels positioned outside in sunny areas. These panels must be placed in open areas to collect as much sunlight as possible. Being obstructed or shaded will impact the system’s effectiveness, and even though it might provide a certain amount of protection, that protection is not worth risking the ability of the system to produce power. Being out in the open makes solar panels a perfect target for weather events, including lightning strikes. While solar panels are relatively easy to replace, the principal forms of damage to the system’s performance are not found in the panel damage. Instead, they are found within the high-tech electronics equipment used in the collection process and connected to the panels.

Solar power positions sunlight-collecting panels in the field, allowing that sunlight to superheat liquid within a sealed system. That liquid expands and flows across turbines, causing them to move and create static electricity, which is then harnessed and processed for sale to consumers via a grid system. Unfortunately, a lightning strike on or near a solar farm can create a massive power surge. This surge can couple onto the conductive framework of the solar farm and travel along the connectivity lines. In this way, it spreads between the panels and the rest of the equipment, taking the solar farm offline. This power surge overwhelms the equipment, which can only operate within a specific power range. Anything outside that range causes damage to the circuitry. When this happens, a far more complex and expensive restoration must occur, delaying the return to functionality necessary to continue producing power when the sun is shining.

Integrating PV surge protection devices along the pathways that lightning power surges can travel effectively reduces this damage and isolates the costs of repairing the panels themselves. Technologically-advanced surge protection equipment installed at solar power generation plants will stop the damage that a lightning surge can cause and increase the plant’s productivity. This simple solution enables plant operators to reduce the damage caused by lightning strikes and keep their systems functioning for extended periods while the sun shines. The potential for cost reduction and increased power production is found by systematically reducing the field damage to these systems and increasing output. Alternative energy costs can eventually be brought down below those of fossil fuel production. In doing so, we may be able to finally enter a time when electricity does not destroy the planet and cost us our entire paychecks as well.

PV Systems Rely On Surge Protection

Solar power generation is a fantastic technology, essentially creating electricity from nothing. This means that while other power generation methods require a fuel source that must be destroyed to make electricity, solar power systems do not. For this reason, a solar power system is technically infinite because it can keep making power as long as the sun is shining and the system is online and functioning. The way this is achieved is technologically advanced, with sunlight being collected on specialized panels and then converted into heat that expands a liquid within a sealed system. This expansion of liquid creates movement as the fluid flows through the system, eventually passing through turbines that move to create static electricity. This electricity is then captured and delivered to customers through a grid system. This generation differs from fossil fuel methods that need to take a fuel source like coal, oil, or wood and burn it to create the same heat delivery to the system, resulting in the movement of the turbines. Burning any fuel source creates pollution and damage to the atmosphere, as well as being both costly and finite. Simply put, fossil fuels may be plentiful at the current time, but they will eventually become more scarce. That scarcity will create inflation if the prices charged for a single unit of electricity are passed off to the consumer for the company to remain profitable. There has long been an understanding that renewable energy sources can create power more cleanly as well as less expensively, but the technology is still evolving to that point.

Due partly to field maintenance, solar power is not currently able to be produced at a lower cost than fossil fuel methods. The upkeep of the parts that get continually damaged in the field due to natural occurrences that happen during storms contributes to the high cost of operating solar power plants. Lightning flashes hundreds of times every second on earth, and every one of those flashes can produce a strike that is a risk to equipment. Because of the exposed positioning of solar panels in the field, they are often in the lightning’s path. When a solar panel is struck, it will need replacement, which is a relatively easy thing to do. The more difficult and expensive part of the maintenance is the damage to the connected electronics equipment caused by the resultant power surge. When this equipment is damaged at the circuit level by the overvoltage, it becomes useless and must be replaced. The only real way to avoid this damage is to integrate an elaborate system of PV surge protection devices. These products or systems are positioned to cut off the flow of electricity if it exceeds a specific range. The integration of PV surge protection devices and systems is the greatest defense against damage currently known and will be one of the reasons that solar power ultimately becomes the mainstay.

