Lightning protection standards

Our technicians are experts in the regulations detailed below and also adapt to other current regulations, depending on the country, that may affect lightning protection installations.

1. National standards

1.1 Spain

Technical Building Code (CTE). Basic requirement DB-SUA 8: Safety against the risk related to lightning action.

This part of the Technical Building Code deals with how to limit the risk of electrocution and fire caused by lightning action, by means of adequate lightning protection installations.

Low-Voltage Electrotechnical Regulation (REBT) - Royal Decree 842/2002

The purpose of this Regulation is to establish the technical conditions and guarantees that must be met by electrical installations connected to a supply source within low-voltage limits, in order to:

1. Safeguard the safety of people and property.
2. Ensure the proper operation of these installations and prevent disturbances to other installations and services.
3. Contribute to the technical reliability and economic efficiency of the installations.

Technical Application Guide for the Low-Voltage Electrotechnical Regulation

Regulation on technical conditions and safety guarantees for high-voltage electrical installations - Royal Decree 337/2014

The purpose of this regulation is to establish the technical conditions and safety guarantees to which high-voltage electrical installations must be subject, in order to:

• Protect people and the integrity and functionality of the  property  that  may  be affected by them.
• Achieve the necessary quality in electricity supply and promote energy efficiency.
• Establish the precise standardization needed to reduce the extensive categorization that exists in the manufacture of electrical material.
• Facilitate, from the project phase of the installations, their adaptation to future, reasonably foreseeable load increases.

Technical Application Guide for the Regulation on High-Voltage Power Lines

UNE 21186 Lightning protection: Lightning rods with early streamer emission device.

This standard governs the design, implementation, inspection and maintenance of installations built with early streamer emission lightning rods. The purpose of these installations is to protect people and property as effectively as possible.

UNE-EN 62305-1 Protection against lightning. Part 1: General principles.

This part of standard IEC 62305 provides the general principles to be followed for the protection against lightning of structures, including their installations and contents, and of persons;

UNE-EN 62305-2 Protection against lightning. Part 2: Risk assessment.

This part of standard EN 62305 applies to the risk assessment of a structure due to lightning flashes to earth. Its purpose is to provide a risk assessment procedure. Once an upper limit of the tolerable risk has been selected, this procedure allows the selection of appropriate protection measures to reduce the risk to or below the tolerable limit.​

UNE-EN 62305-3 Protection against lightning. Part 3: Physical damage to structures and life hazard.

This part of standard EN 62305 provides the requirements for the protection of a structure against physical damage by means of a lightning protection system (LPS), as well as for protection against injury to living beings due to touch and step voltages in the vicinity of an LPS (see standard EN 62305-1).

This standard is applicable to:

• the design, installation, inspection and maintenance of an LPS for structures without limitation of height;
• the implementation of protection measures against injury to living beings due to touch and step voltages.

UNE-EN 62305-4 Protection against lightning. Part 4: Electrical and electronic systems within structures.

This part of standard IEC 62305 provides information for the design, installation, inspection, maintenance and testing of the protection systems for electrical and electronic systems in order to reduce the risk of permanent failures caused by the lightning electromagnetic impulse within structures.

This guide provides the guidelines for cooperation between the designer of the electrical and electronic system and the designer of the protection measures, in an attempt to achieve optimal protection effectiveness.

UNE-EN 62561-1 Requirements for lightning protection system components (LPSC). Part 1: Requirements for connection components.

This part of the EN 62561 series of standards specifies the requirements and tests for the metallic connection components that form part of a lightning protection system (LPS). Typically these parts are connectors, connection and bridging components, expansion pieces and test joints.

UNE-EN IEC 62561-2 Requirements for lightning protection system components (LPSC). Part 2: Requirements for conductors and earth electrodes.

Part 2 of standard IEC 62561 specifies the requirements and tests for:

• metallic conductors (other than "natural" conductors) that form part of the air-termination and down-conductor systems;
• metallic electrodes that form part of the earth-termination system.​

UNE-EN 62561-3 Requirements for lightning protection system components (LPSC). Part 3: Requirements for isolating spark gaps.

This part of standard IEC 62561 specifies the requirements and tests to be applied to spark gaps in lightning protection systems.

Spark gaps can be used to indirectly connect a lightning protection system to a nearby metallic part when, for functional reasons, a direct connection is not permitted.

