When lightning is nearby, high up on a roof or a steel girder is one of the last places you would want to find yourself. With the unpredictability of weather and cell phone and internet service making it difficult to anticipate exactly when and where a storm will hit, a recently released handheld device looks to add one more weapon to the arsenal of outdoor weather intelligence products that can help keep construction crews safe.
The INO Weather Pro is, according to INO Technologies, the first handheld device that combines weather data with lightning detection. Most lightning detection technologies rely on national weather data feeds, which require an internet or cellular connection to update. But cell and internet service may not always be available on a construction site, which is why the INO Weather Pro uses its own sensor to provide real-time local lightning detection and direction. The company claims the INO Weather Pro can detect cloud-to-ground lightning strikes as far away as 40 miles.
When a strike is detected, the device will alert the wearer with both visual and auditory feedback of the strike’s distance. The INO Weather Pro uses updatable software and a customizable touchscreen display that allows users to fill their dashboards with the information that is most pertinent to them. In all, the INO Weather Pro provides seven functions: lightning detection, temperature, atmospheric pressure, humidity, heat index, altitude, and dew point.
The water-resistant device runs on a USB charged Lithium battery and has a suggested retail price of $497.
Photo courtesy of INO Technologies.
Related Stories
| Oct 8, 2010
Union Bank’S San Diego HQ awarded LEED Gold
Union Bank’s San Diego headquarters building located at 530 B Street has been awarded LEED Gold certification from the Green Building Certification Institute under the standards established by the U.S. Green Building Council. Gold status was awarded to six buildings across the United States in the most recent certification and Union Bank’s San Diego headquarters building is one of only two in California.
| Oct 6, 2010
Windows Keep Green Goals in View
The DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory has almost 600 window openings, and yet it's targeting LEED Platinum, net-zero energy use, and 50% improvement over ASHRAE 90.1. How the window ‘problem’ is part of the solution.
| Sep 30, 2010
Luxury hotels lead industry in green accommodations
Results from the American Hotel & Lodging Association’s 2010 Lodging Survey showed that luxury and upper-upscale hotels are most likely to feature green amenities and earn green certifications. Results were tallied from 8,800 respondents, for a very respectable 18% response rate. Questions focused on 14 green-related categories, including allergy-free rooms, water-saving programs, energy management systems, recycling programs, green certification, and green renovation.
| Sep 16, 2010
Green recreation/wellness center targets physical, environmental health
The 151,000-sf recreation and wellness center at California State University’s Sacramento campus, called the WELL (for “wellness, education, leisure, lifestyle”), has a fitness center, café, indoor track, gymnasium, racquetball courts, educational and counseling space, the largest rock climbing wall in the CSU system.
| Sep 13, 2010
7 Ways to Economize on Steel Buildings
Two veteran structural engineers give you the lowdown on how to trim costs the next time you build with steel.
| Sep 13, 2010
Community college police, parking structure targets LEED Platinum
The San Diego Community College District's $1.555 billion construction program continues with groundbreaking for a 6,000-sf police substation and an 828-space, four-story parking structure at San Diego Miramar College.
| Sep 13, 2010
Campus housing fosters community connection
A 600,000-sf complex on the University of Washington's Seattle campus will include four residence halls for 1,650 students and a 100-seat cafe, 8,000-sf grocery store, and conference center with 200-seat auditorium for both student and community use.
| Sep 13, 2010
Second Time Around
A Building Team preserves the historic facade of a Broadway theater en route to creating the first green playhouse on the Great White Way.