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November/December 2013
utilityproducts.com
Vol. 17, Issue 10
Features:
ArcFLash
Protection
CommunicationsTechnologies
Product Focus:
Vehicles & Accessories
Line Construction & Maintenance
Transmission & Distribution
Computers & Software
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contents
Volume 17, Issue 10
utilityproducts.com
FEATUREStories
6
Richard Baker
Senior Vice President,

North American Power Group
FLASH!
Teresa Hansen
Preparations against arc flash accidents make all the difference.

By Paul Hull
Editor in Chief
John Tabor
Associate Editor
johnt@pennwell.com (918) 831-9508
m
10 The Power of a Single Communications Plaform
By Donald Pollock
Paul Hull
Contributing Editor
16 Communications Technologies and the Cloud
Daniel Greene
Production Manager
Enable Productivity, Efficiency for Field Workers

s
Clark Bell
By Tom OConnor
Art Director
PRODUCTFocus
Chris Long
Senior Regional Sales Manager

clong@pennwell.com (205) 647-9137
FAX: (205) 647-9140
Computers&Software
18 Enhancements to Push-to-Talk Technology
Rhonda Brown
Transform the Utilities Industry
20
Reprint Manager
rhondab@fosterprinting.com (219) 878-6094
Features to Look for in a Rugged Notebook
Melissa Ward
Utility Products Conference & Expo Exhibit

& Sponsorship Sales Manager
mward@pennwell.com (918) 831-9116
LineConstruction&Maintenance
22 Harmonize Your Wire and Cable Standards
26 Wind Farms Whirl With use of High-density
Dillon Waters
Advertising Traffic Manager
Polyethylene Conduit
Linda Thomas
Audience Development Manager

lindat@pennwell.com (918) 832-9254
Transmission&Distribution
30 Big Data = Big Challenges for Big Substations
36 Fuel Cells and Utility Telecommunications:
Frank T. Lauinger
Chairman
Focus on Reliability
Robert F. Biolchini
President & CEO
Vehicles&Accessories
40 Fleet Management Mobile Applications:
Mark Wilmoth
Chief Financial Officer
Jayne A Gilsinger
A Utility Industry Accessory for 2014
42
Senior Vice President, Planning, Development

& Strategic Policy Advancement
Driver Safety in Utility Fleets
S.A.F.E.atWork
52 Getting the Chair Out of Our Face
By Matt Forck, CSP & JLW
utilityproducts.com
Vol. 17, Issue 10
Features:
ArcFLash
Protection
CommunicationsTechnologies
Product Focus:
Vehicles & Accessories
Line Construction & Maintenance
Transmission & Distribution
Computers & Software
INEVERYISSUE
4 Editors Letter 46 New Products Showcase 51 Advertiser Index
Advertising Offices for Utility Products

1421 South Sheridan
Tulsa, OK 74112
phone: 918.835.3161
Fax: 918.831.9834
www.utilityproducts.com
info@utilityproducts.com
Subscriber Service
PO Box 3264 Northbrook, IL 60065
Tel: 847-763-9540 Fax: 847-763-9607
Email: utp@halldata.com
Utility Products (ISSN 1942-6070) (USPS 024-924) is published by PennWell Corp., 1421 S. Sheridan Rd., Tulsa, Oklahoma 74112 USA. Utility Products
is printed 10X per year monthly in January, February, March, April, May, June, July/August, September, October, and November/December. Utility Products
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Utility Products is distributed to qualified subscribers in the electric, cable and telecom utilities, as well as to contractors, manufacturers, suppliers and
other service companies who support these utilities. Publisher is not liable for all content (including editorial and illustrations provided by advertisers) of
advertisements published and does not accept responsibility for any claims made against the publisher. It is the advertisers or agencys
responsibility to obtain appropriate releases on any item or individuals pictured in an advertisement. Reproduction of this magazine in whole
or in part is prohibited without prior written permission from the publisher.
POSTMASTER: Send change of address, other circulation information to UTILITY PRODUCTS, PO BOX 3264 , Northbrook, IL. 60065-3264. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to PO Box 122, Niagara Falls, ON, Canada L2E 6S4
Utility Products November/December 2013 www.utilityproducts.com
1311up_REV_3 3
12/5/13 9:02 AM
EDITORSLetter
Preparing for Arc

Flash Can Mean
the Difference in
Life and Death
hen arc flash occurs, it is devastatingand usually deadly. Preparation is

essential. One of Utility Products feature articles this month, Flash!
Preparations against arc flash accidents make all the difference by contributing editor Paul Hull, discusses the importance of training, work
practices and protective clothing. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
70E: Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace is probably the most read document concerning electrical safety, Hull reports, and is often considered the standard
right way to do it guide. Hull also outlines actions companies should take to be in
compliance with federal regulations: a safety program with defined responsibilities,
personal protective equipment for workers, training, tools for safe work, and calculations for the degree of electrical safety hazard.
Another feature article, The Power of a Single Communications Platform by Donald
Pollock, addresses how utility personnel can deliver a safe, efficient and reliable service
with communications networks. Pollock presents how grid communications systems can
evolve that fully integrate independent networks that can provide the real-time business
and operational intelligence to enhance the safety, accuracy and efficiency of the utility
workers daily tasks.
Communications Technologies and the Cloud Enable Productivity, Efficiency for
Field Workers, by Tom OConnor, discusses how devices have evolved to deliver seamless
communication between workers and headquarters. And, with cloud computing, the ability to drive workforce improvements is enhanced by connecting workers with the business
data they need from anywhere, in real time.
A variety of great product focus articles are also featured in this issue. Learn more
about how enhancements to push-to-talk technology are transforming the utilities industry, features to look for in rugged notebooks, harmonizing your wire and cable standards,
how wind farms benefit from high-density polyethylene conduit, how using sensor technology throughout the power infrastructure can bring about modernization more quickly
and cost effectively, fuel cell power solutions, fleet management mobile applications, and
utility fleet driver safety.
An upcoming event you wont want to miss is the sixth annual Utility Products Conference & Expo (UPCE), which will be co-located with DistribuTECH. Held Jan. 28-30,
2014, in San Antonio, it will feature a wide range of products and services for the utility
industry. For more UPCE 2014 information, please visit www.utilityproductsexpo.com.
John Tabor
Associate Editor
johnt@pennwell.com
Staying Current with