PV Protection Of Solar Systems

The invention of solar power production is one of the most important developments of our life concerning improving people’s ability to access electricity. Although some refuse to believe this, our systems of producing electricity by burning fossil fuels cannot be sustained forever. Many people think fossil fuels are also contributing to climate change, which everyone agrees is destroying the quality of life for many people. The obvious impacts of the current methods of power production are pollution and changes to the climate, where burning fossil fuels creates dirty air that often is not safe to breathe. This “air pollution” leads to cancers and other respiratory diseases and worsens the atmosphere. These impacts need to be reduced or reversed if a livable future is to be had by our children, and this cannot happen if we continue using the same methods that are creating the issues. If anything, they will only worsen as the increasing demand for electricity from a growing population makes the need to generate more. The other less obvious issue is that the fossil fuels we burn to create electricity are limited in availability. There is a time in the future when these resources will become more scarce than they currently are, which will drive up the costs of electricity significantly. Therefore we have to find a viable alternative that can sustain energy production demands and is reliable and cheap enough to replace the current production systems.

Solar power production does not burn fossil fuels to turn turbines. Instead, it collects sunlight on panels that heat liquid within a sealed system. This liquid expands and flows through pipes, turning the turbines the same way the heat from fossil fuel burning does. This system relies upon the sun as a fuel source, ultimately making power production possible as long as the sun is shining, without impacts on the environment or air. The only real issues to solve are increasing output to an amount large enough to sustain large metropolitan areas and doing it at a cost that is within reason. The production prices must be passed off to consumers to maintain profitability, so finding ways to reduce maintenance costs is critical for solar power to take off. A genuine and crucial issue is the ongoing damage that comes with lightning strikes to panels. The exposed equipment is often in places prone to lightning and strikes damage the panels as a result. While replacing the panels themselves is not that big of an issue, the power surge that results from a lightning strike and travels through the conductive parts of the system is problematic. This power surge starts at the panel and moves along connected components, overwhelming the control equipment and damaging it downstream. Because of this additional damage, restoring the solar park to productivity can be lengthy and costly, impacting the prices that must be charged and the capacities that can be produced. Only through the integration of adequate and highly effective PV surge protection can these damage issues be addressed, and the systems relied upon as a primary method of energy production.

PV Protection Against Lightning

Solar power generation is one of the world’s most promising technologies today regarding widespread change and improvement. This method is so essential for development because many of us realize that the amount of time we have access to fossil fuels is limited. Our current energy production methods, which provide electricity to nearly the entire industrialized world, involve burning fossil fuels to turn turbines. This process system is antiquated, yet it is still the standard that is relied upon by hundreds of millions of people. This system relies on burning materials that can be found in bulk quantities like coal, oil, or wood. Naturally, there are two problems with a system designed this way. First, it is very dirty and creates pollution when the fuel sources are burned. This pollution will impact those that breathe the air in the surrounding areas and the environment, which affects everyone across the globe. We have seen declines in air quality and atmospheric protection for as long as these systems have been used. This is bad for all living things and needs to change. The second issue is that a system that uses fuel sources must have that fuel source to operate. Fossil fuels are plentiful but not infinite. This fact means that there is a time in the future when they will effectively run out. Acceptable alternative energy sources that can produce enough electricity to satisfy the current and future demands must be achieved before that happens.

Wind and solar technology are widely viewed as those alternative solutions. Both technologies use a free fuel source to move the turbines used to generate electricity. The fuel source of either sun or wind is infinite and does not create pollution because it is not being burned. In the case of solar, a panel that collects sunlight and heats a liquid within a sealed tube system is positioned to take good advantage of the sun’s exposure. The expansion of that liquid causes it to flow and ultimately move the turbines that provide the static charge. Currently, it is proven that electricity can be generated in mass quantities using this method and that it is reliable and safe. The issues now are expanding the systems to produce ample energy to satisfy the demands of large metropolitan areas and costs. Costs of producing solar energy are often felt in the damage to collection systems, which must be repaired to restore functionality and improve volumes. One way this damage occurs is through lightning strikes to the exposed panels. These surges send a surge along the connectivity cables to other equipment in the chain, overwhelming the equipment’s circuitry. This type of damage can only be avoided by installing PV surge protection in a redundant fashion in solar power systems, therefore driving down costs and improving productivity. PV surge protection is the key to developing a viable alternative in the future.

