Showa Denko has developed a new service for lightning damage prevention, the Lightning Risk Monitoring System 'LiRiMoS', in collaboration with HAREX Co., Ltd., and has started offering the service. This service provides information on lightning occurrences and forecasts, automatically collecting, processing, and editing big data analyzed by the Japan Meteorological Agency, and presenting it with a UI/UX tailored to the characteristics of the information. By visualizing lightning risk, we aim to assist our customers in reducing lightning damage and disaster mitigation for their businesses.

The "TMZ-1000" is a device that detects lightning strikes to wind power generation equipment, antenna towers, power supply lines, lightning rods, etc., and transmits contact signals. It can also record 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, recording lightning times and frequencies, and calculating the cumulative values of charge and current. The device 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 times and frequencies (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 including DC power supplies, distribution boards, UPS, and backup power supplies, along with abundant product information such as 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 and CEO 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 collection 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 an increasing trend in the number of PV damage incidents caused by lightning. According to the latest data (2008), approximately 28% of all damages are attributed to lightning, which poses risks not only to expensive equipment like PCS but also to 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 safely disconnects the SPD elements from the DC system in the event of degradation or failure due to lightning. It is a high-end model equipped with plug-in capability, 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 has been an increase in extremely intense thunderstorms referred to as "guerrilla downpours." According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the number of thunder observation days in central Tokyo reached the highest level in the past 50 years in 2008, which was particularly notable for frequent lightning strikes. The number of lightning damage incidents has also shown a sharp increase, and accordingly, sales of Showden's lightning protection products are on the rise. The newly developed 'PN Series' is an SPD that protects power equipment and communication devices from lightning surges entering through power lines when installed in 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.

Showden 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 downpours. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the number of thunder observation days in central Tokyo in 2008, which had particularly high lightning strikes, recorded the highest in the past 50 years. The number of lightning damage incidents has also been on the rise, and accordingly, the sales of Showden's lightning protection products have shown an increasing trend. 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 sub-distribution boards. By incorporating a separator with a cutoff capacity of 10kA into the SPD, it eliminates the need for a separately installed separator, thus saving space. Additionally, by electronic circuiting the alarm signal contacts for SPD failures, it has eliminated the malfunctions and unnecessary operations seen in traditional mechanical systems, 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 extremely intense thunderstorms known as guerrilla rainstorms. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the number of days with thunder observed 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. In particular, there was significant demand for the lightning protection product 'SPR-TB-100BT-A1', which is compatible with network lines (LAN lines), with sales approximately doubling compared to the previous year (according to our company). The 'SPR-TB-CAT5e' is compatible with CAT5e (Category 5e) cables and is a product that can be used with high-speed network (1000Base-T) lines. As the demand for high-speed and large-capacity networks increases, it is particularly suitable for lightning protection of security devices such as network surveillance cameras, which are expected to see growing demand in the future, as well as for network devices like computers.