Power pole inspections are a necessity for ensuring the electrical grid continues to function. Proper inspections can catch problems early, allowing them to be fixed before they bloom into serious (or dangerous) issues. Additionally, if something does go wrong, it’s the power pole inspectors who are tasked with getting up to the source of the problem to investigate what’s happening, and how best to repair it.
While there are still plenty of personnel who climb these poles to do in-person examinations of the lines (or who use the bucket lift on the back of a truck to achieve their altitude), this process is both slow and dangerous for the personnel involved. Which is why many companies are embracing the technology of today and using drones to expedite the process of inspecting the miles and miles of cables that keep the grid running.
Imagine if Your Inspector Could Fly
Drones have come a long way since their inception, and they’ve revolutionized the way certain industries operate. And the electrical grid is no exception.
Industrial drones are capable of doing fly-by inspections, taking video of everything they see and recording it for inspectors to review from a safe distance away. This means that Power Pole Inspections can be done much more quickly, and that personnel aren’t put at risk, making it a double victory. Once a problem is detected, of course, personnel will have to be dispatched to deal with it. The advantage is that finding the problems is no longer happening at a snail’s pace, so repairs can be done decisively.
The other advantage of using drones to conduct inspections (aside from keeping personnel safe from doing a dangerous job), is that it creates a record that can be shared among troubleshooters. The video taken by drones allows multiple people to see and diagnose the situation before anyone ever puts their boots on the ground, and it allows for information to be shared across the entire team.
When everyone sees the same thing, it makes keeping the grid functioning that much easier, and safer.
A Tool That Quickly Pays For Itself
The kinds of drones that handle these inspections are not the sorts of electronics you order off of toy websites and control with your smartphone. They’re bigger, more powerful, and they’re built to handle distance and time. They are built for work, and as such, they might give some folks sticker shock. However, the sheer amount of time and effort this tool can save (not to mention how it keeps personnel out of dangerous situations just to put eyes on a power pole) quickly recoups the cost that purchasing it runs.
There is also a middle ground, for companies who want access to this technology without the cost of purchasing it themselves and training their personnel to fly the drones. Hiring a company that specializes in drone inspections gives a power company all of the benefits of this technology, along with competent, trained professionals to run it. It’s a solution that offers the best of both worlds and is ideal if power pole inspections are something that needs to be done.
If you have questions about using drones for power pole inspections, or for any other commercial use they could be put to, all you have to do is contact us today. We’ll help you decide if the job you need to get done is one that can be brought forward into the 21st century thanks to the latest in drone technology.