Photovoltaic Surge Protection Devices

Photovoltaic surge protection devices are specialized components that are integrated into photovoltaic systems to prevent surge damage from lightning strikes. The primary use for photovoltaic technology is electricity generation for public consumption, with solar power producers providing the primary market. This technology positions a panel that collects sunlight into an open and sun-rich area. This panel collects the sunlight and transforms it into heat which is then applied to a liquid held within a sealed tubing system. The fluid expands and flows to create movement in turbines that are also within the system. These turbines move to make a static electricity charge which is then distributed to customers via a power grid system. Solar power, along with wind power, is an alternative to the traditional methods of fossil fuel burning for power generation. It is significantly cleaner and produces no damage to the atmosphere. Prices charged for a single unit of electricity created using this method are also quickly dropping. Because PV systems do not rely upon a fuel source that must be mined and then destroyed, they ultimately have no fuel costs. Fossil fuels burn when used in this task, creating air pollution. They are are also limited, even though it appears that currently they are still plentiful. Eventually, they will become scarce as electricity consumption continues to rise. Ultimately they will need to be replaced by a “greener” energy source and method. No system can be sustained forever if its fuel source must be destroyed, which is why there is such an interest in further development of solar as the primary “alternative” method of electrical power generation.

Why does solar power cost more than fossil fuel technology when there is no cost for the fuel itself? The answer is hiding in the upkeep of the solar production facilities themselves. Solar power generation needs a solar panel positioned in a way that can collect the most sunlight possible. That solar panel must be connected via cables and wires to additional equipment used in the process. Because the solar panels must be unobstructed to function to their fullest potential, they are at risk of weather events, including being struck by lightning. When lightning strikes, it often damages the panel, rendering it useless and needing replacement. But such a strike also creates a massive power surge which, if allowed to move into the solar park, will travel along connection cables and overwhelm the circuitry of all the connected electronic equipment. The same functionality of the system allows the damage to happen so quickly, so the best method of minimizing damage is to integrate PV surge protection devices along these pathways. These devices stop the flow of electricity if it exceeds a specific range and doesn’t allow the electricity to reach any equipment beyond this point. The activation of a surge protection device temporarily ceases functionality in the event of a lightning strike but allows for restoration to happen quickly and far less expensively. Because of photovoltaic surge protection devices, prices are coming down, and the potential for more efficient power generation systems is increasing.

Protecting Cellular Sites

Protection of cellular sites is paramount for maintaining carrier profitability. Safety comes in several ways, including protecting equipment against different types of damage when it is placed into service in a public environment. A basic form of protection is shrouding, essentially adding protective covering that creates a barrier between the equipment and the elements. Another is adding industrial surge protection, which is necessary to protect against the circuit-level component damage caused by power surges. Both of these forms of damage have consequences that must be minimized in order to maintain profits. Shrouding protects equipment close to public spaces that can not be exposed directly to the elements. Surge protection puts a barrier between vulnerable equipment and the power surges that can impact them, causing either instant damage or degradation over time. Both are necessary.

