How Automated Switches Help Reduce Power Outages
We can’t predict when the power is going to go out, but when it does, there are things we can do to help get the lights back on faster.
One of the biggest improvements we can make to our distribution system is to add automation. What does that mean? That means installing automated switches that can be controlled remotely by our control room and switches that can automatically notify us when they’ve been tripped.
When an object makes contact with a powerline, such as a tree branch hitting it in high winds, it can cause a fault, which makes a switch open up. This is similar to turning off a light switch in your house.
Automated switches can be closed, or turned back on, automatically or by our control room. If the conditions are right, such as the tree branch is no longer on the wires, the power stays on. This can happen quickly. Without automated switches, our crews have to drive up and down the roads in the area affected looking for the cause of the outage and manually operate switches. This can result in longer power outages.
If the switch tries to close but still senses something wrong, it stays open, but it also sends a signal to our control room. When this happens, we know where the problem is and can send our crews directly to the location. This helps speed up restoration time after a power outage occurs.
Another benefit of automated switches is that we can use them to route power from another area so that power can be restored to most customers while we fix the problem that caused the outage.
These switches are expensive - 2-3 times the cost of a manually operated switch. This is why we only install a small number each year but overtime, they will help make our system more reliable.
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See an automated switch in action with this short video:
