The Case For Surge Protection Systems For Wind Turbines
The continual change in climate conditions combined with the increasing dependence upon fossil fuels has dramatically increased interest in sustainable, renewable energy resources worldwide. One of the most promising technologies in green energy is wind power, which, except for high startup costs, would be the choice of many nations worldwide. For example, in Portugal, the wind power production goal from 2006 to 2010 was to increase to 25% of the total energy production of wind power, achieved and even surpassed in later years. While aggressive government programs pushing wind and solar energy production have expanded the wind industry substantially, with this increase in the number of wind turbines comes an increase in the likelihood of turbines being struck by lightning. Direct strikes on wind turbines have become recognized as a serious problem, and there are unique issues that make lightning protection more challenging in wind energy than in other industries. (more…)