Säntis Tower

The Electromagnetic Compatibility Group of EPFL in cooperation with HEIG-VD have setup a new experimental station for the measurement of lightning currents on the Säntis Tower. The new station has been instrumented using advanced and modern equipment with remote monitoring for an accurate measurement of lightning current parameters. The Säntis tower is a unique structure to collect experimental information related to the lightning discharge.
Thorough investigations on several towers located in different places in Switzerland resulted in the choice of the Säntis tower which is struck by lightning about 100 times a year.
The project involves the following national and international partners
- Electromagnetic Compatibility group of EPFL
- University of Applied Sciences of Western Switzerland (HEIG-VD)
- Swisscom Broadcast and Säntis engineering staff;
- ALDIS (Austrian Lightning Detection and Information System), Austria.
- University of Bologna (Italy), KTH (Sweden), and University of Toronto (Canada).
The final objective of the project is to obtain accurate statistical data on lightning current, which is the fundamental parameter for an efficient design of lightning protection systems. The proposed research will result in improved tools for use in such areas as lightning protection of structures, protection of electric power lines and electrical apparatus from lightning induced overvoltages, and specification of electromagnetic compatibility requirements for sensitive electronic equipment. Since the installation of the system on May 19th, 2010, a total of 45 lightning flashes were successfully recorded.
It is foreseen that the site will be operational beyond the framework of this project and will be operated by EPFL and HEIG and other international partners to obtain data on lightning. The project is supported by European COST Action P18 and the Swiss National Science Foundation.