Electricity Today T&D Magazine

If you wanted to create a recipe for disaster, the beginning of the 2021 wildfire season would be a good place to start. Nearly 90% of the western U.S. is suffering through extreme drought. The snowpack set new low levels there as well. A record-breaking heatwave steamrolled the Pacific Northwest with extreme temperatures hitting 116 °F in Portland. Mix all of this together, and you get a tinderbox ready to explode.
The last decade has been brutal as wildfires have raged across the West, Southwest, and Southern states. According to the National Interagency Fire Center, 2021 is shaping up to...

Infrared safety: using thermal technologies to protect workers

BY DOUG BARRY, FLIR Systems

Disconnect switches, elbow connectors, cutouts, lightning arrestors, oil-filled circuit breakers, and other electrical components tend to heat up before they fail. The ability to detect overheating on such equipment long before it becomes critical is essential for preventing costly unplanned outages and for protecting workers from exposure to potential arc flashes and faults. The experienced and well-trained know it’s crucial to heed industry standards about maintaining a safe working distance. That’s why more electricians and utility companies are turning to thermal imaging as a practical and more...