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FEATUREStory
FL
FLASH!
F
LASH!
Preparations against arc fash accidents make all the difference.
By Paul Hull
ust this morning, my neighborprobably the best electrician in towngave me a ride downtown and showed me,
in his workshop, the effects of an arc fash. Fortunately,
the effects were minimal, and the worker closest had little injury. The metal and wires were twisted, melted and
ruined. It was caused when a technician at a body shop
suspected something was wrong with equipment so, without turning off the electricity, he swung a handle and.... FLASH!. He was
lucky to have escaped with a great deal of embarrassmentand
some fear. There seem to have been fewer arc fash accidents for
utility companies, and that is proof awareness of the dangers and
steps to avoid them has been rewarded. Well done, utilities.
If there is still anybody who doubts the benefts of good training, and workers taking that training seriously, the improved results in arc fash incidents should be convincing. An arc fash can
reach as high as 35,000 volts. As my friend told me this morning, it
happens much more quickly than any human reaction can match.
The main protection, then, is training, and knowing what not to
doand never doing it. With an arc fash such, there is seldom
a second chance. If the worker escapes with injuries, they will be
painful and costly; unfortunately, death is more likely.
About a year ago there was an arc fash accident where several utility workers were injured. One bystander said he could see
smoke coming from one of the injured victims. Nobody was killed.
There was no information given about the causes of the arc fash,
and the utility said it was the frst such incident they could remember in at least the past fve years. One spokesperson said the utility spends an inordinate amount of time safety-training with our
staff. Inordinate means excessive or immoderate; I dont think
thats what the spokesperson meant because that would nullify the
value of good training.
Sources and Remedies
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 70E: Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace is probably the document most read concerning electrical safety. The Occupational
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Flash...
Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reinforces the principles laid down in that document and emphasizes that safetyrelated work practices should be used to prevent electric shock
or other injuries that follow direct or indirect electrical contacts.
OSHA can enforce safety practices. NFPA 70E-2000 is often considered the standard right way to do it guide. Among the actions
companies should take to be in compliance with federal regulations are: a safety program with defned responsibilities, personal
protective equipment (PPE) for workers, training, tools for safe
work, and calculations for the degree of electrical safety hazard.
Much of this applies to commercial and industrial plants as well
as to utilities. Petrochemical companies, with their plethora of expensive equipment, have been prominent in their efforts to avoid
electrical hazards such as arc fashes. The best way to prevent injuries to workers with electrical hazards is to de-energize equipment
before beginning to work. My electrician friend told me the arc
Protective clothing is not inexpensive,

and the seller should be willing to listen
to your needs and adjust to them.
fash that took place this morning would not have occurred if the
company had a lineman de-energize the equipment involved. At
the time, that probably seemed like too much trouble and it might
slow down the days work.
Not only should approved warning labels be attached at appropriate places where arc fash could threatenthey should also
be readable and read by employees. Much of the success in beating
the deadly menaces of arc fashes will be achieved by everybody at
the site doing what they have been trained to do and not thinking
that, just this once, its not worth bothering with. There are several
PPE brand names and you are probably familiar with them. Check
with back copies of Utility Products to see advertisements and articles that may help you make decisions about specifc brands.
Personal protective equipment covers clothing and accessories for
all types of hazard, and it should be emphasized that protection
against arc fash requires specifc rather than generic products.
One word you will come across when hearing about arc fash
dangers is boundary. If you think of the arc fash as the center of
an archery target or bullseye, there are four boundaries often cited.
The closest to the center is the Prohibited Approach Boundary;
the next one out is the Restricted Approach Boundary; the third
one out is the Limited Approach Boundary; and fnally, the Flash
Protection Boundary. The last one is where a worker would be
exposed to a curable second degree burn. The heat generated
by the fash results in burns. At the Limited Approach Boundary there is a shock hazard, too, and that risk is greater at the
closer, Restricted Approach, distance. The Prohibited Approach
Boundary marks the position where the worker might as well have
contact with the live part that could cause the arc fash. The actual boundaries for a particular piece of equipment will be decided
(not guessed at) where the piece of equipment that operates at 50
volts or more has not been put into a de-energized state. After
that evaluation, you can determine what levels and types of PPE
should be worn. The correct label also must be placed to show current and future workers of the dangers at that particular site. Lets
emphasize that the most effective way to eliminate the dangers of
arc fash is simplede-energize the equipment involved.
Some labels will only tell you there is an arc fash hazard, the
suitable PPE is required, a warning that failure to follow the prescribed steps could result in injury or death, and a reference to
NFPA 70E. A better, more detailed label will tell you the fash
hazard boundary; the level of PPE to be worn; the fash hazard at,
for example, 18 inches; the shock hazard if the cover is removed;
and the distances for limited, restricted and prohibited approach.
Most important is that the worker reads and understands the label.
Protecting the Workers on the Line
Linemen (or women) may work several feet underground and

high overhead. Both situations are possible sites for arc fashes,
and utilities have done a good job protecting their employees.
Protective gear is most useful but the best preparation is trainingand remembering that training. What have utilities done?
Some have changed practices that were believed to be sacrosanct
for decades (which could be restating the distance a worker
should keep between him and the arc fash potential, possibly up
from four to six feet), and some have provided fame-resistant
clothing to all feld workers. Its worth the effort to research every product you buy, and personal protection equipment is high
on the list of products that must be as good as they claim. Do
you buy protective clothing, for example, that is fame-resistant
or chemically induced fame-retardant? One utility discovered
that fame-resistant material (with the resistance inherent in the
materials of the clothing) could be preferable for a practical reason. The protection level did not go down every time the clothing
was washed. Of similar importance is to have your employees try
wearing suggested protective clothing. Which brand or type is
more comfortable? Which does not interfere with the effciency
of the worker?
Protective clothing is not inexpensive, and the seller should be
willing to listen to your needs and adjust to them. Are all your
workers the same size? If they arent, why should somebody expect
you to buy clothing that is all the same size? If you buy clothing
for yourself in your private life, do you walk into the store, see a
nice-colored article and buy iteven if you wear a size Large and
the clothing is Small or 2XL? Of equal importance is the cleaning
of the protective clothing. Much of it doesnt hold up well to high
temperature drying when laundered, so the wearers or the utility
(whoever does the cleaning) should be warned about best practices
and worst practices. What seemed like a small point when it was
frst mentioned to me, but became an obvious danger when it was
explained, was the repair of protective clothing. After the effort to
put fame-resistant, protective materials into clothes for linemen, it
would be dangerous to repair rips and tears with nylon thread and
patches. It would be an easy error to make, so warn your workers
against such repair work.
Of all the dangers in industrial work, arc fashes could be the
most dangerous and life-threatening. Well done, those of you who
have carefully trained your workers to avoid them. Well done,
those of you who have provided protective materials and tools to
your employees. It would be a good year when we can lower the
number of injuries and deaths from arc fashes yet again.
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FEATUREStory
ower
Power
off a S
Single
he P
wer o
iing
ngle
le
TThe
Coom
mmunic
C
municattio
ions
ns
Communications
By Donald Pollock
P
lattffoorm
Pla
rrm
m
Platform
s they arrive for work each morning, utility personnelthe CEO, plant operators, engineers,
line-workers, substation technicians or customer
representativesshare a common objective: to deliver a safe, efficient and reliable service. Increasingly, grid automation and smart grid technology,
specifically the underlying communication networks, help them
achieve these goals. Communication networks enable the two-way
flow of information that allows utility departments and workers to
interface with assets related to their specific department or function.
Most utilities already manage a range of independent networks
including outage management systems (OMS), geographical information systems (GIS), and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systemsas well as metering and other advanced
networks. These disparate monitoring and control systems are often
managed independently. Data generated within these networks are
typically collected, transmitted to, and analyzed at a centralized location using an array of communications technologies, each independent of the next.
Application-specific intelligent systems are not enough to tap into
the ability of the smart grid to inform and coordinate decisions and
actions in support of shared common objectives. A grid-wide communications system that fully integrates independent networks can
provide the real-time business and operational intelligence to enhance
the safety, accuracy and efficiency of the utility workers daily tasks.
Smart Grid Communications That Benefit the