Typical applications include the connection to:

• the earth-termination systems of power installations;
• the earth-termination systems of telecommunication systems;
• the auxiliary earth electrodes of voltage-operated earth-fault circuit breakers;
• the earth rail of railways at industrial frequency and in d.c.;
• the measuring earth electrodes of laboratories;
• installations with cathodic protection and stray currents;
• the entry poles of low-voltage overhead cables;
• the bonding of insulating flanges and insulated joints of pipelines.

UNE-EN 62561-4 Requirements for lightning protection system components (LPSC). Part 4: Requirements for conductor fasteners.

This Part 4 of the EN 62561 series of standards deals with the requirements and tests for metallic and non-metallic conductor fasteners used together with air-termination conductor systems, down-conductors and earth-termination conductor systems.

This standard does not cover the attachment of the fasteners to structures/membranes/gravel roofs, which are not covered by this standard due to the large number and variety of types existing today in construction.

Lightning protection components (LPSC) may also be suitable for use in hazardous atmospheres. Attention should be paid to the extra requirements needed by components used in such conditions.

UNE-EN 62561-5 Requirements for lightning protection system components (LPSC). Part 5: Requirements for earth electrode inspection housings and for earth electrode seals.

This Part 5 of standard EN 62561 specifies the requirements and tests for: 

• the earth electrode inspection housings (earth housings);
• the sealing of earth electrodes.

UNE-EN IEC 62561-6 Requirements for lightning protection system components (LPSC). Part 6: Requirements for lightning strike counters (LSC).

This Part 6 of standard EN 62561 specifies the requirements and tests for devices intended to count the number of lightning strike impulses flowing through a conductor. This conductor may be part of the lightning protection system (LPS) or may be connected to an SPD (or to other conductors that are not intended to conduct a significant portion of the lightning currents).

UNE-EN IEC 62561-7 Requirements for lightning protection system components (LPSC). Part 7: Requirements for earthing enhancing compounds

This Part 7 of the EN 62561 series of standards specifies the requirements and tests for compounds that improve earthing by creating a low resistance in an earth-termination system.

UNE-EN IEC 62793 Protection against lightning. Thunderstorm warning systems.

This international standard describes the characteristics of thunderstorm warning systems and the evaluation of the usefulness of real-time lightning data and / or storm electrification data, in order to implement preventive measures against lightning hazard.

This standard provides the basic requirements for the sensors and networks that collect accurate information on the relevant parameters, providing, in real time, real-time information on the evolution of lightning and its ranges. It describes, in the form of warnings and historical data, the application of the data collected by these sensors and networks.

This standard applies to information from thunderstorm detection systems (systems or equipment providing real-time information) on atmospheric electrical activity, in order to monitor preventive measures.

This standard includes:

• a general description of warning systems for the risk of possible lightning and storm electrification;
• a classification of thunderstorm detection systems and their properties;
• a guide to alarm methods;
• a procedure to determine the usefulness of thunderstorm information;
• some informative examples of possible preventive actions.

UNE-EN 61400-24 Wind turbines. Part 24: Lightning protection.

This international standard applies to the lightning protection of wind turbines and their power systems.

The reference standards are the general lightning protection standards, the low- and high-voltage standards for machinery and installations, and those for electromagnetic compatibility (EMC).

This standard defines the environment produced by lightning in wind turbines and the application of this environment in order to assess the risk to them. It defines the requirements for protecting the blades, other structural components and the electrical and control systems against the direct and indirect effects of lightning. Test methods are recommended for their validation.

It provides guidance on the use of the standards on lightning protection, industrial installations and EMC, as well as on earth-termination installations.

It provides guidance regarding the safety of persons.

BOE: Prevention of Occupational Risks - Royal Decree 1215/1997: establishing the minimum health and safety provisions for the use of work equipment by workers.

This Royal Decree establishes, within the framework of Law 31/1995 of 8 November on the Prevention of Occupational Risks, the minimum health and safety provisions for the use of work equipment used by workers at work.

BOE: Prevention of Occupational Risks - Royal Decree 614/2001 of 8 June, on minimum provisions for the protection of the health and safety of workers against electrical risk

This Royal Decree establishes, within the framework of Law 31/1995 of 8 November on the Prevention of Occupational Risks, the minimum safety provisions for the protection of workers against electrical risk in the workplace. This Royal Decree applies to the electrical installations of workplaces and to the techniques and procedures for working on them or in their vicinity.

BOE: Royal Decree 244/2019 Self-consumption of Electrical Energy.

1. The administrative, technical and economic conditions for the self-consumption modalities of electrical energy defined in Article 9 of Law 24/2013 of 26 December on the Electricity Sector.
2. The definition of the concept of nearby installations for the purposes of self-consumption.
3. The development of individual and collective self-consumption.
4. The simplified compensation mechanism between the deficits of self-consumers and the surpluses of their associated production installations.
5. The organization, as well as the procedure for registration and communication of data to the
6. administrative register of self-consumption of electrical energy.

