One of the most significant hazards wind turbines face is damage from lightning strikes. Damage claims caused by strikes are one of the top payouts from insurance companies. A recent German study found that up to 80% of insurance claims relating to turbine downtime were from lightning-related damage. In fact, lightning accounted for nearly 85% of one commercial wind farm's downtime in the United States — costing the owner an extra $250,000 in the project's first year of operation.
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