After a storm, the same question arises among installers, design offices, experts and operators: did lightning strike this site, and what is its actual exposure? To answer this, a history of localized, dated and usable lightning strikes in a file.
LPS Strike Radar, LPS France 's lightning data service, produces these documents using a global lightning location network. It is not a storm warning system; its primary purpose is to analyze, after the fact, what actually happened around a given location.
Here is what can be documented, for whom, and why it is better to start the history of a site before you need it.
What can be documented about the lightning activity of a site?
LPS Strike Radar documents three things: the ground lightning density of an area over 10 years, the probability that a strike hit a specific location on a given date, and the lightning activity of an area over a chosen period. Each requirement corresponds to a distinct deliverable: Nsg certificate, lightning strike certificate, or keraunic report.
Three deliverables for three questions
The NSG certificate provides the ground lightning density, expressed as the average number of strikes per km² per year, calculated over 10 years. It is available worldwide, including for projects that have not yet been built.
The lightning strike certificate assesses, as a percentage, the probability that a lightning strike hit a specific site on a given date. It is based on GPS coordinates, the intensity in kA, and the polarity of the recorded strikes.
Finally, the keraunic report details the lightning activity of an area over a period: monthly and hourly distribution, mapping of impacts, intensity statistics and notable impacts.
- Risk study or sizing: Nsg certificate.
- Damage, expertise or audit after a storm: lightning strike certificate.
- Annual audit, preliminary study or HSE reporting: Keraunic report.
Why does Nsg density matter in a risk study?
Lightning risk analysis according to IEC 62305-2 uses lightning density as input data. The more local and recent this data is, the more the assessment reflects the actual exposure of the site. The Nsg certificate provides this value based on localized ground strikes, according to the principles of IEC 62858.
An input, not a result
The Nsg density is just one parameter among others: dimensions of the structure, environment, type of service, consequences of a loss. Thus, it informs the calculation without replacing it.
For the complete calculation of risk and protection level according to IEC 62305-2:2024 , LPS Designer Pro software is the dedicated tool. The Nsg certificate provides it with documented local data.
- Choosing and sizing protection: lightning rods, outdoor lightning protection installation.
- Justify the assumptions of a study to the client.
- Compare the exposure of several sites, including new projects.
How can we determine if lightning struck a site after a thunderstorm?
The lightning strike certificate answers this question by assessing the probability that a lightning strike hit the site on the date of the storm. It cross-references the site's location with the location, intensity, and polarity of the recorded strikes. The document can then be included in a claim file, expert assessment, or verification report.
What the certificate provides, and what it does not replace
The certificate documents an event: date, time, intensity, distance, and probability of impact. However, it does not record the damage. An on-site assessment is still necessary to determine the condition of the equipment.
For an installer or inspector, this document also justifies a service call to the client. It supports the proposal for a post-storm inspection or supplements the report subsequently written.
- Record the address or precise GPS coordinates of the site.
- Note the date and time range of the storm in question.
- Request the corresponding lightning strike certificate.
- Attach the document to the file, along with the findings made on site.
How does a facility manager prioritize their interventions?
When dozens of sites are scattered, the question after a storm is always the same: which ones might have been affected? LPS Strike Radar displays, for each strike, the intensity, time, and distance from the monitored sites. This allows the site manager to prioritize visits rather than inspecting everything.
Telecom towers, wind farms, photovoltaic power plants
A virtual probe monitors all impacts within a 100 km radius. Therefore, a single probe can cover multiple sites in the same area.
Furthermore, the probability of incidence is calculated for any point covered. Keraunic reports by zone and Nsg certificates by site complete the monitoring of exposure across the entire fleet of facilities.
- Identify the sites closest to the most intense impacts.
- Plan the checks in a targeted manner.
- Document each relevant site for the client or insurer.
On the field monitoring side, checks and their history are centralized in LPS Managerapplication LPS France for installers and operators.
Why place a virtual probe before you need it?
The lightning strike certificate and the keraunic report rely on a virtual probe: a point placed on the map, without any hardware installation required. Archiving begins upon the probe's deployment, without retroactive effect. When it becomes necessary to prove what happened at a site, only the impacts recorded since its creation are available.
Anticipate rather than reconstruct
In practical terms, a probe installed after a disaster cannot document that event. It is therefore preferable to install probes as soon as a site is commissioned, or as soon as it enters into a maintenance contract.
- Place a probe for each sector to be monitored.
- Check site coverage for free at strikeradar.lpsplatform.com.
- Keep the certificates and reports in the site's lightning protection file.
LPS Strike Radar is available on web, Android, iOS, and desktop. To learn more about the service and its deliverables, visit website LPS Strike Radar.
Frequently Asked Questions about LPS Strike Radar
The questions below are frequently asked by installers, design offices, and experts. They clarify the role of the service, its limitations, and how to integrate it into the monitoring of a lightning protection system.
Is LPS Strike Radar a storm warning service?
No. LPS Strike Radar records and analyzes lightning strikes to document what happened around a site. For monitoring an approaching storm, LPS France offers other tools from its ecosystem, presented on the LPS Platform.
Is it possible to obtain the history of a past storm on a site without a probe?
The Nsg certificate is based on 10 years of data and remains available everywhere. In contrast, the lightning strike certificate and the keraunic report only cover the period following the creation of the virtual probe.
Does a lightning strike certificate prove damage?
No. It assesses the probability that an impact occurred on the site on a given date. The condition of the equipment must be verified by an on-site expert assessment.
Sources
- IEC 62305-2:2024: Protection against lightning, risk assessment (official IEC presentation).
- IEC 62858: Lightning strike density based on lightning location systems, general principles.
- LPS Strike Radar : presentation of the service and deliverables.