Shrouds or cabinets cover the necessary equipment used in the cellular network that supports the network backhaul, directing and routing signals to where they need to go. A large amount of equipment is used in the process, with only the actual radios, antennas, and supporting connectivity equipment positioned at the top of the installation. This equipment is exposed to the elements and is vulnerable to lightning strikes. Other equipment at site is housed at the bottom of the structure and supports the distribution of signals to the network. All components must be housed in enclosures to prevent damage from the elements and support connectivity. A direct connection via power cables from the equipment at the top to the bottom allows electricity to move through the system from the inside, power the entire system, and keep the site up. When a power surge results from a lightning strike near the structure, however, it can overwhelm and damage the connected equipment. Because the power surge enters the exposed equipment and moves to the unexposed equipment, the enclosures will not protect from power damage. Therefore, installing the proper Type 1 and Type 2 surge protection equipment at critical places in the cell site is necessary to thwart a power surge from moving from component to component. This way, the lightning strike might impact the equipment at the tower top, rendering it damaged, but the resulting lightning surge would be managed and diverted by the installed surge protection, keeping damage from the other equipment. A power surge moving along the cables at such a location would not be able to move past the point of installed surge protection, keeping that surge from reaching the other equipment in the installation. When the right type of industrial surge protection is installed in the right areas of the site, less damage is allowed to occur when the inevitable lightning strike happens. The addition of cell site surge protection also enables faster restoration times should damage occur. By reducing the damage from predictable events like lightning strikes, the network providers can conserve the operating budget spent on maintenance over time. Eliminating these expenses adds to profitability and, at the same time, keeps existing customers happy due to better service. Surge protection is the silent protector of your cell signal!

Power Surges And Cellular Sites

Power Surges And Cellular Sites

Power surges harm almost all computerized equipment. This is because the circuitry inside those components can only operate within a specific electrical range, and any deviation outside that range can destroy circuits. If you have ever lived in or visited a place with fluctuating electrical delivery from the grid, you may have either lost a home computer or had one die earlier than expected due to the degradation of its circuitry as a result of minor power surges. When the stakes are higher, and hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of equipment must stay online to keep your business functioning correctly and profitable, you invest far more into electrical protection than a surge strip. Cellular sites are a prime example of how equipment placed in the field must be protected in order for the business to remain profitable.

Cellular companies place equipment that creates a network to support their business. Cell sites are placed in this network in a way that will enable the strongest signals for the most customers. For high-speed data transfer, the sites must be closer than ever. As a result, cell carriers invest heavily in the launch of new sites and upgrading existing sites with new equipment, all in support of current and next-generation networks. The new equipment is being installed on existing macro cell sites in support of C-band signals and in small cell sites closer to customers to support the shorter distance mmWave signals. Because of all this investment, the antennas, radios, and other equipment used to support the network must often be concealed and always be protected. By placing the equipment in cabinets and shrouds, it can be hidden, protecting it from vandalism. But to be protected from the electrical damage that lightning strikes can cause, industrial surge protection must also be installed on all the cell site locations. Power surges of the magnitude produced by a lightning strike will travel along cable connections between the equipment and overwhelm it and cause significant damage and downtime. Each cellular installation in a network performs the task of receiving and transmitting a signal if the user is within its range. If that tower or structure goes offline due to damage, dead spots can be created where calls are dropped or no signal is available. Downtime causes customer dissatisfaction which leads to lost revenue for the cellular carrier. In addition, the cellular company must spend to repair the equipment and restoring functionality. In a nutshell, the best policy is to reduce damage to reduce downtime and conserve budget. Reduced downtime can be accomplished by integrating external surge protection systems into the site along the pathways that electricity travels. These surge protection devices block will any power outside a range considered safe for the equipment. It acts as a failsafe to stop the damage from traveling to other equipment in the case of a nearby lighting strike. This policy of integrating surge protection equipment will not prevent the lightning strike, but it can salvage the equipment connected nearby to the places where the strike happens. This allows cell installations to be restored faster and for less money, creating a win-win for customers and companies.

