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EDWartens UK

Free course · Electrical

Earthing and Lightning Protection Design

Design an earthing system and lightning protection that pass inspection in Great Britain: BS 7671 earthing arrangements, BS 7430 electrodes, ENA TS 41-24 substation earthing, BS EN 62305 and BS 7671 Sections 443 and 534 SPDs, with IEEE 80 only as an international comparison.

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Free to learn. Verifiable certificate £19 when you pass the final exam (optional, VAT included).

Level
Intermediate
Modules
13
Video
21 hours
Price
Free

Outcome

What you will be able to do

Explain why systems and equipment are earthed and identify TN-S, TN-C-S (PME), TT and IT arrangements under BS 7671 and ESQCR 2002; check automatic disconnection (Chapter 41) with earth fault loop impedance; measure and interpret soil resistivity with the Wenner method; calculate rod, plate and strip electrode resistance and combine electrodes using BS 7430; size earthing and protective conductors with the adiabatic equation and Chapter 54 tables; calculate tolerable touch and step voltages and understand earth potential rise in substations (ENA TS 41-24, with the IEEE 80 method as an international comparison); design main and supplementary bonding; run a BS EN 62305-2 risk assessment and choose the LPS class; place air terminals with the rolling sphere, angle and mesh methods and size down conductors; select and coordinate Type 1, 2 and 3 SPDs to BS 7671 Sections 443 and 534; handle PV, towers, tanks and hazardous areas; and test, inspect and report an earthing and lightning protection system.

  • Identify TN-S, TN-C-S (PME), TT and IT arrangements under BS 7671 and explain how each clears an earth fault
  • Turn a Wenner survey into a design soil resistivity
  • Calculate rod, plate and strip electrodes to BS 7430 and combine electrodes
  • Size protective conductors with the adiabatic equation and BS 7671 Chapter 54
  • Check automatic disconnection with Zs and apply tolerable touch and step voltages
  • Explain earth potential rise in substations to ENA TS 41-24, with IEEE 80 as an international comparison
  • Run a BS EN 62305-2 risk assessment and lay out air terminals, down conductors and separation distances
  • Select and coordinate Type 1, 2 and 3 SPDs to BS 7671 Sections 443 and 534, then test and report

Software

A spreadsheet for every calculation (LibreOffice Calc is free); you build the BS 7430 electrode sheet and the Zs and conductor-sizing sheets yourself in the modules. A free online BS EN 62305-2 risk calculator is used to check the hand risk assessment, and LibreCAD (free) or any CAD tool can draw the layouts. ETAP, CDEGS and similar packages are mentioned but not required.

Hardware

None. Earth testers (loop impedance, fall-of-potential and soil resistivity) are shown in the videos; you do not need one.

Syllabus

13 modules

Each module has video lessons, notes and a short quiz. The final exam closes the course.

  1. 1Why we earth: BS 7671 earthing arrangements TN-S, TN-C-S (PME), TT and IT5 lessons
  2. 2Soil resistivity: the Wenner test and reading the results2 lessons
  3. 3Earth electrodes: rod, plate and strip calculations (BS 7430 and BS 7671 Section 542)4 lessons
  4. 4Sizing protective conductors: the adiabatic equation and BS 7671 Chapter 544 lessons
  5. 5Automatic disconnection, earth fault loop impedance, touch and step voltage4 lessons
  6. 6Substation earthing: EPR, ENA TS 41-24 and the IEEE 80 grid method4 lessons
  7. 7Equipotential bonding: main and supplementary bonding under BS 76716 lessons
  8. 8Lightning physics and the BS EN 62305 risk assessment4 lessons
  9. 9External LPS to BS EN 62305-3: air terminals, rolling sphere, down conductors, earth termination6 lessons
  10. 10Surge protective devices: Type 1, 2 and 3, BS 7671 Sections 443 and 534, and BS EN 62305-47 lessonsLab
  11. 11Special cases: solar PV, EV charging, telecom towers, tanks and hazardous areas4 lessons
  12. 12Testing, inspection and the design report (BS 7671 Part 6 and BS 7430)7 lessons
  13. 13Final Assessment1 lesson