Utility WorkerPlatform vs. Network
To understand how grid communications might evolve, consider

how the Internet has revolutionized business and social interactions
over the past 20 years. The Interneta network of interconnected
computer systemsis the central nervous system of global
communications. The smart grid, too, will grow to be a network
of networks, connecting millions of components and integrating
different communications technologies. It will include intelligent
10
devices for real-time control and monitoring, various wired and

wireless communication technologies to suit different cost and
latency requirements, as well as software to analyze and manage
data, and turn it into actionable information.
Internet Protocol (IP) is the language devices use to communicate
on the Internet. It is now commonly accepted as the connectivity
standard for smart grid communications. In an IP-based smart grid,
each device deployed will have a unique IP address and will support standard communication protocols. As a result, a utility can
deploy different technologies, wired or wireless, on different parts
of the grid while being able to control and manage data through a
unified system. This reduces the cost and complexity of implementation, operations and communicationsand also offers choice and
flexibility in the selection of vendors. An IP-based architecture also
provides the opportunity to develop a single schema to secure data
from multiple devices, which strengthens overall network security.
Just like the Internet expanded from e-mail and instant messaging, smart grid communications will expand beyond smart metering
to fundamentally change all aspects of grid management, monitoring and control. Voice, video and data applications are emerging that will reshape utility work practices. Long Term Evolution
(LTE), an advanced wireless network technology, for example, offers the speed and low latency required to support video-enabled
monitoring, such as line surveillance, which would greatly enhance
efficiency and safety.
A platform approach to grid communications unifies these
isolated networks and applicationsfrom voltage and line
monitoring, substation monitoring and automation, outage
management, advanced metering and demand response systems
into a common infrastructure and enables more targeted operational
decisions and, ultimately, more efficient operation.
Cost-effective Connectivity
A key enabler of this platform approach to grid architecture is the

communications node. A node allows utilities to build a dedicated
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A node-based smart grid communications platform
two-way communications network to monitor and control devices

within their distribution system. It can be installed at various
points on the grid and serve different roles in the networkat the
substation, at the transformer, near sensing devices, on pole tops,
or at the customer premise to create an end-to-end communications
platform. Once in place, it provides a physical and logical link
between wide area networks, distribution assets, and end points
such as smart meters and sensors, to name two.
A smart grid communications node is a robust utility product
that supports a variety of standard interfaces such as serial (raw,
telnet, PPP), Ethernet (10/100BaseT), Wi-Fi, cellular (2G, 3G
and 4G networks) using multiple wireless carriers, and power line
carrier (PLC) technology. These technologies can be deployed,

in parallel, allowing the utility to build a solid foundation to
integrate disparate data sources, facilitate connectivity and enable
real-time visibility across the grid. This flexibility allows utilities
to mix and match connections to grid end-points such as meters or
sensors by leveraging the modularity of a single piece of hardware,
and optimize the cost and increase the longevity of the network
infrastructure.
Technically, the value of a node is in its ability to transmit,
locally aggregate and manage data from multiple assets. The
ability of a node to aggregate data from multiple devices can
reduce overall device count by 38 percent or more over a
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traditional siloed architecture. In addition, local data collection,
analysis and aggregation enable the utility to control what data are
sent back to operations, what can be stored locally and what can
be discardedall of which can significantly reduce the ongoing
communication costs of transmitting and/or storing such data at
the operations center.
The node has an operating system and open software framework,
which enable it to manage multiple grid applications, interfaces and
ports. The open software framework allows the vendor, utility or
third parties to develop and integrate new applications on the node.
The node-based architecture considered here, for example, integrates
a dedicated power quality monitoring application that facilitates
real-time visibility of distribution networks and provides a variety of
power quality parameters (VRMS, IRMS, harmonics, active power,
reactive power, power factor, among others). These parameters can
provide actionable and accurate data for a variety of other applications such as Volt/VAR optimization, transformer loading, system
loss analysis, etc. Other applications that can be hosted on the node
include data collection and processing from a variety of sensors,
synchrophasor-type capabilities and the management of distributed
energy resources.
As the range and complexity of applications increase, integrating
grid communications on a single IP-based platform helps keep the
grid scalable, controllable and observable.
The Power of the Platform
Communication between smart devices represents a significant

portion of any smart grid deployment. Demand response applications require a signal to be sent to shed load. An advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) meter requires a communications path to
the utility. Outage notification systems need to get that notification to the utility for analysis and action. The cost of deploying
and maintaining separate communication networks each dedicated
to a single application is impractical.
An integrated communications and applications platform eliminates the need for, and cost, associated with separate, applicationspecific devices. This approach reduces upfront investment and
provides a single point of responsibility for maintenance on all
smart grid applications, reduces operational and maintenance expenses, and aligns all utility departments toward a common objectiveto deliver a safe, efficient and reliable service.
About the author:

Donald Pollock is global vice president of sales and
marketing at Ambient Corp. He previously delivered better
bottom-line results to clients including IBM, Saint Gobain,
Baldor, Indesit and Universal Powerline Association. Pollock
has a Bachelor of Science from Edinburgh University.
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Communications
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Cloud Enable Productivity,
Efficiency for Field Workers
By Tom OConnor
rom two-way radios in the 1990s to the widespread

adoption of the tablet form factor today, field service
organizations have long depended on communications
technologies to enhance business processes and improve
worker productivity. In demanding environments, organizations have come to rely on devices that are ruggedly engineered to ensure seamless communication between workers
and headquarters. The recent convergence of technological capabilities
that include global positioning system (GPS), geographic information
system (GIS) and Wi-Fi, and advancements in connectivity such as 4G
LTE, enable new standards in productivity. With the advent of cloud
computing, the ability to drive workforce improvements is furthered
by connecting workers with the business data they need from anywhere
and in real time.
Connecting Data
ProntoForms, a mobile workflow solutions provider, recently