How Cell Sites Are Protected From Lightning

Protecting equipment placed into service within an environment with elements that pose the risk of damage is difficult for all businesses. Any industry that needs to put equipment into harm’s way to perform the service they are tasked with is interested in figuring out ways to protect that equipment. Different methods can be deployed that are situationally specific such as covering or shrouding the equipment and integrating devices designed to prevent failures. Essentially, the work of all protective equipment is the same, to keep the sensitive components functioning and online for as long as possible, knowing that the threats exist which can impede that progress. Identifying threats to equipment placed in the field can help create specific solutions deployed to prevent them. When equipment needs to be protected from the elements, it is placed inside a strong, purpose-built cabinet, keeping outside forces from impacting it. This becomes less effective when the very nature of operations does not allow that equipment to be fully shrouded. Take the example of a cellular site, where the antennas and receivers of signals cannot be blocked by shrouding, or they would not provide a clear signal. Cell phone users need a nearby cell tower or another cell site to connect to and send and receive the clearest signal possible. The active equipment on a cell tower doesn’t need to be placed in a cabinet to protect it, but it does need to be protected from electrical surges caused as a result of lightning strikes. When lightning strikes on or near a cell tower, any equipment positioned on that tower is susceptible to damage by a power surge that can move through the equipment cables. The lightning strike is capable of creating immense damage at the point of strike, should it be to the tower itself. Here the equipment that is struck can not be salvaged. But just as dangerous is the resulting lightning surge that can affect all connected equipment. To stop equipment from the damage caused by lightning surges, cell operators are integrating industrial surge protection devices into the cell sites. The surge protection systems sit along pathways through which electricity can flow and monitor the safe range of electricity reaching the equipment. If that level deviates outside the safe scope, the surge protection device activates and diverts the surge. These devices protect equipment that might be damaged by a lightning surge, not the strike. They minimize the damage to the point where the lightning might have struck. Industrial surge protection installed on cell sites reduces the costs for repairs and allows cell installations to be returned to functionality faster.

Why Cell Sites Need Surge Protection

Cellular network providers nationwide are in the process of upgrading equipment in the field to handle the latest 5G speeds. These upgrades not only involve the upgrade of equipment within the existing towers and installations but also placing additional installations into regions where coverage might not have been previously. A seamless network involves the ability for the phone to connect to a nearby installation, then switch to the next as the customer moves through space. With the new 5G technology a user must, in many cases, be closer to the equipment installation than ever before to maintain the signal. This need will position a far more significant amount of equipment into the field than ever at the network provider’s expense. While this equipment will be paid for over time by customers’ monthly payments, significant steps must be taken to protect it as it is in service. Protecting the equipment in the field helps not only to decrease the amount of money that must be spent each quarter by the provider on maintenance but also helps to keep customers happy. If a cellular installation is damaged and goes offline, it will create a spot where a user might not gain the best signal, leading to frustration on the customer’s part and possibly the consideration of a rival competitor.

Lightning strikes to cellular installations are a considerable concern, with lightning striking the tops of equipment groupings or nearby, and creating damage. Due to the physical makeup and positioning of most cell towers and installations, they must be positioned in a way that will provide a clear signal to users on the ground. This means they must be tall, making them prime targets for lightning strikes. The strike to the top damages the equipment positioned there, and makes repair and restoration necessary. But the amount of time and money that it will take to restore that equipment grouping is also influenced by whether the lightning power surge was able to impact equipment throughout the installation. The power surge created by lighting strikes travels along the connectivity cables and wires, overwhelming and damaging equipment far from the strike point. By installing devices specifically designed to thwart the movement of electrical surges and keep them away from equipment, other equipment at the site can be kept from harm. Keeping as much of the equipment on site safe from electrical surge damage keeps the ongoing operation costs lower and the networks functioning to customers’ satisfaction. In addition, by installing surge protection devices along critical pathways at the cell site, customers will sense no disruption of daily activities, and carriers can keep rates from rising too high.

Cell site surge protection is probably one of the most important types of equipment used in the process of cell connectivity that is not directly tasked with connecting customers. Cell site surge protection allows our networks to remain profitable while still providing the latest technology to customers. The best networks not only invest in upgrades to the newest equipment but also in protection.

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