Lightning Effects on LED-Based Luminaires

Abstract

This chapter gives an extensive overview into the nature of the environment that luminaires and thus LEDs are subjected to during the event of a lightning stroke. Direct lightning stroke almost always results in instant damage for low-voltage connected devices, except in "extraordinary circumstances" where random components may survive. This is usually not a subject for debate and is not the subject of this monograph. Indirect consequences of lightning strokes, however, can be effectively mitigated as described. This chapter also delves into a realistic expected overvoltage levels for two typical systems, overhead lines and insulated cables, as obtained from lightning studies on a power network supplying power to LED devices and thus justifies the recommendations by several standards. In addition, it shows the importance of an often neglected device-MOV in mitigating attendant surges due to lightning to a level that can be withstood by LEDs and associated devices.