Equipotential bonding of wind turbine rotor blade

A method of manufacturing a wind turbine rotor blade portion having a root end and a tip end, comprising:

• laying up a shell of a wind turbine rotor blade that defines a suction side, pressure side, leading edge, and a trailing edge of the blade portion, the shell including a lightning conductor including a first conductive material;
• laying up a spar cap such that the lightning conductor extends over the spar cap, wherein the spar cap includes a second conductive material;
• and
• providing an equipotential bonding element to electrically bond the lightning conductor to the spar cap, the equipotential bonding element including:
• a first end portion having a first metallic material adjacent the first conductive material of the lightning conductor,
• a second end portion opposite the first end portion and having a second metallic material adjacent the second conductive material of the spar cap, and
• an intermediate portion where the first metallic material is joined to the second metallic material at a joint and having an insulator encapsulating the joint for preventing exposure of the joint to an electrolyte material.