How it works

How this course works

  1. Watch the video lessonsOne module at a time, at your own pace.
  2. Take the module quizA short quiz at the end of each module shows what stuck.
  3. Keep your notesWrite in My notes beside each module and ask the trainer if you are stuck.
  4. Practise in the labOptionalTry a task from the module in the EDWartens Lab, in your browser.
  5. Sit the final examPass it once you have been through the modules.
  6. Certificate, if you want oneOptionalPaid, and only after you pass. Anyone can check it online.

EDWartens Lab

Practise this in the EDWartens Lab

Choose surge protectors for a solar array from its voltages and cable runs, the same choices a protection design makes.

Works alongside Earthing and Lightning Protection Design. The Lab is solar and ev charging practice in your browser: no install, no hardware, free to use. Sign in as a learner and it opens with your account.

Open the free lab See the Lab
Solar and EV charging: Commission solar and EV.

Levels to try with this course

Optional. Skip it whenever you like: it never blocks your progress or your certificate.

Why practise in a lab

Technical work is judged on what you can do: wiring, commissioning, finding a fault. Doing a task yourself teaches more than watching it a second time, and a lab lets you try it safely before you meet real equipment. It does not replace working on real hardware.

  • Practise safely, so a mistake costs nothing.
  • The lab checks your work like a site test, so you know when it is right.
  • Free, in your browser, with nothing to install.

Certificate

An optional certificate when you pass

Learning is free. Pass the final exam and you can have a certificate for £19, including VAT, with a number employers can check online. It records that you completed a free online course; it is not a regulated qualification or a CPD certificate.

  • Your name, the course, its study time and your final exam score
  • A unique certificate number and a QR code to its verification page
  • Issued by Wartens Ltd; add it to your LinkedIn profile in one click
  • Pay now or after you pass: it is issued the moment you pass the final

How the certificate works

Sample certificate for Earthing and Lightning Protection Design

Credits

Who made the lessons

The video lessons belong to their creators. EDWartens wrote the study plan, notes, quizzes and the final exam.

  • GSH Electrical

    the lessons "Earthing Arrangements TN-C-S, TN-S and TT Identified and Explained", "Earth Fault Loop Impedance Test - 3 Lead Low or 2 Lead High"

  • eFIXX

    the lessons "Understanding Earthing Arrangements - TNCS, TT, TNS", "Earthing vs. Bonding: What's the Difference?", "Why are earth bonding conductor sizes different for TT and TN-C-S (PME) earthing arrangeme" and 2 more

  • SCIENTIA

    the lesson "How electrical distribution systems TN TT IT protect against indirect contacts. Grounding"

  • Railway Engineering Insights

    the lessons "Earthing & Bonding Lecture 1: Basic Definitions and Interesting Facts", "Earthing & Bonding Lecture 7 : Earth Resistance of Vertical Rod", "Earthing & Bonding Lecture 5: Earth Conductor Sizing (Part 1)" and 7 more

  • Circuit Masterclass

    the lesson "Soil Resistivity Testing Explained: Wenner Method & Polar Curve Analysis for Grounding Sys"

  • Engr. Ahmed / Khadija Academy

    the lessons "Factors Affecting Soil Resistivity - Lesson 8 - Earthing Design Course", "Vertical Earthing Electrodes - Lesson 7 - Earthing Design Course", "Multiple Earthing Electrodes Resistance - BS 7430 - Lesson 14"

  • JPElectric

    the lessons "The Adiabatic Equation", "Supplementary Protective Bonding and Touch Voltage"

  • Graham Mackie

    the lesson "Protective conductor size selection/confirmation via the adiabatic equation"

