The number of strikes to the protection system of the structures in this study were obtained from “lightning event counters”(LEC) placed around the lightning down conductor cable. Overall, estimates of the strike “yield” demonstrate that the interception rate predicted by the CVM is in excellent agreement with the observed capture frequency. This means that the lightning-interception rate is at least as high as the claimed protection levels, which lie in the 87 – 99% range. The second study, conducted from 1990 through 2000 in Malaysia, quantified interception efficiency. The study consisted of a statistically valid sample of buildings mainly in the K Lang Valley region of Kuala Lumpur. 

The 47 sites had between 1 and 5 buildings per site with a mean structure height of 58 m (190 ft). The mean actual protection level was 78%, confirming that up to 22% of low-intensity flashes under 10 ka could bypass the lightning protection system (LPS).Mitigating factors such as budget constraints and subsequent changes to the structures (e.g. the addition of antennas and extensions) impacted the initial design and prevented the protection level from being higher. At the end of the study, the actual interception efficiency was 86%, ten percent better than predicted. Both of these long-term field studies are now published in independently peer-reviewed scientific journal publications.