released a series of video case studies showcasing communication
technology that leverages the cloud. Its flagship solution, ProntoForms,
is an application that enables organizations with field workers to
collect, receive and submit data in the field on mobile devices such
as smartphones and tablets. The mobile application includes a Web
management portal to manage field teams and data flow, providing the
ability to export or connect data to the back office or to popular cloud
services. Field service organizations such as TBI Airport Management
Inc., Roadway Worker Training and Rex Electric, for example,
deployed ProntoForms, powered by the fully rugged Panasonic
Toughpad FZ-A1 tablet, to benefit from increased accountability and
savings in costs and time associated with in-the-field business processes.
Decision Makers
As the company responsible for managing the Orlando Sanford International Airport international and domestic terminals, TBI Airport
Management Inc. supervises the airports facilities ranging from safety
and security to daily operations. Until recently, the entire system was
bogged down by manually entering data on paper from around the
facility and returning back to headquarters.
16
There was a lot of frustration and lost time with this system,
said Michael Damico, information systems and services manager
for TBI Airport Management. Youve got this paper trail of
copy one, to copy two, to revision three, Damico said. Its hard
to manage for the operational folks.
Similarly, Roadway Worker Training (RWT), a company that
helps professionals in the railroad industry maintain their professional standards, also experienced issues with its manual invoicing processes in the field. As part of its duties, RWT provides the
railroad industry with a complete support team of experienced
railroad professionals who bring a wide range of practical railroad knowledgeoffering high-quality safety, compliance and
technical training, consulting and support services.
RWTs workforce of nearly 100 veteran railroad professionals frequently collects data from around the country and submits
reports back to the home office. Until recently, this data was
collected manually on notepads and invoices before it was faxed
to the main office to be sorted and sent to railway clients. With
such a labor-intensive pen and paper-based system, paperwork was
not always legible or submitted
promptly.
Likewise, as one of Chicagos
oldest and largest electrical firms
founded in the 1920s, REX Electrics fleet of 350 field electricians
take pride in serving a variety of
commercial, institutional and residential customers throughout the
area. Until recently, REX Electric
took a traditional approach to
workflow management by using
a paper-based system, involving
reams of work-order printouts, paper forms needing to be completed
by hand, and multiple trips to and
from the office. This consumed
significant amounts of time that
could be spent serving customers
and created the potential for error
and confusion.
Driving Outcomes
By harnessing the power of communications technologies and the

cloud, all three organizations have
enhanced their ability to offer superior services to their customers
and provide increased efficiency for
their field workers. With communication technologies, field workers can electronically capture text,
photos, signatures, barcodes as
well as GPS and time information,
and expediently submit their work
by way of the cloud.
For TBI Airport Management
Inc., workers can now access saved
data and electronically transmit new

w
data at the singlee
push of a button..
TBI managers havee
also gained the abil-ity to receive reportss
in real time, monitorr
employee progresss
and dispatch workk
orders to individu-als. For RWT, formss
have been custom-ized to require signa-tures before they cann
be submitted. Forr
REX Electric, thee
company can now
w
create and dispatchh
custom mobile formss
to its workforce in
the field, who can then directly relay it back to management from
the job site. Because of high-speed wireless connectivity, faster
turnaround times are helping all companies save time and money.
Reliable Technology
True success in a communications technology deployment can

be achieved when the software solution helps workers do their
jobs, and the devices are purpose-built to help them succeed. As
field workers continue to move to a reliance on the cloud, devices
that are built to last become paramount.
Mobile solutions should be deployed on enterprise-grade devices capable of withstanding the rigors of the field services industry. These devices should be ruggedly engineered to survive drops,
spills, extreme vibration and all types of weather conditions including freezing temperatures, water and dust. Enterprise-grade devices
should offer features specifically tailored to a field service environment, such as extended life batteries, MIL-STD-810G and IP65
certifications, and daylight viewable screens. Mobile solutions and
handheld devices must function reliably, accurately and securely
to allow field workers instant access to whatever information they
need, wherever they need it. This allows field workers to leverage
communications technologies to ensure maximum uptime, drive results and do their jobs effectively and efficiently.
About the author:

Tom OConnor is the senior national business development
manager, Enterprise Sales, for Panasonic System
Communications Co. of North America (PSCNA),
supporting sales team efforts to provide customized mobile
computing solutions that meet the diverse requirements
of enterprise organizations. OConnor is responsible for
developing strategic partnerships with the independent
software vendor and independent hardware vendor
communities within all vertical markets in the enterprise
space nationwide.
WWW.PRONTOFORMS.COM/PANASONIC
www.utilityproducts.com November/December 2013 Utility Products
17
Computers&Software
Enhancements to
Push-to-Talk Technology
Transform the Utilities Industry
By Igor Glubochansky
ts becoming more difficult to use the

word technology without putting mobile before it. The rise of smartphones
and tablets has changed the way
people communicate. Mobile technology
is especially affecting the business world,
particularly in industries where workers are
dispersed across the country and across the
globe. Whether its a construction worker
relaying a request for more equipment or
a bus driver communicating a route delay,
the need for quick and easy communication is steadily growing.
The utilities industry provides services
for a variety of resources that include
electric power, natural gas, steam supply,
water supply and sewage removal. Given
the many issues facing utility companies,
the process for resolving big issues in a
small timeframe becomes crucial for field
workers. Many issues that arise, such as
outages or damaged electrical units, can
cause large problems for businesses and
households. The ability to communicate
18
with co-workers in real-time with a Pushto-Talk (PTT) device allows the field
worker to avoid time wasted on setting
up a call or even leaving a voice message.
Because PTT devices make it possible for
users to speed up communication compared to a phone conversation, providing
employees with faster response times and
more reliability is essential.
Solutions that allow fast communication are important for utility companies
servicing businesses and residences. As
a result of carriers and service providers
pushing the envelope, we are now seeing
more interoperability features built into
PTT devices. This is especially important
for utility companies dispatching employees who carry two devices: a two-way radio for PTT and a smartphone for data
and voice communication. Businesses can
now deploy a set of PTT devices that will
allow field workers to quickly and reliably
communicate from one jobsite to another.
Companies can, therefore, avoid deploying
a multitude of different devices and
bridge the communication gap with
a single device with newer PTT enhancements and interoperability
features.
Take for example an electric and
gas company responsible for servicing a large part of a states population. With such a large deployment
of utility services, it is imperative to
provide superior customer service,
ensure employee satisfaction and
maintain a good safety record.
Prompted by issues with its previous network service provider and
a desire not to overburden its IT
department, the utility company
sought an affordable and compelling PTT solution. The electric
and gas company purchased a few
thousand mobile devices equipped
with features, including AT&T Enhanced

Push-to-Talk, that would provide the utilities field service workers with a safe way
to communicate. The companys management team and field service workers now
have a Push-to-Talk solution on a hardware platform that extends the companys
legacy back-end systems to mobile devices
to enhance productivity.
The emergence of PTT in the utilities
sector has provided a more productive
environment for field workers. Utility
companies face challenges every day and
depend on fast, reliable communication to
resolve those challenges. When examining
interoperability features and other capabilities of enhanced PTT solutions, many
businesses have benefited from using the
technology. And, this new era of PTT is in
its infancy, with the growing possibilities
for the technology offering a bright future.
About the author:

