Wildlife and Asset Protection Solutions for Overhead Lines
Introduction to Asset Protection
Asset protection is fundamental to ensuring the reliability and efficiency of the national grid, especially at critical points like substations. Substations serve as the backbone of electrical energy transmission and distribution, acting as points that connect the grid to homes, businesses, and essential services. However, these sites are frequently exposed to risks from wildlife, such as birds and other animals, which can cause faults, equipment damage, and unexpected power outages. Substations are connected to various power sources and the grid, facilitating the integration and reliable transmission of electricity. For contractors seeking solutions, implementing advanced protection measures—like insulating and isolating components—can significantly reduce these risks. By proactively safeguarding substations and associated equipment, utilities can prevent electrical faults, minimize costly disruptions, and maintain the safe, continuous flow of power. Effective asset protection not only shields vital infrastructure from wildlife but also supports contractors and utilities in delivering reliable electrical energy to communities.
Understanding Substations
Substations are pivotal facilities within the electrical grid, responsible for transforming electrical energy between different voltages to ensure safe and efficient delivery to end users. There are two primary types: transmission substations and distribution substations. The main difference between these is that a transmission substation operates at high voltages for long-distance transmission across the grid, while a distribution substation operates at lower voltages, stepping down power to levels suitable for local distribution to homes and businesses. Each substation is equipped with specialized electrical equipment, such as transformers, switches, and circuit breakers, with the transformer playing a key role in converting voltage levels for efficient transmission and distribution. Understanding the function and structure of substations helps contractors and utilities recognize the importance of protecting these assets from wildlife and other hazards. By implementing robust protection solutions, the risk of faults and equipment damage caused by animals can be significantly reduced, ensuring the safe and reliable operation of both transmission and distribution networks.
Ensuring Network Reliability and Preventing Outages
Possums, birds, rats, snakes, and squirrels are all capable of causing power outages. These animals often climb on substations, and birds frequently perch on transformers as they seek safe, warm places to shelter and nest. Even small birds or rodents can create problems by attracting larger predators.
When wildlife interacts with electrical equipment, it can result in various issues such as electrocution, electrical faults, and wildfires. These problems arise when animals cause phase-to-phase or phase-to-ground faults by coming into contact with energized components. Our product solutions are designed to reduce the risk of fires caused by wildlife and vegetation coming into contact with substations or overhead lines. Faults can also occur in cables and circuits within the electrical distribution network.
Wildlife can cause faults that disrupt the output of substations and interrupt the flow of electricity through power lines.
Insulating and isolating components help mitigate these active threats and reduce the risk of outages and fires related to wildlife interactions with energized lines. Overhead lines and power lines are supported by pylons or towers to maintain stability and safety. Investing in such protective measures provides a valuable return by safeguarding assets and communities from costly and potentially catastrophic wildlife interference.
Innovative Material Solutions for Enhanced Protection
TE Connectivity’s wildlife and asset protection material formulations are designed to:
- Perform reliability for 40+ years without impactful deterioration in performance.
- Minimize the risk of fire ignition associated with normal and abnormal utility environments with our standard materials.
- Extend the performance to add V0 for those customers who require it.
These material solutions are also suitable for medium-voltage applications, providing reliable protection for medium-voltage electrical equipment.
Anywhere Durability
TE Connectivity’s proprietary material formulations deliver exceptional durability in diverse environments, including high-voltage polluted areas. For instance, their products have proven their resilience in harsh coastal regions where salt and moisture pose significant challenges. Crafted from non-tracking materials, TE’s Raychem Wildlife and Asset Protection portfolio is engineered to provide tracking resistance, thermal endurance, and UV protection, ensuring high-performance safeguarding of your assets throughout their lifespan. This “install and forget” reliability stems from over 60 years of dedicated research, development, and materials science expertise. Rexel Utility’s sales representatives are available to support you with a wide array of dependable insulation solutions tailored to your specific application.
These materials are engineered to withstand extreme environmental conditions such as temperature fluctuations, humidity, and exposure to chemicals commonly found in utility environments. Their robust composition ensures minimal degradation over decades, preserving the integrity of electrical equipment and reducing the need for frequent maintenance or replacement. Additionally, the materials are designed to be lightweight and flexible, facilitating easier installation even in complex or confined spaces, which is especially beneficial for contractors seeking solutions in diverse settings.
The “install and forget” nature of these products means utilities can confidently deploy them across various parts of the transmission system, including remote and difficult-to-access substations and overhead lines, knowing that the protection will endure without compromising performance. This durability not only enhances asset longevity but also contributes to overall grid reliability by minimizing wildlife-induced faults and outages. Furthermore, TE Connectivity’s commitment to continuous innovation ensures that these materials evolve alongside emerging challenges in the energy sector, maintaining their effectiveness in protecting critical electrical infrastructure worldwide.
Substation Outage Reduction
Reliability improvement is possible by insulating vulnerable assets in substations. Customizable TE Connectivity solutions are used around the world to effectively insulate thousands of substations every year from risk of outage caused by wildlife, vegetation, extreme weather events and accidental contact as well as reduce fire risk associated with animal electrocution. At the substation site, implementing proper safety measures such as fencing, signage, and access controls is essential to prevent unauthorized entry and minimize risks to both people and wildlife. TE Connectivity engineers solutions to enhance insulation clearances and exclude wildlife from high risk areas. Their products are easy to install and designed/manufactured to last the lifetime of your assets in the toughest environments.
