Lightning protection standards

The IEC 62305 standard parts 1 to 4 (NF EN 62305 parts 1 to 4) reorganizes and updates the standard publications IEC 61024 (series), IEC 61312 (series) and IEC 61663 (series) on lightning protection systems.

Part 1 - General principles

This part presents general information on lightning and its characteristics and general data, and introduces the other documents.

Part 2 - Risk management

This part presents the analysis making it possible to calculate the risk for a structure and to determine the various protection scenarios in order to permit technical and economic optimization.

Part 3 - Physical damage to structures and life hazard

This part describes protection from direct lightning strokes, including the lightning protection system, down-conductor, earth lead, equipotentiality and hence SPD with equipotential bonding (Type 1 SPD).

Part 4 - Electrical and electronic systems within structures

This part describes protection from the induced effects of lightning, including the protection system by SPD (Types 2 and 3), cable shielding, rules for installation of SPD, etc.

This series of standards is supplemented by:

• the IEC 61643 series of standards for the definition of surge protection products (see The components of a SPD );
• the IEC 60364-4 and -5 series of standards for application of the products in LV electrical installations (see End-of-life indication of a SPD).