Igor Glubochansky is the executive
director of Advanced Mobility Product
Management for Advanced Mobility
Solutions, a business unit of AT&T
Business Solutions. His responsibilities
include managing and bringing to
market advanced mobile solutions for
AT&T business customers of all sizes.
Glubochansky is responsible for
enterprise mobility applications,
including mobile solutions for
retail, business messaging, mobile
resource management, and near
field communication. His team
creates business solutions that help
corporations wirelessly enable their
business processes and customer
relationships.
WWW.ATT.COM/GEN/PRESS-ROOM?PID=23280
Computers&Software
Features to Look for

in a Rugged Notebook
Price is always a factor, but there is more
utility professionals should consider.
o matter what we purchase in

life, price will always be an issueeven for the most profitable companies. Something a
utility company needs to consider when
purchasing a rugged notebook is price
and staying within budget.
In addition to price, there are other factors that should be considered when selecting a rugged notebook. It should have
rugged featuresnot every notebook is
designed to endure long bumpy rides over
rough roads, work in stifling heat or freezing cold, withstand swirling dust and dirt,
or handle all manner of moisture.
It is critical that notebooks used in
the utilities sector operate in remote and
challenging work environments, and are
durable and reliable. A rugged notebook
should be designed to protect against vibration and shock, and built to regulations
such as MIL 810G or MIL 810F specifications. It should provide added protection
against physical or functional damage during normal everyday use and from damage
caused by mishandling or by accidental
drops and bumps during transport. In addition, it should include added protection
against damage to vital electronic components caused by accidental spills. This
extra protection lowers the risk of expensive component repairs while also lowering
total cost of ownership by protecting this
investment.
Before purchasing, consider that a magnesium alloy top and bottom case is 20
times stronger than those made from Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) plastic.
Remember that shock-absorbing material
around the liquid crystal display (LCD) and
hard-disk drive provides shock resistance.
Something else to consider is ergonomics. Is the device easy to hold, carry and
use? If its not, field technicians probably
will be reluctant to use itwasting time
20
and money. Size and weight are essential

considerations and should be factored in
for operating (holding or using) and carrying (hands free with a shoulder strap) the
unit.
While not an ergonomic concern, the
display should also be carefully selected.
Working in the field requires a screen that
can be read in multiple lighting situations,
from bright mid-day sun to dark environments.
Docking effectiveness is another factor
that must meet the technicians approval
or it will go unused. A notebook must
come with a quality dock that wears well
and is easy for the technician to remove
the unit and place it back into the dock;
otherwise, the technician might not take it
to the job site. If that happens, instead of
immediately inputting everything into the
notebook, the technician will use a piece of
paper to write specifics. When the task is
completed, the technician will go back to
the vehicle or office to input what was written. This defeats the purpose of purchasing
a rugged notebook, not to mention wasting
time and money.
When selling their products, some vendors will tell you what you want to hear.
Then, when you later try to call them, they
sometimes arent as helpful. In purchasing
a rugged notebook, realize that post-sale
service and support are essential in maximizing a units value over its economic life.
Look for technical support, repair and/or
replacement hardware support, premium
service offerings that can reduce risk and
deliver budget predictability, and a nofault warranty.
GammaTech Computer Corp. is a company that offers No-Fault Warranty for
its Durabook rugged notebook computers
and covers repair or replacement to any
component that is accidentally damaged
or fails electronically.
Portability is a hallmark of a rugged

notebook computer. Other features to
consider include hot swappable battery design (single or dual) and lithium ion smart
battery packs that can offer double-digit
hours of power, allowing extended work in
the field.
Many units come with support for on/
off switches for a radio frequency device,
barcode scanner and radio frequency identification (RFID)/near field communication (NFC). No rugged notebook purchase
should be completed without a quality security system built in or optional.
Technicians working in remote locations
like to stay in touchmaking connectivity
important to them. Integrated communication devices are features that need to be considered when purchasing a rugged notebook.
These include, but are not limited to, items
such as some variation of Bluetooth, WiFi
Link 6235 series combo, Intel mini-express
Wireless local area network (LAN) 802.1,
wireless wide area network (WWAN) (3G)
and wireless local area network (WLAN) .
Because much utility work is performed
in remote areas, another useful technology
to include in a rugged notebook is a builtin global positioning system (GPS) receiver
to put users in touch with their favorite
GPS navigation software.
Having a rugged computer on the job,
away from an office setting, allows utility
workers access to necessary documents,
files, the company network and the Internetanywhere their job takes them, regardless of the distance from their place of
business. The result is increased productivity and efficiency.
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Harmonize Your
Wire and Cable
Standards
By Jack Rubinger
rom Alberta to Atlanta, from Montreal to Maine, Canadian and US electricians are definitely not desk jockies.
They work independently. Theyre detail oriented. They
obsess about doing things the right way because of the
serious nature of their work. One of the biggest challenges North
American electricians face every day are standards that ensure a
uniform system of identification.
A host of agencies and others have introduced standards that
impact North American contractors. The goal of this article is to
provide some clarification and differentiation to harmonize the
differences.
Setting standards for color-coding and tag marking in the field

