Energy infrastructure sits at the intersection of high lightning exposure and high consequence. Wind turbines are the tallest structures in their landscape, attracting strikes by design. Solar farms span vast areas with sensitive electronics exposed to induced surges. Substations and transmission lines carry the grid's most critical switching and transformation functions. When lightning compromises any of these assets, the cascade is generation loss, grid instability, equipment damage, revenue exposure.
Aetheric brings expert lightning protection and earthing engineering across the full energy value chain, from individual turbine earthing to enterprise-wide protection programmes spanning generation, transmission, distribution, and storage assets.
Sector-Specific Expertise
Wind Energy
Wind turbines see some of the highest lightning attachment rates of any structure. Protection covers blade receptors, nacelle bonding, tower down conductors, and foundation earthing, across soil conditions that vary dramatically across the wind farm footprint. Our earthing testing characterises individual turbine sites; design services deliver protection systems compliant with IEC 61400-24 and IEC 62305.
- Blade receptor placement and down conductor routing
- Individual turbine foundation earthing in varied geology
- Collection system bonding continuity verification
- Substation integration and ground grid design
- SPD specification for sensitive power electronics and SCADA systems
Solar Photovoltaic
Solar installations present unique challenges: large geographic footprints, sensitive DC-side electronics, and inverter stations vulnerable to direct strikes and induced surges. Our designs cover the full solar chain, array-level DC protection through inverter SPD specification to AC collection system bonding. Risk assessment quantifies each installation's exposure based on real Skytree Scientific lightning data.
- Inverter station lightning protection and SPD coordination
- DC system earthing and string-level protection
- Combiner box and monitoring equipment surge protection
- Array perimeter earthing and step voltage management
Substations & Grid Infrastructure
Substations are the critical nodes of power networks, housing transformers, switchgear, and control systems worth millions. Our design services deliver ground grid designs with step and touch voltage analysis validated by field testing. Lightning shielding per IEEE 998 and RSM modelling ensure complete protection of equipment and personnel.
- Ground grid design and step/touch voltage analysis
- Lightning shielding analysis per IEEE 998
- Transformer and switchgear surge protection coordination
- Control building protection and SCADA system SPD specification
Power Generation & Storage
Conventional and emerging generation assets, gas turbines, battery energy storage systems (BESS), hydrogen facilities, each present specific protection requirements. We design protection systems that address both the generation equipment and the balance-of-plant infrastructure, ensuring coordinated protection across the entire facility.
How We Help
Our services address every stage of energy asset protection:
- Risk Assessment Studies: Site-specific lightning exposure analysis using real flash density data for each installation location
- Lightning Protection Systems: Integrated protection design covering external systems, internal SPD coordination, and earthing
- Ground/Earthing Testing: Soil resistivity profiling, turbine/inverter station earth resistance, and collection system bonding verification
- RSM Modelling: Protection zone analysis for substations, generation facilities, and equipment yards
- Design Services: Construction-ready documentation for new builds and repowering projects
- Site Audits: Portfolio-wide compliance verification for asset integrity programmes
- Lightning Resiliency Planning: Enterprise strategy for utilities managing extensive generation and grid portfolios