Wildlife mitigation for utility

Protecting power distribution from wildlife and weather interference is more important than ever. Overhead lines and substations come into unintentional contact with external influences with regularity, e.g., fauna (birds or other animals), flora (tree branches) and weather (strong winds). Such contact can lead to fires and inconvenient and expensive power outages.

It is estimated that approximately 12% of annual power outages globally are due to wildlife intrusion. Overall, animals, especially birds, pose a constant threat to the safe operation of live wires, power poles, base stations and entire utility networks. This risk is steadily increasing due to the emphasis on space and cost reductions. The move toward less visibility of electrical infrastructure through densification decreases the distances that need to be breached for power disruption.

The need for reliable connection systems that can prevent power outages, by protecting against flashover or direct contact with bare metal parts, is rapidly increasing. Wildlife Mitigation products protect utility systems, which also result in environmental benefits.