Quartzelec have the in-house capability to undertake a range of services that relate to both lightning protection and high voltage earthing.

Our aim is to provide our customers with designs and site surveys that ensure compliance with the relevant safety standards. These studies are completely independent and will make sure a safe environment is in place.

Lightning Protection Studies

Having a detailed on-site lightning protection audit will ensure that the each individual building and structure complies with British Standard BS EN 62305:2011.

Following an examination of site technical drawings a site survey will assess all buildings and structures for construction, occupancy, usage and fire risk. This information is used to calculate the probability of damage to each structure resulting from both a direct and indirect lightning strike.

This risk assessment process highlights any requirement for both physical lightning protection on a structure and the possible requirement for the fitment of surge protection on the structures electrical and electronic systems.

We will ensure that any requirement for lightning protection will be the most efficient method to ensure British Standard compliance, giving you confidence that the most appropriate lightning protection system is recommended.

Our Principle Engineer has many years’ experience in the design of commercial and industrial lightning protection systems and we are currently members of GEL/81, the British Standards panel that oversees BS EN 62305:2011.

High Voltage Earthing Studies

Earthing Survey

During a high voltage earth fault, the voltage rise on the soil surface can be a significant issue and in some cases fatal. A detailed high voltage earthing audit undertaken by our experts will provide you with the confidence that a safe environment is in place to protect both personnel and your electrical equipment. These surveys are an essential part of maintaining a healthy high voltage network.

A normal high voltage earthing compliance survey will typically include:

• Confirmation of site resistance 
• Full site continuity measurements
• Touch potential measurements
• Visual assessment of above ground earthing

Following the site survey, the data is compiled at our Wrexham office. This includes detail fault current distribution calculations to ensure a high level of accuracy in the calculation of voltages arising from an earth fault.

If required we will advise on any measures required to ensure compliance with British Standards.

Earthing Design Services

When building or upgrading high voltage electrical services, one of the most frequently overlooked elements of the design is the confirmation that the most appropriate high voltage earthing system is in place to safely mitigate against all possible electric shock hazards.

We use the latest and most accurate compute modelling software to ensure compliance with the relevant British Standards. Not only do we offer an independent and most cost-effective design, we can also call upon our skilled installation team to create a “one-stop” design and install approach.

All services are kept within our in-house capabilities.

Both our compliance surveys and design services are undertaken in line with:

• BS EN 50522:2010: Earthing of power installations exceeding 1kV a.c. 
• BS 7430:2011+A1:2015: Code of practice for protective earthing of power installations
• ENA Technical Specification 41-24 Issue 2 2018: Guide for the design, installation, testing and maintenance of main earthing systems in substations
• ENA Engineering Recommendation EREC S34 Issue 2 2018: A guide for assessing the rise of earth potential at electrical installations