Ishveena Singh – Oct. 20th 2022 10:16 am PT Southern California Edison says it plans to spend an estimated $50 million in drone inspection services over the next three years to ensure that nearly 160,000 of its electricity poles are adequately maintained. The news comes a day after the utility was sued by a second group of families alleging that…
by Scott Howe in Energy & Utilities Drones are an essential and highly valuable part of the energy and utilities industry, and companies in the sector are increasing their investments in UAVs. Although inspections are the main application of the technology, drones have been adapted to other tasks to take advantage of the cost-savings, safety, and accuracy they offer. As…
Why Use Thermal for DronesWhether inspecting substations, switchyards, or transmission and distribution lines, there are scores—if not hundreds—of connections, fused disconnects, insulators, splices, dead ends, and more that need routine inspection. “Checking these from a drone has two primary benefits: speed and safety,” stated Greg Nagler, Global Business Development Director sUAS at Teledyne FLIR. “Drone inspections let crews quickly scan…
by Scott Howe in Surveying & MappingEnergy & Utilities Phoenix Air Unmanned (PAU) has been conducting effective and efficient long-range utility transmission line inspections for its client, Xcel Energy, since 2018 when Xcel received FAA approval to fly beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS). Over that time, the company’s drones have racked up more than 13,000 BVLOS miles and collected…