NF C 17-102: Protection of structures and open areas against lightning, lightning rods with early streamer emission device.

Protection against lightning - Lightning protection systems with early streamer emission device. This document applies to lightning protection systems with an early streamer emission device intended to protect structures, buildings and open areas against direct lightning strikes. This early streamer emission Lightning Protection System (LPS) must be tested, selected and installed in accordance with this document.

NP 4426: Protection against lightning - systems with non-radioactive ionization device.

This standard applies to lightning protection systems with a non-radioactive ionization device, to protect structures, buildings and open areas against direct lightning strikes. This LPS device (lightning protection system with ionization device) must be tested, selected and installed in accordance with this standard.

NFPA 780 Standard for the installation of Lightning Protection Systems.

NFPA 780 provides lightning protection system installation requirements to safeguard people and property from fire risk and related hazards associated with lightning exposure.

2. International standards

IEC 62305-1 Protection against lightning - Part 1: General principles.

It provides general principles to be followed for protection of structures against lightning, including their installations and contents, as well as persons.

IEC 62305-2 Protection against lightning - Part 2: Risk management.

It is applicable to risk assessment for a structure due to lightning flashes to earth. Its purpose is to provide a procedure for the evaluation of such a risk. Once an upper tolerable limit for the risk has been selected, this procedure allows the selection of appropriate protection measures to be adopted to reduce the risk to or below the tolerable limit.

IEC 62305-3 Protection against lightning - Part 3: Physical damage to structures and life hazard.

It provides the requirements for protection of a structure against physical damage by means of a lightning protection system (LPS), and for protection against injury to living beings due to touch and step voltages in the vicinity of an LPS (see IEC 62305-1).

IEC 62305-4 Protection against lightning - Part 4: Electrical and electronic systems within structures.

It provides information for the design, installation, inspection, maintenance and testing of electrical and electronic system protection (SPM) to reduce the risk of permanent failures due to lightning electromagnetic impulse (LEMP) within a structure.

IEC 62561-1 Lightning Protection System Components (LPSC) - Part 1: Requirements for connection components.

It specifies the requirements and tests for metallic connection components that form part of a lightning protection system (LPS). Typically, these can be connectors, clamps, bonding and bridging components, expansion pieces and test joints.

For the purposes of this document the following connection types are considered as connection components: exothermic, brazing, welding, clamping, crimping, seaming, screwing or bolting. Testing of components for an explosive atmosphere is not covered by this document.

IEC 62561-2 Lightning Protection System Components (LPSC) - Part 2: Requirements for conductors and earth electrodes

It specifies the requirements and tests for:

• metallic conductors (other than "natural" conductors) that form part of the air-termination and down-conductor systems,
• metallic earth electrodes that form part of the earth-termination system.

IEC 62561-3 Lightning protection system components (LPSC) - Part 3: Requirements for isolating spark gaps (ISG)

It specifies the requirements and tests for isolating spark gaps (ISG) for lightning protection systems. ISGs can be used to indirectly bond a lightning protection system to other nearby metalwork where a direct bond is not permissible for functional reasons.

IEC 62561-4 Lightning protection system components (LPSC) - Part 4: Requirements for conductor fasteners

It deals with the requirements and tests for metallic and non-metallic conductor fasteners that are used to retain and support the air-termination, down-conductor and earth-termination systems.

This document does not cover the fixing of conductor fasteners to the fabric of structures due to the vast number and types used in modern day construction.

LPSC can also be suitable for use in hazardous atmospheres. There are therefore additional requirements when installing the components in such conditions.

IEC 62561-5 Lightning protection system components (LPSC) - Part 5: Requirements for earth electrode inspection housings and earth electrode seals

It specifies the requirements and tests for earth electrode inspection housings (earth housing) installed in the earth and for earth electrode seals.

Lightning protection system components (LPSC) can also be suitable for use in hazardous atmospheres. There are therefore additional requirements when installing the components under such conditions.

IEC 62561-6 Lightning protection system components (LPSC) - Part 6: Requirements for lightning strike counters (LSC)

It specifies the requirements and tests for devices intended to count the number of lightning strikes based on the current flowing in a conductor. This conductor may be part of a lightning protection system (LPS) or connected to an SPD installation or other conductors, which are not intended to conduct a significant portion of lightning currents.

