Questions& Answers about certification for lightning protection systems & installers:

FAQs about UL listing or certification of lightning protection system components, installations, inspectors, & installers.

This lightning protection system article series escribes common lightning protection systems, certification, installation, and lightning protection system inspection. We provide information about lightning strikes, lightning hazards, related equipment, sources of lightning protection system installers, and lightning strike risk assessment

Lightning Protection System Certification

Questions & answers about lightning protection system certification, posted originally

at LIGHTNING PROTECTION SYSTEM CERTIFICATION

On 2021-05-20 by (mod) - how to join the LPI - Lightning Protection Institute

@Jason Goo,

Thanks for asking about how to join the LPI -

Lightning Protection Institute, (LPI) 3365 N. Arlington Heights Rd., Suite J., Arlington Heights IL 60004 USA, Website: https://lightning.org/

To join the Lightning Protection Institute, (LPI) see this web page: https://lightning.org/memberships/ where you can join in one of several membership categories.

Also see LIGHTNING PROTECTION SYSTEM CERTIFICATION - topic home,

at https://inspectapedia.com/lightning/Lightning_Protection_System_Certification.php

On 2021-05-20 by Jason Goo

How to joint member of LPI ? Please reply to goo.jason@gmail.com

On 2021-01-22 by (mod) - Should the lightning rod system be recertified or inspected by a professional after roof surfaces are replace3d?

Jay

Thanks that's a great question. Because there are indeed special UL requirements including method of fastening and routing of lightning arrestor system components, and to protect both the building occupants and yourself, it'd make sense to have the finished job re-inspected.

If I were the contractor I'd make that part of the job bid and cost.

On 2021-01-22 by jay

I am replacing a 34,000 s/f shingle roof on a commercial retirement facility. Lightning rods attached to roof fans on curbs will not be disturbed but the cable and lightning rods attached to the ridge of the roof will have to be removed and reinstalled. Should the lightning rod system be recertified or inspected by a professional after completion?

On 2017-05-13 by (mod) re: where to find manufacturers of UL Listed Lightning Protection Equipment or UL Listed Lightning System Installation or Inspection

Thanks for asking a great question, Jack.

First let's be clear that UL-Listed lightning protection equipment is NOT the same as UL-Listed lightning protection system *installers*. Some installers may buy and install UL-listed equipment but may not themselves meet UL-listing requirements for their company or employees.

A UL-Listed lightning protection system *installer* will of course also only use UL-listed devices and components, but in addition the installed system will bear a UL Master Label(R) Inspection Certificate certifying that the system is properly installed.

UL provides a public list of lighting protection inspectors who meet UL requirements - DIRECTORY of UL-CERTIFIED LIGHTNING SYSTEM INSPECTORS

I confess that I was unable to find a public directory or list of all of the manufacturers whose lightning protection devices or equipment are UL-listed, though you may obtain that from UL.

However you can check for a UL Listing certificate on any lightning protection equipment you are considering from any manufacturer.
U.S. readers can

contact UL by email: LightningProtection@ul.com or by telephone 1.877.854.3577 or at UL LLC, 333 Pfingsten Road, Northbrook, IL 60062

On 2017-05-13 by Jack

Where can I find a list of UL listed Lightning Protection Component Manufacturers?

On 2017-01-20 by anthony

I have a client who has a lightning protection system on a commercial roof. the rods and cables were detached from the parapet walls and roof to repaint and remembrance the roof. He wants me to re glue the cable and rods back.

Does this require any special certification. the system was never detached from the water piping and ground system of the building.

On 2016-07-10 by (mod) re: solar roof fan bonding to lightning protection systems

Good question, TJ, I don't know, specifically TJ but

In general, rooftop mounted electrical equipment must be bonded to the lightning protection system.

(Mike Holt and Abdul M. Mousa, Ph.D., P. Eng., Fellow IEEE emphasize that basic point, and warn that in the event of a lightning strike, nearby electrical components (such as a rooftop A/C unit) may otherwise be at ground potential and the result could be a "side flash" inviting fire or equipment damage.

The "side flash" is between the lightning arresting system and the other rooftop equipment. Mousa notes that by bonding the equipment together, current is discharged in a safe manner.

