What is the difference between earthing and lightning protection?

Earthing protects people from faults inside the installation: it gives fault current a safe path so protective devices trip. Lightning protection deals with strikes from outside: rods on the roof catch the strike and down conductors carry it to earth. The two systems meet at the equipotential busbar.

What is equipotential bonding?

It means connecting every metal part of a building, including water pipes, structural steel, the earthing conductor and the lightning protection system, to one common busbar. Then no dangerous voltage can appear between two metal things a person could touch at the same time.

When is an insulated down conductor like isCon used?

IEC 62305 requires a minimum separation distance between a lightning conductor and the building's metal parts and electrical installations. Where there is not enough room, for example beside rooftop solar or antennas, an insulated conductor provides the same separation. OBO's isCon Pro+ 75 is equivalent to 0.75 m in air.

Earthing & Lightning Protection

The parts of an installation nobody sees until something goes wrong. Earthing gives a fault current a safe path, so breakers and RCCBs trip and exposed metal never becomes live. A lightning protection system catches a strike on the roof and carries it to earth outside the building. OBO Bettermann covers both: OMEX earth rods, equipotential busbars rated for lightning current, air-termination rods, and isCon insulated down conductors, built to IEC 62305.

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Brands we supply for earthing & lightning protection

OBO Bettermann
Germany
Cable trays and ladders, earthing, lightning and surge protection, and junction boxes: the infrastructure that carries and protects every other product here.

Range

A representative selection. Our full range in this category runs to considerably more line items - if you need something not shown here, ask and we will check the current price list.

OBO isCon insulated down conductor

isCon Pro+ 75 GR

OBO isCon insulated lightning down conductor

An insulated, high-voltage-resistant lightning conductor. It gives the separation distance IEC 62305 requires where the conductor cannot be kept far enough from the building's metal parts or electrical installations, such as beside rooftop solar or antennas.

Specifications for OBO isCon insulated down conductor
Equivalent separation distance	0.75 m in air
Diameter / cross-section	26 mm / 35 mm²
Jacket	Halogen-free EVA, double protective jacket
Supplied in	25 m and 100 m rings

IEC 62305IEC 62561-1

View on the OBO Bettermann website

Specification from the manufacturer's product page, read 27 October 2026. Confirm current details when ordering.

OBO OMEX earth rod, hot-dip galvanised

219 20 OMEX FT

Hot-dip galvanised steel earth rods with a peg and bore for linking sections. A soft metal inlay in the bore improves electrical contact between the joined rods.

Specifications for OBO OMEX earth rod, hot-dip galvanised
Diameter	20 mm
Lengths (20 mm)	1500 and 2000 mm
Zinc coating	Minimum 60 µm
Short-circuit current	7.9 kA (50 Hz, 1 s, ≤300 °C)
Lightning current	Tested, H/100 kA

IEC 62305EN 62561-2

View on the OBO Bettermann website

Specification from the manufacturer's product page, read 27 October 2026. Confirm current details when ordering.

OBO 1809 equipotential busbar

1809

The point where the earthing conductor, the lightning protection system, water pipes and structural steel all meet. Nickel-plated brass contact strip under a sealable, labellable cover.

Specifications for OBO 1809 equipotential busbar
Cable connections	7 cables up to 25 mm² (fine-stranded to 16 mm²)
Earthing conductors	1 round conductor 8–10 mm, plus 1 flat strip up to 30 mm or a second round conductor
Lightning current	100 kA (10/350 µs)
Size	188 × 52 × 44.5 mm

DIN VDE 0100-410/-540DIN VDE 0185-305

View on the OBO Bettermann website

Specification from the manufacturer's product page, read 27 October 2026. Confirm current details when ordering.

Common questions

What is the difference between earthing and lightning protection?: Earthing protects people from faults inside the installation: it gives fault current a safe path so protective devices trip. Lightning protection deals with strikes from outside: rods on the roof catch the strike and down conductors carry it to earth. The two systems meet at the equipotential busbar.
What is equipotential bonding?: It means connecting every metal part of a building, including water pipes, structural steel, the earthing conductor and the lightning protection system, to one common busbar. Then no dangerous voltage can appear between two metal things a person could touch at the same time.
When is an insulated down conductor like isCon used?: IEC 62305 requires a minimum separation distance between a lightning conductor and the building's metal parts and electrical installations. Where there is not enough room, for example beside rooftop solar or antennas, an insulated conductor provides the same separation. OBO's isCon Pro+ 75 is equivalent to 0.75 m in air.