have historically been left to regional organizations. The US and
Canada share many of the same standards, but still have differences
and few field wiring standards are used uniformly around the world.
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) / National Electric Code (NEC), National Electrical Manufacturers Association
(NEMA), American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the
Telecommunication Industry Association (TIA) are the most popularly used standards for industrial building installation wiring in the
U.S. and provide a wide range of useful guidelines.
There are, however, few written standards in North America
specifically targeted to facility wire installation identification.
When we polled experts in the field, heres what they had to say.
Joseph Elliott, Penulator Project Management, SSSco, follows
the NEC for facility wire installation and has seen differences on
internal electrical wiring on some equipment. He uses black, red,
and blue for 3-phase primary conductors (other colors as needed
other than green and white). He uses white for neutral; green,
green with yellow strip or bare for grounds.
Depending on the type of work involved, not everyone has difficulty differentiating cables and wires by colors.
I do electrical accident analysis and there may be a case for me
in which a misinterpreted wire marking or label is at fault but, so
far, not yet, said Lawrence Kamm, affiliated with the American
Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE), Institute of Electrical and
Electronic Engineers (IEEE) and the National Academy of Forensic Engineers (NAFE).
In the US, white wire may be used for either neutral or a second leg on a hot connection and green and bare copper wires are
used interchangeably for grounding. In cases where non-standard
wire colors are used, a color-coded marking is recommended to
indicate function. When a white wire is used as a second leg on
a hot connection, for example, mark it at both ends with a black
label. Adding these additional tag markings improves safety for
everyoneespecially electrical professionals who must service
these areas in the future.
Finally, we consulted with the Ontario Electrical Industry
Training Trust, affiliated with both The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Construction Council of Ontario and
The Electrical Contractors Association of Ontario regarding electrical wiring for facilities. They refer to the Canadian Electrical
Code (CSA) pertaining to conductor colors.
22
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Harmonize Your...
Rule 4-030: Identification of insulated
neutral conductors up to and including
No. 2 AWG copper or aluminum
Except as permitted in Subrules (2), (3)
and (4), all insulated neutral conductors
up to and including No. 2 AWG copper
or aluminum, and the conductors of flexible cords that are permanently connected
to such neutral conductors, shall be identified by a white or grey covering or by three
continuous white stripes along the entire
length of the conductor.
Rule 4-038: Color of conductors
Insulated grounding or bonding conductors shall:
a) have a continuous outer finish that is either green or green with one or more yellow stripes; or
b) if larger than No. 2 AWG, be permitted to be suitably labeled or marked in
a permanent manner with a green color
or green with one or more yellow stripes
at each end and at each point where the
conductor is accessible.
2. Conductors colored or marked in accordance with Subrule (1) shall be used
only as grounding or bonding conductors.
3. Where color-coded circuits are required, the following color coding
shall be used, except in the case of service entrance cable and when Rules
4-032, 4-034, and 6-308 may modify
these requirements:
a) 1-phase ac or dc (2-wire) 1 black
and 1 red or 1 black and 1 white*
(where identified conductor is required);
b) 1-phase ac or dc (3-wire) 1 black,
1 red, and 1 white*; and
c) 3-phase ac 1 red (phase A), 1
black (phase B), 1 blue (phase C),
and 1 white* (where neutral is required).
*Or grey
Or white with colored stripe (see Rule
4-030)
4. Where the midpoint of one phase of

a 4-wire delta-connected secondary
is grounded to supply lighting and
similar loads, the conductors shall
be color-coded in accordance with
Subrule (3) and the phase A conductor shall be the conductor having the
higher voltage-to-ground.
The following two rules in the CEC also
match Article 517.160 of the NEC.
Rule 24-204: Single-phase isolated

circuits
1. Except where Rule 24-206 applies, isolated circuits shall meet the requirements
of Subrules (2) through (7).
2. Isolated circuits shall:
c) have the insulation of one circuit conductor colored orange and the other
colored brown;
d) have the orange-insulated conductor
connected to the nickel screw of receptacles;
24
Rule 24-208: Three-phase isolated

systems
A 3-phase isolated system shall:
c) have its circuit conductors identified as
follows:
i. isolated conductor No. A orange;
ii. isolated conductor No. B brown;
and
iii. isolated conductor No. C yellow;
and business media. Graphic Products

is a provider of workplace labeling and
signage. For more information about
labeling wire and cable, please email
jarubinger@graphicproducts.com or
visit website.
WWW.GRAPHICPRODUCTS.COM
Note that sub-rule 4-038 (3) uses the term

Where color-coded circuits are required.
This indicates that the coloring of the circuit conductors is not required by the code
except it may be required by an authority
having jurisdiction (AHJ), or the designer
or owner of the electrical system. With the
exception of Article 517.160, there are no
NEC articles listing identification colors of
the single-phase or three-phase circuit conductors.
For communication cables used in buildings, there are two color coding standards
used in North America:
ANSI/ICEA S-80-576, Standard for
Category 1 and Category 2 individually
unshielded twisted pair indoor cables
(with or without an overall shield) for
use in communications wiring systems,
and
ANSI/TIA-598-C-2005, Optical Fiber
Cable Color Coding.
Printed wire markers are an excellent solution when non-standard wire colors are
used. Each can be printed with a custom
number and additional wire identification
information and display standardized colors. Workers never have to guess a wires
true function with information on each
wire. Printed markers can also be placed
around closed or open terminal ends for
lasting identification in harsh industrial environments.
DuraLabel offers one of the few industrial-grade self-laminating wire wraps for
wire marking. Wire wraps become a durable band when wrapped around a strand or
cable and communicate wire function with
bright, standardized colors.
These printable markers rapidly shrink
around open terminal ends with a simple
heat gun for long-lasting identification in
almost any environment.
About the author:

Jack Rubinger, Graphic Products, is a
regular contributor to industrial, trade
TRANSMISSION
AND
DISTRIBUTION
MATERIALS
SINCE 1921
WOOD . STEEL . FIBERGLASS
25
Wind Farms
Whirl With Use
of High-density
Polyethylene
Conduit
ome of the largest wind farms in the US are using large diameter, solid wall high-density polyethylene (HDPE) conduit to protect electrical cables and the environment. While
the conduit provides long life, it is also helping projects be
cost-effective.
HDPE conduit has the right cost-to-benefit ratio that includes
the pipe stiffness necessary to withstand the weight of deep burial
while being able to be flexible and strong enough to allow for horizontal directional drilling (HDD), said Tony Radoszewski, executive director of the Plastics Pipe Institute Inc. (PPI), the major trade
association representing all segments of the plastic pipe industry.
It is ideal especially for projects where there is a need to reduce
the amount of digging such as in a wetland or by going under roads
to keep them intact. HDPE conduit can be snaked underneath.
Plus, the HDPE conduit is flexible enough to resist seismic shifts.
The polyethylene itself is chemically resistant to high acidity or alkalinity from the soil as well as being waterproofall of which protect
the cable inside. The length of HDPE conduit in either long stick
sections or hundred-foot coils can reduce the number of mechanical joints necessary for the installation, which in turn, reduces the
overall project costs.
What is especially important for electrical cable use, is that
HDPE conduit does not require any cathodic protection that would
be needed to prevent corrosion of a pipe with a metal surface.
These are just some of the reasons that the trend is very strong
for the use of HDPE conduit in wind farm and solar farm projects
whose basic premise is to protect the environment. This product
adds to that charter.
One of the newest wind power operations, the Beebe Wind Farm
in Breckenridge, Mich., has 34 operational turbines with another
16 coming on-stream in 2013. The crew from M. J. Electric LLC in
Iron Mountain, Mich., found the use of HDPE conduit also sped
installation and enabled the crew to use either cut-and-cover trenching or horizontal directional drilling (HDD). The 34.5 kV lines are
housed in the 8-inch diameter HDPE conduit and are buried as deep
as 30 feet, with some runs 1,000 feet to 2,000 feet long. The land
used for the Beebe Wind Farm is an agricultural farm.
26
There are usually four or five turbines

