Electricity + Control January 2019

EARTHING + LIGHTNING PROTECTION

Lightning, load shedding and earthing

by Richard Evert, national director of the Earthing and Lightning Protection Association (ELPA)

1. The purpose of keeping plant in good health is to provide security in availability. 2. The role of an asset man- ager is to ensure assets never fail. Take Note! 1 2

Electricity load shedding at any time is a desperate and devastating measure which damages the economy.

W here lightning has eroded and weak- ened electrical systems insulation over several years, load shedding introduces accelerated ageing of that insulation, and conse- quential failures after the load shedding and light- ning storm season has passed will increase. During the winter season, when power de- mand is at its highest in South Africa, the power systems driving industry, not only in Eskom but also across every commercial and industrial hub operating their own power plant, will be exposed. Weakened systems will experience electrical stresses that they cannot sustain and ‘mystery failures’ will result. Managing the threat of lightning must be a con- tinuous priority to sustain our systems through every potential and unplanned threat. It should be recognised that an unplanned outage does not re- quire maintenance. When the power utility asset manager is faced with unplanned outages, he or she has to undertake repairs, which is considerably different. Maintenance is a sustained exercise to keep plant in good health.The purpose of keeping plant in good health is to provide security in availability. That is, the service will be sustained, and South Africa will have the confidence to initiate new ventures with limited risk, thereby employing more people, and building and developing skills with which to

start even more ventures, thereby employing more people … and so the spiral goes upwards, deliver- ing fruit for all to eat. Unplanned outages occur when the commer- cial or industrial plant has failed. The asset man- ager was not able to anticipate the weakness and the plant deteriorated at a faster rate than the busi- ness was prepared for. Repairs are a burden to any society and somebody must pay for them. The role of an asset manager is to ensure that the assets never fail. They are managed through, first, maintenance and second, through time- ous and budgeted replacement when they have reached their legitimate end-of-life. Lightning is a full-time threat to every commer- cial, industrial and residential property in South Africa. Much the same as we must hold our mo- nopolising electrical power producer in South Africa liable for the damage incurred and strategy applied, so too must we hold every property and asset own- er in South Africa liable for the maintenance of the earth electrodes, which ensure that lightning will dissipate to ground, and not impact on people’s lives, or damage equipment or property. Once correctly installed, earth electrodes re- quire maintenance. It’s critical that asset manag- ers recognise this and be aware of the mainte- nance plan for their assets.

Managing the threat of lightning must be a continuous priority to sustain our systems through every potential threat.

Enquiries: Visit www.elpasa.org.za

26 Electricity + Control

JANUARY 2019