Drones Boost Grid Reliability with Faster Inspection of 400 Miles of Power Lines
Consumers Energy (NYSE:CMS) has significantly expanded its drone technology deployment for power grid inspections, doubling its fleet over the past two years. The company now operates 40 drones with 40 licensed pilots to inspect approximately 400 miles of power lines that were previously inaccessible to traditional helicopter inspections.
The drones, equipped with high-resolution cameras and thermal imaging, enable faster and more cost-effective inspections of challenging terrains, helping identify potential issues before they cause outages. This technology has proven particularly valuable during storm recovery operations and has contributed to reducing customers' average power outage time by over 20 minutes last year.
Consumers Energy (NYSE:CMS) ha ampliato significativamente l'uso della tecnologia dei droni per le ispezioni della rete elettrica, raddoppiando la sua flotta negli ultimi due anni. L'azienda ora opera 40 droni con 40 piloti autorizzati per ispezionare circa 400 miglia di linee elettriche precedentemente inaccessibili alle ispezioni tradizionali con elicotteri.
I droni, dotati di telecamere ad alta risoluzione e imaging termico, permettono ispezioni pi霉 rapide e meno costose su terreni difficili, aiutando a individuare potenziali problemi prima che causino interruzioni. Questa tecnologia si 猫 rivelata particolarmente utile nelle operazioni di ripristino dopo le tempeste e ha contribuito a ridurre il tempo medio di interruzione dell'elettricit脿 dei clienti di oltre 20 minuti lo scorso anno.
Consumers Energy (NYSE:CMS) ha ampliado significativamente el despliegue de tecnolog铆a de drones para las inspecciones de la red el茅ctrica, duplicando su flota en los 煤ltimos dos a帽os. La compa帽铆a ahora opera 40 drones con 40 pilotos licenciados para inspeccionar aproximadamente 400 millas de l铆neas el茅ctricas que antes eran inaccesibles para las inspecciones tradicionales con helic贸ptero.
Los drones, equipados con c谩maras de alta resoluci贸n e imagen t茅rmica, permiten inspecciones m谩s r谩pidas y rentables en terrenos dif铆ciles, ayudando a identificar problemas potenciales antes de que provoquen cortes. Esta tecnolog铆a ha resultado especialmente valiosa durante las labores de recuperaci贸n tras tormentas y contribuy贸 a reducir en m谩s de 20 minutos el tiempo medio de corte el茅ctrico de los clientes el a帽o pasado.
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Consumers Energy (NYSE:CMS) a consid茅rablement 茅tendu le d茅ploiement de sa technologie de drones pour les inspections du r茅seau 茅lectrique, doublant sa flotte au cours des deux derni猫res ann茅es. La soci茅t茅 exploite d茅sormais 40 drones avec 40 pilotes agr茅茅s pour inspecter environ 400 miles de lignes 茅lectriques auparavant inaccessibles aux inspections classiques par h茅licopt猫re.
Les drones, 茅quip茅s de cam茅ras haute r茅solution et d'imagerie thermique, permettent des inspections plus rapides et moins co没teuses sur des terrains difficiles, aidant 脿 identifier les probl猫mes potentiels avant qu'ils ne provoquent des coupures. Cette technologie s'est r茅v茅l茅e particuli猫rement utile lors des op茅rations de remise en 茅tat apr猫s les temp锚tes et a contribu茅 脿 r茅duire le temps moyen d'interruption d'茅lectricit茅 des clients de plus de 20 minutes l'ann茅e derni猫re.
Consumers Energy (NYSE:CMS) hat den Einsatz von Drohnentechnologie f眉r Netzinspektionen deutlich ausgeweitet und seine Flotte in den letzten zwei Jahren verdoppelt. Das Unternehmen betreibt nun 40 Drohnen mit 40 lizenzierten Piloten, um rund 400 Meilen an Stromleitungen zu inspizieren, die zuvor f眉r herk枚mmliche Hubschrauberinspektionen unzug盲nglich waren.
Die Drohnen, ausgestattet mit hochaufl枚senden Kameras und W盲rmebildtechnik, erm枚glichen schnellere und kosteng眉nstigere Inspektionen in schwierigem Gel盲nde und helfen, potenzielle Probleme zu erkennen, bevor sie zu Ausf盲llen f眉hren. Diese Technologie hat sich insbesondere bei der Sturmaufarbeitung bew盲hrt und trug im vergangenen Jahr dazu bei, die durchschnittliche Stromausfallzeit der Kunden um 眉ber 20 Minuten zu reduzieren.
- Doubled drone fleet in past 2 years, expanding to 40 drones and 40 licensed pilots
- Reduced customers' average power outage time by over 20 minutes last year
- Enhanced inspection capabilities for 400 miles of previously inaccessible power lines
- Improved operational efficiency by replacing helicopter inspections with drone technology
- None.
"Reliability is at the core of everything we do," said听Greg Salisbury, SVP & president of electric distribution at Consumers Energy. "Drones allow us to spot and fix problems before they impact customers, and to respond faster and more safely when outages do occur."
What once required helicopters or crews to walk rugged terrain is now being done faster and more affordably, thanks to a growing fleet of 40 drones and 40 licensed pilots鈥攁s more teams across the company experience the benefits of drone technology.听Power line inspections are the most common use. While the company's helicopter crews inspect approximately 4,000 miles of overhead electric lines each year, there are around 400 miles of lines that are inaccessible due to thick brush, protected airspace or challenging geography in urban areas. This is where drones come in.
Equipped with high-resolution cameras and thermal imaging, drones provide a bird's-eye view of poles and equipment 鈥� capturing photos and video that help team members identify damage or deterioration. This not only supports regular maintenance but also helps pinpoint areas that may need tree trimming to protect nearby lines.
"This is no longer experimental 鈥� drones are a vital tool in how we inspect and maintain the grid," said听Benjamin Strandskov, who leads Consumers Energy's drone program. "They give us a faster, safer way to see what's happening in places we couldn't easily reach before."
The benefits also expand from everyday work into storm recovery. After severe weather like the March ice storm in
Consumers Energy's drone program and the inclusion of other innovative tools and projects are critical to our long-term strategy to strengthen the grid, reduce outages and prepare for the energy needs of the future as outlined in the company's . These investments helped to reduce customers' average time without power by over 20 minutes last year.
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