  • John Ward (jwflame)

    the lessons "Calculating maximum values of earth loop impedance, Zs", "Earthing & Bonding - Part 2 : Main Protective Equipotential Bonding", "Earth Electrode Testing"

  • Axis Electricals

    the lessons "8 Steps of Substation Earthing Design - Explained with Substation Earthing Calculations", "How to select Down Conductors for Lightning Protection System?", "Lightning Protection for Rooftop Solar PV Plants Explained!" and 1 more

  • Smart Educare

    the lessons "Earthing Grid Design in Excel as per IEEE80 (Part-1)", "Earthing Grid Design in Excel as per IEEE80 (Part-2)"

  • Mohamad Nassereddine

    the lesson "Substation Earth Grid Resistance Calculation as per IEEE-80 Standards"

  • Pecos Hank

    the lesson "HOW LIGHTNING WORKS - Weird World of Lightning"

  • DEHN Inc.

    the lesson "Dehn Miami Tech Seminar Session 1 - Day 1 - Introduction to the IEC 62305 Suite of Standar"

  • ABB Learning

    the lesson "How to Navigate the Major Changes in IEC 62305:2024 Protection Against Lightning?"

  • CITEL

    the lessons "TechBreak#4 : LPZ : Lightning Protection Zones CITEL EN", "Type 1 and type 2 SPD : installation and rules"

  • SDG Electronics

    the lesson "SDG #045 Surge Protection Devices - BS7671 18th Edition"

  • ELEK Software

    the lesson "Earthing Design and Modelling Guide for Renewable Energy Projects"

  • Bentley EasyPower Software

    the lesson "Bonded vs Isolated Lightning Protection Concepts & their Application to Explosive Areas"

  • Megger US

    the lesson "How-to Perform a Fall of Potential Test with the Megger DET2/3 Ground Tester"

Questions

About this course

Who is this earthing and lightning protection course for?
UK electrical design, MEP, substation and maintenance engineers, approved electricians moving into design, and final-year electrical students who design, check or maintain earthing and lightning protection. You should know Ohm's law, three-phase basics and what a fault current is.
Is the course free to learn?
Yes. Every module, the notes, the worked problems, the project and the final assessment are free. Only the certificate is paid, if you want one.
Which standards does it cover?
BS 7671 (earthing arrangements, Chapter 41, Chapter 54, Sections 443 and 534), BS 7430 for electrodes, ENA TS 41-24 for substation earthing, ESQCR 2002 for PME, and BS EN 62305 for lightning risk, the LPS and SPDs. IEEE 80 is used only as an international comparison for touch and step voltage. The notes paraphrase the standards; read the current editions your project cites.
Do I need ETAP or other earthing software?
No. Every calculation is done by hand or in a spreadsheet you build. A free online risk calculator is used to check the BS EN 62305-2 assessment. ETAP Power System Analysis shows a grid study in software.
How long does the course take?
About 21 hours of video, notes and practice at your own pace, of which about 12 hours is video.
What certificate do I get?
An EDWartens Certificate of Completion, issued when you pass the 15-question final at 60 percent, with a number anyone can verify on our site. It is not a licence or a certificate from BSI, the IET, the ENA, IEEE or IEC, and it does not authorise you to sign off an installation.
What should I take before this course?
The Electrical Design Engineering course covers loads, cables and breakers and is the natural step before this one. After it, go on to Substation Design, Protection Relays or Hazardous Areas, which build on the earthing, fault clearing and bonding taught here.
What work does earthing and lightning protection design involve?
It covers the earthing and lightning work of an electrical design engineer at a consultancy or contractor, an MEP engineer on commercial buildings, and the testing and inspection a maintenance or commissioning engineer does. The course builds the knowledge but does not promise a job.

The Professional Module is five live days of Siemens PLC, HMI and SCADA with an instructor, then a resume session and a CPD certificate.

See the Professional Module