Effects of overvoltages
More often than not, overvoltages which couple into a circuit cause considerable damage to equipment and devices. Devices that are in constant use are at particularly high risk. Here, this damage can result in extremely high costs.
It is not just the replacement or repair of damaged devices that costs money. Even more expensive are long system downtimes or even the loss of software or data.
Incidence of loss
Every year, the statistics from insurers show high figures for the incidence of loss caused by overvoltages. In the majority of cases, operators of electronic systems are compensated by their insurance for damage to the hardware. However, software damage and system failure frequently remain uninsured, leading to great financial burdens.
According to statistics from German insurers for 2019, the proportion of lightning and surge damage alone makes up a notable proportion. Even though the number of claims has fallen slightly in recent years, around € 200 million has been paid out annually for household contents and residential building insurance claims. (Source: German Insurance Association, GDV)
Risk potential
Each circuit works with its own specific voltage. Therefore, any voltage increase that exceeds the upper tolerance limit is an overvoltage.
The extent of the damage depends largely on the electric strength of the components used and the energy that can be converted in the affected circuit.
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