Numerous thunderstorms have already passed over Germany this summer - some of them over Central Hesse. During storms of this kind, lightning strikes directly into residential buildings or in the immediate vicinity. Homeowners and tenants should prepare and protect themselves for such an event, as the damage can sometimes be considerable. A lightning conductor is not always sufficient to prevent voltage peaks in the power lines of a residential building, for example.
"This is where additional surge protection can help, which is installed in the basement and shields the lines in the house," explains Frank Hoffmann, head of the MIT.N network company at Stadtwerke Giessen. It also protects household and consumer electronics.
"Of course, tenants can also do something - and at a very reasonable price," emphasises Frank Hoffmann. The alternative to the more expensive shielding in the basement: a power strip with surge protection, which can be used to protect the most important devices.
If a lightning strike causes damage despite these precautions, it is important to have the right insurance cover. Please note: The insurance should not only be liable for damage caused by a direct lightning strike, but also for surge damage resulting from a strike in the surrounding area.
Safely supplied, even during storms
Homeowners and tenants can take precautions to protect themselves against damage to their buildings. In the case of the electricity grid, grid operators such as MIT.N take care of this. In recent years and decades, they have invested in this country to ensure security of supply even during storms. In the past, power outages used to occur more frequently during thunderstorms, which at best were characterised by flickering lights. Nowadays, this happens much less frequently. Nowadays, for example, the average outage time across Germany is just 18 minutes. In Giessen and the surrounding area, the figure is only 11 minutes.
Frank Hoffmann explains the reason for this: "We have observed which overhead lines are particularly at risk during thunderstorms and storms and replaced them with underground cables. Today, more than 95 per cent of the over 2,800 kilometres of power lines that we operate are already underground." In addition, the so-called ring circuit of the five Giessen substations with their eight high-performance transformers secures the supply. If a problem occurs - for whatever reason - the employees in the grid control centre are able to adjust the voltage and frequency. "For this to work, we have to hold back enormous power reserves," emphasises Frank Hoffmann. This means, for example, that MIT.N often only operates the transformers at half power, which minimises the risk of outages for the grid operator.
This high level of supply security plays a decisive role for industrial and commercial companies in particular and is one of the most important location factors. Frank Hoffmann knows: "If they suffer a power outage, this can result in high costs because production comes to a standstill and expensive machinery may be ruined. We take care to prevent this as far as possible."
09.07.2012