Overhead and Wildlife Protection
Reduce outages and fire risk in overhead power lines while protecting endangered wildlife. Outage and fire risks can be reduced and eliminated with effective insulation of high risk elements of the overhead power line, which are typically supported by pylons and other structures. These insulation solutions are suitable for both upgrades and new construction projects, supporting eco-friendly and reliable overhead line installations in residential and commercial developments. TE Connectivity has insulated millions of miles and kilometres of bare conductor wire in distribution lines around the world. Insulating the wire in overhead power lines is essential for preventing wildlife-related outages. Their raptor covers, fuse cut out covers, re-closer and distribution covers protect pole mounted equipment from accidental and momentary contact from nesting and perching birds and storm debris. Most can be installed on energized equipment and are available in seamless one-piece designs for complete wildlife and vegetation management.
Switchgear Protection
How to reduce clearances while working in tight spaces, or upgrade insulation levels? TE Connectivity’s insulating portfolio is used in air and gas insulated switchgear to provide insulation on busbars and gas vacuum bottles in order to help Rexel Utility customers design more compact and reliable equipment. Within switchgear, electrical circuits are frequently switched—a process known as switching—to manage power flow and ensure operational flexibility. TE Connectivity’s solutions can enhance insulation factors of safety, combining air space clearance while the materials used in their insulating covers are engineered to be compact and mitigate risk of fires in accordance with IEC 60616.
Protecting Rail, Data Centers, Op&G, Solar and Wind Farms
Reliability Enhancement in Industrial Applications? Every minute of downtime impacts commercial performance in certain industrial applications like data-centers, solar/wind parks, rail and oil and gas networks. TE Connectivity understands that downtime can be detrimental to their customers, including hospitals, schools and security operators/institutions/organizations. Maintaining reliability across the entire electrical system, including the transmission and distribution system, is crucial for industrial and commercial operations. TE Connectivity’s solutions in insulation enhancement and asset protection offer Rexel Utility partners the opportunity to minimize risk in relation to wildlife, storm and weather interference and improve SAIDI and SAIFI metrics reported to regulators.
Wildlife and Wildfire Management
Localized fires caused by critters (squirrels, birds, possums…) infiltrating your overhead lines and substations are often the result of electrocution. They fall to the ground below and spark a fire. Protecting this critical infrastructure is essential to ensure that generated electricity can reach end users without interruption. TE Connectivity and Rexel Utility can help you prevent animal induced wildfires and bushfires with TE’s wide selection of insulating wildlife mitigation solutions including bushing covers, cross arm guards and more. Each is manufactured from their unique Raychem polymer material. It’s specially formulated to resist tracking, UV degradation, thermal extremes and heat resistance. TE Connectivity and Rexel Utility are committed to protecting your network for the life of your assets and reducing the risks of wildfire and bushfires with 60+ years of manufacturing and design experience.
Solution Implementation
Implementing wildlife and asset protection solutions for substations is a multifaceted process that requires careful planning and a tailored approach. The type of substation—whether transmission or distribution—its location, and the specific electrical equipment in use all influence the choice of protective measures. For example, distribution substations, which play a crucial role in the national grid by managing different voltages for safe delivery of electrical energy, often require specialized solutions to address their unique challenges.
Companies like Rexel Utility are instrumental in supporting contractors seeking solutions, offering expertise and a broad range of products designed for both medium and high-voltage applications. Rexel Utility is the premier distributor of medium and high-voltage products in the Canadian utility market. Rexel Utility serves investor-owned utilities, public power municipalities, rural electrification associations, and contractors.Through the use of innovative materials and strategic planning, TE Connectivity and Rexel Utility help safeguard substations and maintain the integrity of the electrical grid, ensuring that power is delivered safely and efficiently to communities.
Maintenance and Repair
Ongoing maintenance and timely repair are essential to the continued reliability of substations and the broader electrical grid. Regular inspections help identify worn or damaged components, such as transformers and overhead power lines, before they can lead to faults or outages. Distribution substations, in particular, require vigilant upkeep to ensure the safe and efficient transmission of electrical energy to end users.
By prioritizing regular maintenance, utilities can reduce the risk of faults and maintain the safety and performance of their substations and overhead power lines.
Customer Benefits
Investing in effective asset protection solutions for substations delivers a broad range of benefits to customers and communities. By minimizing the risk of wildlife-related incidents, utilities can reduce the frequency and duration of power outages, leading to improved reliability and customer satisfaction. Enhanced protection also means greater safety for both people and animals, as it helps prevent incidents of animal cruelty and reduces the likelihood of equipment failure. These solutions extend the lifespan of critical electrical equipment, lower maintenance costs, and support a more resilient power supply. For utilities, demonstrating a commitment to safety, reliability, and animal welfare strengthens customer trust and loyalty, while ensuring compliance with industry standards and regulations.
Sustainability
Asset protection solutions play a vital role in supporting the sustainability of the electrical grid. By reducing the risk of power outages and equipment failures, utilities can limit the need for emergency repairs and replacements, which in turn decreases waste and conserves resources. Protecting substations and transmission infrastructure from wildlife and other hazards also helps minimize the environmental impact associated with electrical generation and transmission. Furthermore, these solutions contribute to a more efficient grid by reducing energy losses and supporting the reliable delivery of power. By prioritizing sustainable asset protection, utilities demonstrate environmental responsibility and help build a more resilient, eco-friendly future for the communities they serve.
Rexel Utility can help you find the right Wildlife and Asset Protection products from TE for your system.
Rexel Utility can help you find the right Wildlife and Asset Protection products from TE for your system.
Rexel Utility can help you find the right Wildlife and Asset Protection products from TE for your system.
Fill out the form below and a Rexel Utility representative will contact you to help map out a plan to keep the lights on and your customers happy.
