Editor's Note: As part of SDG&E’s commitment to continuous improvements for safety and reliability, we had a team of employees set out to develop nonconductive foil balloon technology in 2012. Last year, those initial prototypes were tested in high-voltage electrical labs. Today, we are sharing a story that ran in T&D World last month highlighting how this innovation can help improve safety and reliability – just in time for wildfire season.
SDG&E Fights Foil Balloons with Prototype
California utility develops a nonconductive foil balloon prototype to reduce service interruptions and improve public safety.
June 5, 2020
Every day, 3.6 million people in San Diego, California, U.S., and Southern Orange counties depend on SDG&E to power their homes and businesses. The utility works hard not to let them down. In fact, for 14 consecutive years, it has been recognized by PA Consulting for outstanding reliability performance in the Western U.S. To maintain this track record, the utility has invested in innovative technologies.
One innovation San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) is pursuing will help to reduce outages caused by foil, or Mylar, balloons. Foil balloons floating into power lines are a common cause of outages in the utility’s service territory. In 2012, it launched a program to pursue the design and testing of a safer balloon prototype to reduce the impacts foil balloons have on power lines.
Read the full story in T&D World
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