Indeed, when managing an industrial site, a telecom infrastructure, a photovoltaic park, or multiple sites, the question isn't simply "Is there a storm?" The real operational question is: what has been the lightning activity in our areas , and how can we document this exposure to make informed decisions, analyze the situation, and improve protection?
Thus, StrikeRadar cloud-to-ground lightning monitoring solution . It is designed to provide a clear view of lightning activity over a given area and period, with an approach focused on analysis and reporting (rather than real-time alerts).
1) What exactly is StrikeRadar?
cloud-to-ground lightning data in order to:
- Visualize lightning activity around a site (or a group of sites)
- Monitor progress over periods (days, weeks, months)
- Generate PDF reports for traceability, HSE assessments, and risk analyses
Furthermore, it's important to note that StrikeRadar is not a "real-time" alert system. Data is made available with a latency of approximately 2 minutes , which is very useful for monitoring and analysis, but should not be presented as "real-time."
2) Why lightning monitoring is essential (even with good protection)
Indeed, even with a properly designed lightning protection system (lightning rods, grounding, surge arresters, etc.), key challenges remain:
- Understanding the actual exposure of a site (frequency, intensity, seasonality)
- Correlating anomalies (stoppage, fault, incident) with a storm event
- Documenting events for internal audits, maintenance, and even insurance purposes
Thus, surveillance provides a "data" layer: it does not replace protection, it complements it.
3) Key features of StrikeRadar
Mapping and monitoring of areas
StrikeRadar allows you to map lightning activity over defined areas. This is particularly useful for comparison:
- Several sites belonging to the same group
- Several areas around critical infrastructure
- The evolution of an area over time
Multi-site management (and reading by scope)
For multi-site organizations, the value is immediate: monitoring is structured by locations and areas, providing consistent and actionable insights for HSE, maintenance, and operations teams.
PDF reports: incidence, keraunic, NSG
StrikeRadar allows you to generate PDF reports, including:
- Impact
- Keraunique
- Calculation elements / indicators for the NSG according to IEC 62305-2:2024
These reports are useful for:
- Periodic reports (monthly, quarterly)
- HSE files
- Risk analyses
- Traceability during audits
Note: Data is in UTC, while graphs may be displayed in local time.
4) Concrete use cases
Industry & process
- Analyze the exposure of a site over a period of time
- Supporting a continuous improvement approach (incident reduction)
- Documenting lightning events for maintenance
Energy & Photovoltaics
- Correlate a shutdown or alarm with a lightning event
- Prioritize inspections on the most exposed sites
Telecoms & Networks
- Monitoring lightning activity around sensitive infrastructure
- Produce reports and assessments for service continuity
5) How to get started with StrikeRadar
For effective implementation, it is recommended to define:
- Sites to monitor (and their contact details)
- The relevant perimeters (zones/circles) according to your constraints
- Reporting requirements (frequency, type of reports, recipients)
Next, you can standardize internal usage:
- A monthly report for the HSE
- A post-storm analysis for maintenance
- A quarterly multi-site exhibition review
FAQ
Is StrikeRadar a real-time alert system?
No. StrikeRadar provides data with a latency of approximately 2 minutes . This is very useful for tracking and analysis. But it should not be presented as "real-time".
What type of lightning is taken into account?
cloud-to-ground data .
What are PDF reports used for?
They are used to document the exposure of a site, to carry out assessments, and to feed into risk analyses (incidence, keraunic, NSG according to IEC 62305-2:2024).
Conclusion
StrikeRadar helps organizations transform lightning activity into actionable data : multi-site comparison, period analysis, and clear reporting. It's an excellent complement to a lightning protection strategy, enabling better decision-making, better documentation, and better risk management.