on a circuit, which are strung together with
an underground collection cable out in the
farmers field, or the grasslands, depending
on what part of the country were in, said
Rick Moore, director of purchasing for M.
J. Electric. Ultimately, each circuit collecting the energy generated by the wind turbine
ends up at a substation. M. J. Electric was
responsible for the underground collection
system, sub-station and subsequent transmission lines at Beebe. We used HDPE
conduit exclusively for underground boring
operations for runs under roads, ditches,
ponds, creeks and under environmentallysensitive areas. We standardized on either
SDR 11 or SDR 13.5both these standard
dimension ratios will provide the strength
for the long bores.
The large gauge collector circuits typically take 10,000 feet to 15,000 feet of conduit, which was provided for the Beebe
project by Endot Industries Inc. in Rockaway, N.J., in 40-foot and 50-foot lengths.
Called Enduct IDE 850, SDR 11, the side
walls are 3/4-inch thick with a nominal outside diameter of 8.6 inches and complies
with the American Society for Testing and
Materials (ASTM) F2160 standard, Standard Specification for Solid Wall High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) Conduit Based
on Controlled Outside Diameter (OD).
Rod Brossart, general foreman for M. J.
Electric, said: Well start on a project with
our directional boring crew about a month
or so ahead of the trenching. If its a longer
27
Wind Farms...
bore shot it might take a couple of days to
complete, and we want to make sure that
our trenching crew doesnt get caught up.
We generally have anywhere from eight to
11 on the crew.
On a wind farm, the only things you are
directional boring is a road, a utility crossing or a wetland area. At Beebe, some of
the drainage ditches were 12 to 15 feet deep
and 25 to 30 feet wide. I think we were eight
to nine feet below the bottom of the ditch,
so in some parts that put us 25 feet deep if
you were to dig straight down from the top
of the ditch. For this, when were in a farm
field like Beebe where there wasnt any rock,
we use a drain tile-type trencher.
According to PPIs Radoszewski, this
is a significant situation where the use of
HDPE conduit can provide labor savings
as well as a safety advantage.
When a crew is trenching down some
25 feet, using HDPE conduit sections that
are put together on the surface or coming
off a coil is quicker and safer than having the crew doing the work down in that
trench, Radoszewski said. Ive seen crews

cut a trench, heat fuse a couple of hundred
feet of 50-foot section HDPE conduit and
cover it up in just a few hours. And with a
maxi-coil, the process is really fast. That
cant be done with any other material.
When we directionally bore, we can
steer it but can only angle it down about 10
percentbasically one foot every rod. So,
if were going across a drainage ditch that
is 30 feet wide but 15 feet deep, we have to
do our math so that were far enough back
to set up and be able to be at the depth
needed at the middle of that ditch and be
able to come back up. Brossart and his
crew did the proper planning, which is critical to the success of any HDD job.
For our runs, we trench up to a certain pointsay 20 feet before we get to the
bore, Brossart said. The excavation is
made, theres usually a splice on one side or
the other of the bore, and the splice is made
and the trenching crew begins operations on
the opposite side and continues. Its easy to
set up the fusing equipment, put the sections
together, and pull it
straight in through the
directional bore.
Specialty Winches and Capstans
Well backlash the
for the Utility Industry
cable. We do everything possible to minimize the number of
splices. We just dont
say youre starting at
tower one, and heading to tower two and
threewe take a look,
plan the cable runs and
manage the number of
splices. Between tower
one and two there
might be two or three
directional bores and
well figure out how
we can do it with either
no splices or just one
splice. We may end up
pulling 500, 600 or 800
feet of cable through a
bore, and that will get
BLOOM Mfg. Inc
us to where theres just
Independence, Iowa 50644
one splice rather than
every time you pull
FAX 319-827-1140
up to a bore theres a
PHONE 319-827-1139
splice.
800-394-1139
After the conduit is
pulled or in the trench,
Custom Engineered Solutions Since 1910
the cable, which for
WINCH
Designed for Outstanding

Performance and Safety
the Beebe collector circuits was 35 kV Underground Residential Distribution (URD)

aluminum power cable, was pulled through.
Distance between towers varies. For the
typical installation, were seeing them 1,100
to 2,200 feet apart, Brossart said. At
Beebe, the way the layout was it seemed that
the county would allow only two turbines to
be installed every square mile. There might
have been 2,200 feet between them, but
from either of those two turbines to the next
one could have been 5,000 or 7,000 feet.
In the past, it would be typical to use the
same cast iron pipe found in water systems,
Moore said. This would certainly be a premium cost for conduit or galvanized rigid
steel conduit, and use couplings to join sections just like in any industrial application.
These products come in 10-foot lengths vs.
the 50-foot lengths we get for the HDPE
conduit, so there is certainly a cost savings
with not having to deal with such great
heavy small pieces; we can deal with longer, bigger sections. From our standpoint,
HDPE is certainly the way to go.
Moore also agreed with PPIs Radoszewskis observation about the life of pipe.
Certainly corrosion is an issue. People
put steel pipe underground all the time,
whether its a gas pipe or a water line.
HDPE provides a high degree of protection regardless of the chemicals in the
ground, especially around farms. HDPE
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approximately 20 percent of the United
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Big Data = Big Challenges

for Big Substations
Intelligent and Secure Sensing at the Edge
By Brett Sargent
teadily growing electrical demand

combined with aging substations
and an aging workforce is placing
extreme pressure on our energy infrastructure.
Power consumption continues to grow
an average 3 percent to 5 percent per
year globally. Many substations in North
America and Europe are more than 50
years old and running above nameplate
ratings. Up to 10 percent of the power
we generate today is lost in transmission.
The utility workforce, with their decades
of expertise and knowledge, is aging and

retiring. What you see is a perfect storm
developing.
The energy grid is being steadily improved, but its immensely expensive and
will take decades to accomplish. In the
meantime, faced with the threat of more
frequent power outages, utilities must focus on optimizing existing generation and
transmission and distribution systems
keeping them longer and driving them
harder.
What utility operators need is a smart
approach that will
lead to SLEx
Substation Life
Extension. While
smart meters give
utilities feedback
on customers
consumption and
usage patterns at
the endpoint, they
do little to ensure
the reliability of the
energy supply chain.
Whats required
for a truly smart energy grid is intelligence

across the entire infrastructure, including
generation and distribution.
World Energy
Consumption, 1990-2035
Quadrillion Btu
1990
OECD
Non-OECD
354
406
2000
505
2008
573
2015
619
2020
671
2025
721
2030
770
2035
0
200
400
600
800
Sensor technologies for transmission and substations.

