Electrical Protection & Grounding

Electrical Protection: A Definition

Electrical protection, also widely known as “grounding” or “earthing,” is arguably one of the least understood, most under-rated, yet paradoxically most important elements of modern electrical systems and lightning protection designs. Without proper electrical protection, personnel are at higher risk of shock; equipment operation can be negatively impacted by ambient electrical noise; and electronic and electrical equipment is at risk of damage from voltage and current surges.

It is a basic axiom that power system ground faults will find a path to ground. Therefore, it is essential to deploy functional electrical protection systems that will safely channel and dissipate this errant electrical energy to prevent personnel injury and equipment damage.

At its most basic, electrical protection is systems are the connection of bonded metallic systems through engineered, low impedance paths to earth. Alas, much easier said than done…

What We Offer

SAE offers the engineering, product and project expertise to provide effective, long-life electrical protection systems that incorporate:

• Over 16 years of proven, real-world experience engineering and building electrical protection and grounding systems that work

• Innovative design techniques and product technologies combining the best of leading-edge academic knowledge with extensive field experience

• Comprehensive solutions that combine high performance external electrodes with surge protection and effective inside single-point grounding concepts

• SAE outside ground electrodes built with a copper core embedded in a Conducrete® layer, to maximize the surface area and the ability to safely and effectively dissipate large amounts of energy without damage (lightning routinely generates energy levels > 1 Gigawatt)

• SAE outside electrodes that feature low impedance, low resistance (R) value, high capacitance operational characteristics

• SAE outside electrodes designed for extremely long lifetimes of 25+ years and maintenance free operation, and are inherently resistant to theft

• Inside grounding systems designed using single-point concepts and techniques that eliminate damaging ground loops, reduce EMF radiation, protect against power surges from whatever source, and integrate efficiently with outside electrodes

• Inside grounding systems that incorporate properly grounded surge protection devices (SPDs) on all metallic conductors that enter the building

• An engineering design process that integrates site geography, soil characteristics and soil resistivity data with advanced computer modeling tools to ensure that client electrical protection and ambient noise mitigation specifications are met or exceeded

• Complete installation and project management services for the deployment of electrical protection and grounding systems

How You Benefit

SAE engineered grounding systems provide bottom line benefits to infrastructure owners and operators and to the environment with:

• Improved workplace safety due to reduced GPR (Ground Potential Rise), Step and Touch Voltages and EMF radiation, and low environmental impact

• Better service for end customers/subscribers due to reductions in unplanned downtime or service outages caused by common damaging electrical effects like power surges and ground loops

• Reduced budgeted operating costs due to maintenance free, long life technology

• Reduced unplanned operating expenses due to theft resistant design and damage from destructive lightning strikes

• Improved bottom line financials due to reductions in expensive loss-of-service outages, improved equipment performance and infrastructure lifetimes, and reductions in budgeted and unplanned maintenance expenses

• Greater flexibility to meet individual client requirements, as our electrical protection systems can be tailored for specific site or geographic locations and soil conditions

• Greater deployment versatility, as effective SAE low environmental impact electrical protection systems can be safely installed and operated in virtually any geographic environment without risk of soil, aquifer or air contamination

• Reduced project delivery risk and better project visibility when using SAE project services

Conducrete®
SAE Services
Satisfied Clients
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