The Next Hundred Years 103 Our services An electric transmission and distribution system is an intricate network of power lines that transports electricity from its source (power plants) to homes and businesses. The transmission lines move electricity long distances at high voltage. Distribution lines deliver electricity to individual consumers at lower voltage levels through smaller lines, typically using transformers to step down the voltage at substations along the way. The Thermography Division performs preventive maintenance inspections of approximately 2,000 electric distribution circuits that crisscross New York state—over 11,000 miles long—following the customers’ annual inspection protocols to reduce the number of outages caused by hardware failures. Thermographers also inspect electric transmission circuits, utility poles, substations, wires, ground rods, and stray voltage, and report fndings before power outages occur. Here’s how they do their work: • Visual inspections: Check for obstructions such as vegetation overgrowth, items afxed to poles by the public, broken or scorched poles, lines with broken ties, damaged crossarms, and more. • Infrared camera inspections: Check for heat on the circuits above the acceptable threshold set by the owner. Heat is the result of electrical resistance in the system. • Sound testing: Use a wafe hammer to determine the condition of wood utility poles. • Quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC): Check pesticide and wood preservative application to utility poles. The Thermography Division began in 2011 with a single customer request. NYSEG needed an infrared inspection of electric distribution lines (DLI), and they knew we had two employees on staf with this experience. Planning the most efcient inspection route was a challenge: The circuits are like a spider web of electricity going in every direction. These employees, with suitcases in hand, set out in SUVs to do what we do best—provide quality work, safely and on time, at a fair price. A second inspection job came from RG&E the following year. Since then, the division has expanded from two to six employees as our reputation has grown. Customers often seek advice and insights from our team, who—like 20-year employee Tim Vanderwerken—have developed close friendships with them over the years. The frst infrared cameras were the size of a shoebox— bulky and heavy, with power cords, batteries, multiple lenses, and all sorts of attachments. Infrared technology has advanced over the years—smaller, lighter, faster, more efcient—and P&CG has invested regularly in state-of-the-art units. But some things haven’t changed: With this kind of work, the cameras still operate from inside the vehicle. The windows and sunroofs must be left open all day in all types of weather to ensure quality photos, making it challenging to keep the cameras and laptops dry and dust free.
