Siemens lightning protection system Shielding wind turbines against lightning Protecting the entire wind turbine, the Siemens lightning protection system has helped avoid lightning strike related failures for decades. The Siemens lightning protection system is designed to help protect wind turbines from the effects of direct and nearby strikes. Based on more than 30 years of wind power experience, the Siemens lightning protection system has shown excellent performance in wind turbine applications all over the world. The lightning protection system is designed to help protect against lightning strikes in several ways. All main components including the nacelle, blades, controller and tower have extensive lightning protection integrated into their design. When a wind turbine suffers a lightning strike, the Siemens lightning protection system offers a safe path through the wind turbine down to the electrical grounding, both onshore and offshore. This safe path reduces the likelihood of the main components getting damaged by lightning strikes. The blade is the highest point of the wind turbine and is thereby the most exposed component. For optimal blade protection, the lightning protection system is incorporated into the IntegralBlade® design with receptors strategically placed on the blade surface. The Siemens lightning protection system gets thoroughly tested for constant optimization and improvement, thus bolstering the know-how and experience of lightning protection within Siemens Wind Power. Answers for energy.

Case study: Horns Rev II offshore wind power plant Located in the North Sea near Esbjerg, Denmark, this large offshore wind power plant has been in operation since 2009 and consists of 91 units of Siemens From June 2009 to September 2012, the Horns Rev II wind power plant endured 289 lightning strikes. With the Siemens lightning protection system. Horns Rev II avoided any lightning strike related failures and was thereby kept operational during this time frame. Key benefits of the Siemens lightning protection system: ■ Significantly reduces the likelihood of components getting damaged due to...