Showa Denko has developed a new service for lightning damage prevention in collaboration with Halex Corporation, called the Lightning Risk Monitoring System 'LiRiMoS'. The service has now been launched. It provides information on lightning occurrences and forecasts, automatically collecting, processing, and editing big data analyzed by the Japan Meteorological Agency, and offering it through a UI/UX that takes into account the characteristics of the information. By visualizing lightning risk, it can help customers reduce lightning damage and mitigate disaster in their businesses.

The "TMZ-1000" is a device that detects lightning strikes on wind power generation equipment, antenna towers, power supply lines, lightning rods, etc., and transmits contact signals while recording lightning current values, charge amounts, as well as the time and frequency of lightning strikes. It is capable of measuring lightning charge amounts and peak lightning current values, and recording the time and frequency of lightning strikes, as well as calculating the cumulative values of charge and current. It has a function to set a threshold for current or charge values in advance, and if lightning energy exceeds this threshold, it will trigger an alarm. 【Features】 ■ Detects lightning and transmits contact signals ■ Calculates cumulative values of charge and current ・ Measures lightning charge amounts (up to 1000 coulombs) and peak lightning current values (up to 200 kA) ・ Records lightning time and frequency (up to 999 times) ■ Triggers an alarm when thresholds are exceeded For more details, please refer to related products and catalogs.

At Showden, we have opened a product page for "power-related products" that support stable power supply to information and communication equipment. We offer a lineup of products such as DC power supplies, distribution boards, UPS, and backup power supplies, along with abundant product information including features, main application areas, specifications, and dimensional drawings. Please take a look at the functional comparison chart and power system diagrams as well.

Showden Co., Ltd. (4-3-8 Taihei, Sumida-ku, Tokyo, President Mitsuaki Ota) will launch the lightning protection product for photovoltaic (PV) systems, the PV SPD "ADN Series," starting in April 2013. The ADN Series is an SPD that protects the power conditioning system (PCS), solar panels, junction boxes, and combiner boxes from induced lightning and direct strikes that enter the DC system of PV systems. The PV market has rapidly expanded since the introduction of the "Feed-in Tariff System for Solar Power Generation" in July 2012. Additionally, a survey by NEDO (New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization) indicates a rising trend in the number of PV damages caused by lightning. According to the latest data from 2008, approximately 28% of all damages are attributed to lightning, which poses risks not only for expensive equipment like PCS but also for power generation interruptions. Showden has developed lightning protection products to safeguard PV systems from lightning damage and enable safer system operation. The PV SPD "ADN Series" features an internal separation mechanism that allows for the safe disconnection of the SPD element from the DC system in the event of degradation or failure due to lightning. It is a high-end model equipped with plug-in capabilities, SPD degradation indicators, and alarm outputs.

Showden will release the cost-effective lightning protection product, power supply SPD 'PN Series', by the end of June 2010. In recent years, there have been many instances of extremely intense thunderstorms referred to as "guerrilla downpours." According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the number of thunderstorm observation days in central Tokyo reached the highest level in the past 50 years in 2008, which had a particularly high incidence of lightning strikes. The number of lightning damage incidents has also been on the rise, and accordingly, Showden's sales of lightning protection products are also showing an increasing trend. The newly developed 'PN Series' is an SPD that protects power equipment and communication devices from lightning surges entering through power lines by being installed on power panels and distribution boards. It has a current withstand capacity (Class?U 8/20) of 10kA and 20kA, and meets the standard specifications for public construction projects. Additionally, it is a RoHS-compliant product.

Showa Electric will release the high-end power supply SPD 'ASLETE APN Series' by the end of June 2010. In recent years, there has been an increase in extremely intense thunderstorms known as "guerrilla rainstorms." According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, 2008, which saw particularly high instances of lightning strikes, recorded the highest number of thunder observation days in central Tokyo in the past 50 years. The number of lightning damage incidents has also shown a sharp upward trend, and accordingly, the sales of Showa Electric's lightning protection products are also on the rise. The newly developed 'ASLETE APN Series' is an SPD that protects power equipment and communication devices from lightning surges entering through power lines by being installed in power distribution boards and panel boards. By incorporating a separator with a cutoff capacity of 10kA into the SPD, the need for a separately installed separator is eliminated, allowing for space-saving solutions. Additionally, by electronic circuiting the alarm signal contacts for SPD failures, the malfunctions and unnecessary operations seen in traditional mechanical systems have been eliminated, improving reliability, safety, and maintainability.

Showa Denko will begin selling its lightning protection product 'SPR-TB-CAT5e', which is compatible with high-speed network lines (CAT5e, 1000Base-T), starting April 1, 2009. Last summer, there were many instances of severe thunderstorms known as guerrilla rainstorms. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the number of thunder observation days in July and August recorded the highest in the past 50 years. Consequently, the number of lightning damage incidents also surged, and the sales volume of lightning protection products in 2008 showed an increasing trend compared to the previous year. Notably, there was significant demand for the lightning protection product 'SPR-TB-100BT-A1' compatible with network lines (LAN lines), which saw approximately double the sales compared to the previous year (according to our company). The 'SPR-TB-CAT5e' is compatible with CAT5e (Category 5e) cables and can be used with high-speed network (1000Base-T) lines. As high-speed and large-capacity networks continue to advance, it is expected that demand will increase for security devices such as network surveillance cameras, making it ideal for lightning protection of network devices like computers.