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I have been contemplating just shutting off my solar panel breakers, tethering the wind turbine and shutting off its 3 phase breaker during storms. That would still keep power in the house from the batteries but isolated from everything outside.

Do any of my off-grid compadres here try anything like that to protect your systems in storms???

Originally Posted by BajaGringo

I have been contemplating just shutting off my solar panel breakers, tethering the wind turbine and shutting off its 3 phase breaker during storms. That would still keep power in the house from the batteries but isolated from everything outside.

Do any of my off-grid compadres here try anything like that to protect your systems in storms???

I can't find it, but I'm pretty sure I remember reading somewhere that lightning can jump breakers that have been shut off while searching for a path to ground. It probably depends on how much energy can pass through whatever grounding system you have in place to dissipate the energy from the strike. If it can't direct all the energy to ground, the energy is going to look for alternate paths. If I remember correctly, a breaker that's been shut off is not enough to stop it.

Originally Posted by BigWooo

I can't find it, but I'm pretty sure I remember reading somewhere that lightning can jump breakers that have been shut off while searching for a path to ground. It probably depends on how much energy can pass through whatever grounding system you have in place to dissipate the energy from the strike. If it can't direct all the energy to ground, the energy is going to look for alternate paths. If I remember correctly, a breaker that's been shut off is not enough to stop it.

Sounds about right.

It takes about 8,000 volts of potential to ionize 1" of air under average conditions. Then ask yourself "How long is a thunderbolt?"

Certainly disconnect all you can, but shunting is key.

I have the turbine pole setup for grounding as well. But now you are giving me more to think about...

Used to work in line construction... over 300 volts... bare.. 10' until hoods were over the lines and insulators, once covered up would be crawling all over things.. hoping nothing happened ... very dangerous job I got out of.... around 26

230 KV could make the hair on your arms raise from 20' away depending on mositure in the air... have been up poles and towers and seen it cracking all around ... but, never ever got close... just lucking...

Had a strike blow up a Pine tree next to the one, I was standing under ... trying to keep dry... another story... always off topic, subject and/or universe

Electricity = bad juju ... it just does things rather quickly... and most of the time... they are not too cool... nice to watch from a distance....

I was working with a stagehand who remarked "...I don't understand electricity. All I know is that it is an invisible, deadly force and moves at the speed of light..."

I'd say he actually understands quite a bit.

Man-made lightning:



Dig that craaazy sound, Maynard! Extra points for the scream just after.

"...captured by the maintenance foreman of the 500 kV Eldorado Substation near Boulder City, Nevada..."

Originally Posted by dusty

I unplug a lot. Got an e-mail from a friend in Connecticut, last week. Their house was hit big time.
Fried a little over half the wiring and all things connected thereto, Which unfortunately were all the electronics in their offices and all their major appliances. I've been in some dillies back there, but first time I heard of that happening. It can be nasty.

Dusty makes a good point.


With all the3 new programmable coffeemakers that will get fried without a surge protector somewhere in the system,...makes you glad for the ol' Black"N"Decker push-to-start coffee maker.

Few surge protectors will protect you - they react way too slow...

That's been mine experience, and certainly the one of my friend. That why I'm a plug ripper.
I realize you have a whole other set of issues..which I don't understand well, but am facsinated by the posts.
But for us ordinary people, rippin' everything outta the wall has worked well so far. My criteria is about the same as for the siren on a golf course.

Originally Posted by dusty

That's been mine experience, and certainly the one of my friend. That why I'm a plug ripper.
I realize you have a whole other set of issues..which I don't understand well, but am facsinated by the posts.
But for us ordinary people, rippin' everything outta the wall has worked well so far. My criteria is about the same as for the siren on a golf course.

I am thinking of adding another disconnect into the wind turbine circuitry. I have it down right now just make a couple of mods so it would be easy to do. I am thinking that by making the pathway through my system so much less "inviting" it will greatly increase the odds of sending the charge down to the grounding rod.

I have a 100 amp, three phase breaker switch in line now and will probably add a big DC switch after the rectifier. There is another in my diversion controller so with two before my controller and three before my batteries it "should" better my chances...

ooooooooooh.......... now that sounds "hot". If it were just in English.

Want to see some pictures???

-Dr. Megavolt® jousting with 14-ft. electrical arcs from his high voltage Tesla Coil

http://press.exploratorium.edu/wp-co...gavolt_two.jpg