How do I make a mini wind turbine safe from lightning

speedystu · Apr 12, 2022

Hello

Have purchased a 500 w mini wind turbine to help charge leisure batteries in our temporary mobile home.

I have sourced and fabricated a sturdy metal bracket to mount it 6 metres in the air.

It's connected back to the batteries in the Mobile which is connected to an inverter to provide some 220v power. That battery and 220 v are connected to an earth rod.

With this new turbine connected to a block wall off the ground, see pics.

How do I earth it correctly. It seems to me that some of the green resellers only know how to sell and don't care to explain the technical aspects of a safe installation

[ElectriciansForums.net] How do I make a mini wind turbine safe from lightning

James · Apr 12, 2022

that looks a lot lower than the surrounding trees, i wouldn't be too worried, we don't do lightning protection on most houses, is there a reason you have concerns?

speedystu · Apr 12, 2022

James said:
that looks a lot lower than the surrounding trees, i wouldn't be too worried, we don't do lightning protection on most houses, is there a reason you have concerns?

I hear lightning sometimes, I'm nervous and clueless and wonder if a steel pole and turbine is an attraction. It's also right beside our Mobile home. Advice is greatly appreciated

James · Apr 12, 2022

unless it is the highest thing for miles around, i wouldn't be too concerned.

strangely enough, most forms of lightning protection involve using a copper brace that goes from the top of the pole to some earth rods buried in the ground.

in some ways, it can help by reducing the damage of a strike, but in other ways it actually INCREASES THE RISK of being struck.

a mobile home of metal construction is likely to give better protection than a brick built building anyway.

there are plenty of companies out there that specialise in lightning protection, if you are really concerned then maybe a call to one of them is worth it.

Beware, it is going to be expensive!!