There are three basic options in lightning protection today...

  Attractive
  Passive
  Preventative

Attractive systems

Attractive systems are  are known as ESE's (early streamer emitters) which claim to speed up the process of ionisation to such an extent that the ESE device saturates with ions earlier and is therefore able to cast a streamer further than a standard finnial.  Unfortunately, BS EN 62305 and other international standards don't appear to endorse the technical claims behind this concept....however, they can be treated as a standard finial.

The rationale behind the ESE is "it's better the YOU deal with the problem than let it attach to something or somewhere else".

The upside to this option is that they are cheap to install. The downside is they are not recognised by BS EN 62305 and even if the technical argument is valid.....would you really WANT to attract a strike to your building/s.

Neutral/passive (BS EN 62305)

Based on the traditional designs of nearly 250 years and by far the most common of systems currently in use; neutral systems use the principles developed by Faraday and Franklin to deal safely with any incoming strike by distributing the lightning current via several parallel paths to ground.

The benefit of these systems is they are well understood and accepted by standards bodies all over the world, including British and European Standard's committees.

The drawback to this option is that they can involve a large amount of visible conductors being attached to a building.  However, there are ways to conceal these from view with a bit of careful thought.

This option has seen a major change in 2008, for more info click here....or post a question on our blog.

Detractive

The last option is known as CTS (charge transfer system).  Technically, one can argue this is the ultimate option as it gets right to the cause of the problem and prevents a strike from forming!

This option has a strong foundation in physics and is backed up with a phenomenal track record and 25 year 'no-strike warranty' available.

The upside benefits are obvious...zero strikes, no worries.  Very useful if you are looking to protect high value products, such as, petroleum, data, runways, explosives, etc.

The downside is similar to the neutral/passive option above and CTS systems tend to be more expensive than other options but they do come with a 25 year no-strike warranty!  Excellent for high value protection.