LSCs may also be suitable for use in hazardous atmospheres and there are therefore extra requirements necessary for the components to be installed in such conditions.

IEC 62561-7 Lightning protection system components (LPSC) - Part 7: Requirements for earthing enhancing compounds

It specifies the requirements and tests for earthing enhancing compounds producing low resistance of an earth termination system.

IEC TS 62561-8 Requirements for components for isolated LPS.

It specifies the requirements and tests for insulating stand-offs, used in conjunction with an air termination system and down-conductors with the aim of maintaining the proper separation distance, and the requirements and tests for insulating down-conductors, including their specific fasteners, able to reduce the separation distance.

IEC 62793 Protection against lightning - Thunderstorm warning systems

It describes the characteristics of thunderstorm warning systems and evaluation of the usefulness of lightning real time data and/or storm electrification data in order to implement lightning hazard preventive measures. This standard provides the basic requirements for sensors and networks collecting accurate data of the relevant parameters, giving real-time information of lightning tracks and range. It describes the application of the data collected by these sensors and networks in the form of warnings and historical data. This standard applies to the use of information from thunderstorm warning systems (systems or equipment providing real-time information) on atmospheric electric activity in order to monitor preventive measures.

IEC 61400-24 Wind energy generation systems - Part 24: Lightning protection

It applies to lightning protection of wind turbine generators and wind power systems. Refer to guidelines for small wind turbines in annex.

This document defines the lightning environment for wind turbines and risk assessment for wind turbines in that environment. It defines requirements for protection of blades, other structural components and electrical and control systems against both direct and indirect effects of lightning. Test methods to validate compliance are included.

Guidance on the use of applicable lightning protection, industrial electrical and EMC standards including earthing is provided.

IEC 61643-11 Low-voltage surge protective devices - Part 11: Surge protective devices connected to low-voltage power systems - Requirements and test methods

It is applicable to devices for surge protection against indirect and direct effects of lightning or other transient overvoltages. These devices are packaged to be connected to 50/60 Hz a.c. power circuits, and equipment rated up to 1 000 V r.m.s. Performance characteristics, standard methods for testing and ratings are established. These devices contain at least one nonlinear component and are intended to limit surge voltages and divert surge currents.

IEC 61643-22 Low-voltage surge protective devices - Part 22: Surge protective devices connected to telecommunications and signalling networks - Selection and application principles.

It describes the principles for the selection, operation, location and coordination of SPDs connected to telecommunication and signalling networks with nominal system voltages up to 1 000 V r.m.s. a.c. and 1 500 V d.c. This standard also addresses SPDs that incorporate protection for signalling lines and power lines in the same enclosure (so called multiservice SPDs).

IEC 61643-31 Low-voltage surge protective devices - Part 31: Requirements and test methods for SPDs for photovoltaic installation

It is applicable to Surge Protective Devices (SPDs), intended for surge protection against indirect and direct effects of lightning or other transient overvoltages. These devices are designed to be connected to the DC side of photovoltaic installations rated up to 1 500 V DC. These devices contain at least one non-linear component and are intended to limit surge voltages and divert surge currents. Performance characteristics, safety requirements, standard methods for testing and ratings are established. SPDs complying with this standard are exclusively dedicated to be installed on the DC side of photovoltaic generators and the DC side of inverters. SPDs for PV systems with energy storage (e.g. batteries, capacitor banks) are not covered. SPDs with separate input and output terminals that contain specific series impedance between these terminal(s) (so called two-port SPDs according to IEC 61643-11:2011) are not covered. SPDs compliant with this standard are designed to be permanently connected where connection and disconnection of fixed SPDs can only be done using a tool. This standard does not apply to portable SPDs.

IEC 61643-32 Low-voltage surge protective devices - Part 32: Surge protective devices connected to the D.C. side of photovoltaic installations - Selection and application principles.

It describes the principles for selection, installation and coordination of SPDs intended for use in Photovoltaic (PV) systems up to 1 500 V DC and for the AC side of the PV system rated up to 1 000 V rms 50/60 Hz. The photovoltaic installation extends from a PV array or a set of interconnected PV-modules to include the associated cabling and protective devices and the inverter up to the connection point in the distribution board or the utility supply point. This part of IEC 61643 considers SPDs used in different locations and in different kinds of PV systems: PV systems located on the top of a building. PV systems located on the ground like free field power plants characterized by multiple earthing and a meshed earthing system. The term PV installation is used to refer to both kinds of PV systems. The term PV power plant is only used for extended free-field multi-earthed power systems located on the ground. For PV installations including batteries additional requirements may be necessary.