Ref: "Lightning Protection of Roof Top Equipment" as cited above, at www.mikeholt.com/mojonewsarchive/SV-HTML/HTML/Lightning-Protection-of-Roof-Top-Equipment~20050711.php

NEC 250 covers basic bonding and grounding;
Roof mounted systems such as photovoltaics PV are a model / example and are covered in 690.43
Requirements for an additional electrode (required for some situations) are in NEC 690.47(D)

I am guessing that your solar roof fan may not be connected to the rest of the electrical system. So one might think that it can be ignored. I'm not so sure. There may still be a potential for a side flash even with a local solar fan.

On 2016-07-07 by T. J. Central Florida

Do solar roof fans need to be bonded to an existing lightning rod (UL Certified) system when they are installed after the system was installed??

On 2015-06-10 by (mod) re: how to become a certified lightning system protection system installer

Anon: the following information about becoming a UL Listed lightning protection system installer was obtained from UL, for whom we also include contact information,

To become a UL Listed installer, a company or its representative(s) must achieve a minimum level of competency.

UL’s initial assessment of installers requires either an in-house training program or participation in an instructor-led course delivered through UL Knowledge Services which offers knowledge based accredited training classes that are an integral part of becoming a Listed installer. ul.com/lightning 

UL's LIGHTNING PROTECTION CERTIFICATION SERVICES: Installers and Contractors [PDF], retrieved 2017/05/13, original source: https://www.ul.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/LightningProtection_Contractor_aus_4.pdf

On 2015-06-24 by Anonymous

how can one become certified as a lighting strike installer

On 2015-06-10 by (mod) r: obligation to be sure that a lightning protection system is properly installed

Shucks. Owners or property managers of public buildings as well as installers an building inspectors are obligated to do something to make certain that the lightning protection system is properly installed. Perhaps it'd be worth hiring a certified installer to both inspect the entire system and replace the connectors.

On 2015-06-10 14:56:25.811580 by Keith

Thanks I had the same thoughts as you have.
But what would be your opinion on a commercial public assembly building.

On 2015-06-10 by (mod)

Keith I haven't found a reliable published source that answers your question.

My OPINION is that technically and for insurance reasons the answer is "yes" but my OPINION is that for trivial re-connectcions of an existing system the cost of bringing in an expert to make one or two reconnections of a lightning conductor / protection system is probably so high that few homeowners would do so, choosing a local electrical contractor or other experienced contractor who is on-site for other reasons to re-make the original connection using the same listed, approved connectors, devices, and methods.

You're smart to ask. I've seen re-roofs whose idiot roofers disconnected the lightning protection system and left it that way.

On 2015-06-10 by Keith

When replacing a roof that has a lightning system attached do you have to have a certified installer to reattach lighting rod cables?

Question: check existing electrical ground before installing a lightning protection system?

My home has had problems with lightning strike damage. We are considering putting in lightening rod/ESE etc but want to know the status of our current grounding quality - fixes needed? Which electrician type/or inspection do we need? - V.R., Leander TX

Reply:

You raise an important question. Indeed, if a building's local electrical ground system, the conductor(s) and grounding electrodes, are improperly installed or even missing, the system may be more dangeous than meets the eye.

Virtually always, when a building lightning protection system is installed it includes a new ground rod, or more than one ground rod (grouding electrode) of a specified length & location depending on the site and building requirements.

Watch out: If your installer wanted to just connect the lightning system to the existing electrical ground system I'd be suspicious of his/her expertise.

In a companion article at OUTDOOR LIGHTNING PROTECTION DESIGN we describe the typical components & connections of a building lightning protection system. There you'll see that once the new lightning protection system is installed, the building water piping (metal) is bonded to the new grounding system.

What would make sense to me would be to have the lightning protection system installed, and at that time, ask the installer to review the building electrical ground system, at least from the electrical panel out to your building ground connections. Depending on the age of your building and what's installed you may find this a good time to upgrade to current electrial system grounding specifications, such as providing at least two independent ground rods.

Details about the building electrical ground system are discussed separately

at GROUND SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS and

at GROUND SYSTEM INSPECTION.

...

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