30
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Big Data...
Sensor technology is a critical component
of SLEx. The value of continuous online
sensor monitoring on transmission and distribution systemsboth existing and new
buildsis well documented: asset optimization, the ability to conduct condition-based
maintenance and detect component failure
before it occurs, and safe dynamic loading.
According to a December 2009 Electric

Power Research Institute (EPRI) study, several sensors are expected to come on line to
enable a smart transmission system.
Most utility operators are familiar
with online dissolved gas analysis (DGA),
bushing monitoring, winding hot spot
monitoring, top oil temperature monitoring,
32
partial discharge monitoring, load tap

changer (LTC) monitoring and SF6 circuit
breaker monitoring.
A wide array of current transformers
(CTs) and potential transformers (PTs)
are located throughout substations. Older
substations typically have fewer sensors installed, including old-style analog gauges
and sight glasses that require someone to
physically inspect and gather log information. Older substations also are burdened
with poor communications infrastructure
that will facilitate large amounts of data
being sent back to a central location. These
older substations are good locations for
sensor upgrades for asset and substation
optimization. Fortunately, many sensors
now used in industry can be retrofitted
onto aged assets without much difficulty.
A few embedded sensorssuch as fiber
optic temperature measurement for winding hot spotscan only be installed on new
transformers or on those that have been
overhauled and refurbished.
Analysis of gases produced in the insulating oil inside transformers is one of the
most important elements of monitoring
transformers and reducing outages caused
by faulty LTCs. By putting DGA monitors online, utilities can continuously monitor these conditions through PC or tablet
vs. the sporadic and time-consuming lab
analysis protocol currently used by many
utilities.
Thermal infrared imaging cameras are
another monitoring tool in electricity generation. When used in coal-fired plants,
these advanced imaging systems let plant
operators identify problems inside the
boiler before they lead to outages.
While sensors give operators the insights they need to make better decisions
and automate swift, intelligent responses
to real-time conditions, they also generate
large amounts of data. Imaging and camera
related sensors produce frame ratessampling frequenciesof 30 to 60 frames per
second (fps). One imaging camera can generate up to 500,000 bytes per scan, at 60 fps,
resulting in 27 million bytes per second.
With all the sensors that can be located
in a substation, including continuous
online thermal imaging and security/
perimeter monitoring, which is the most
data intensive, there can be up to 5
Gigabits per second of data streaming
out of the substation. That is, if the
configuration allows all data gathered
Data Processing Locations

Processing
At The Edge
In The Cloud
Moving processing/intelligence to the sensor head
Easy to get information into and out of the cloud
Will drive the cost of the sensor up- sensor protection
Concerns of virtual and physical attacks, disabling infrastructure

and stealing data
Must be comfortable with data and decisions occurring

somewhere else-outside of headquarters
NERC CIP concerns on data security in the CLOUD
In The Server
Processing to occur at one location and can physically secure and
control this data storage and analytics
Provides an infrastructure overload scenario by having to allow for
such large bandwidth to accumulate streams of data pouring in
Will involve inherent delays in processing and decisions
Allows for fast data action with minimal chance of interruption
Options for data processing locations.
to be sent outside the substation. This is

where big data can introduce new levels
of complexity, including the need to move
data around safely and securely.
The Challenge of Big Data
Some data transmission strategies involve continuous streaming of sensor

data back to servers located at a centralized control station, where analytics can
be performed to help operators make informed decisions. Other strategies involve
cloud-based computingremote data
storage and analytics at an indeterminate
location, which presents security risks and
bandwidth issues. There are also numerous
topology strategies that come into play to
safely and reliably transmit data.
In the typical data flow scenario, where
analytics and processing take place at utility headquarters or a processing center
location, several variables must be considered:
Cost,
Bandwidth,
Security-NERC CIP,
Stability/reliability,
Ability to integrate, and
Size of network.
Processing of data in the cloud or on
a server at a central processing location
each has advantages and disadvantages.
But, one thing is clearthe farther away
from the sensor head data is processed, the
higher the risk of something going wrong.
Intelligent Sensing at the Edge
The latest trend in sensing is to enable the

maximum amount of processing capability
at the sensor head itself, referred to as sensing at the edge. In this scenario, intelligent
sensors perform analytics, store data and
provide feedback and action alerts to all assets locally, avoiding excessive streaming of
data back to a central location.
Data that does come back is reported by
exception, meaning it has been analyzed and
33
Big Data...
determined to meet predetermined criteria
before its sent back to the processing
center for notification. This strategy avoids
unnecessary congestion and can reduce the
overall tax on the bit pipe by 80 percent,
allowing faster data processing capability,
minimizing the risk of data interruption and
ensuring users are not inundated with data.
At the same time, access has to be given to

all the data for analytics and forensics, when
needed.
Intelligent sensing at the edge enables
SLEx by:
Making big data manageable,
Saving unbearable stress on the bit pipe,
Intelligent Sensing
at the Edge
Move decisions/actions/ Data storage
analytics as close to
Report by excepsensor head as possible. tion only...not
Report by exception.
all data
Storage
Get TOUGH
Asset
Sensor
Analytics
Action
Force Data
Across Network
By Exception
Send
Exception,
But Allow
Access
Minimizing failure mechanisms and security risks,

Preventing operators from being inundated by big data, and
Enhancing speed to feedback and minimizing decision time.
The smart grid is a work in process, requiring much more than intelligent meters
at the end point. By using sensor technology throughout the power infrastructure,
modernization can occur quickly and cost
effectively, and bring the smart grid to reality.

About the author:

Brett Sargent is CTO VP/GM
of LumaSense Technologies. He
has more than 20 years of industry
experience including leadership roles
at DuPont, Lockheed Martin, Exelon
Nuclear and General Electric, where
he was global sales leader for the
GE Energy T&D Products division.
Sargent holds a B.S. in Electrical
Engineering from Widener University,
an M.S. in Nuclear Engineering from
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and
an MBA in International Business
from Georgia State University.
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Fuel Cells and

Utility Telecommunications:
Focus on Reliability
hether a utility communications network is used

for Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition
(SCADA) systems, monitoring or radio communications, the robust and resilient nature of the network is paramount. Recent natural disasters have provided a
demonstration of the importance of communication to utilities.
To have a resilient network, the power critical communications
equipment must also provide reliability and resilience.
One tool in the quest for ever-increasing power reliability is the
fuel cell. Fuel cells have been commercially available to communication networks for a decade, with a number of suppliers providing products globally. Within early adopters, fuel cell usage has
progressed from early trials to larger rollouts providing backup
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power to several hundred sites in a single network. Globally, fuel

cell adoption numbers several thousand installations.
Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), based in California, is one of
several utilities using fuel cells to provide backup to their communications equipment. J.D. van Wyhe, IT product specialist for
Pacific Gas & Electric, emphasized, This equipment has to work
all the time. It cant go down. Ever.
Before discussing how a fuel cell complements a utility telecom
network, we first must understand how it operates. A fuel cell is a
dc power generator that converts the chemical energy of a fuel (hydrogen, natural gas, methane, methanol, etc.) and an oxidant (air
or oxygen) directly into electricity. While there are many fuel cell
technologies available, the most common and practical technology
for small to medium-sized standby power is the proton exchange
membrane (PEM) fuel cell that generates electricity through an
electrochemical reaction using hydrogen and oxygen. This process
happens without combustion. A fuel cell operates electrochemically through the use of an electrolyte, like a battery, but it does
not run down or require recharging. It is similar to a generator in
that it operates as long as the fuel is supplied; unlike an internal
combustion generator, however, it is simple, quiet and clean with
few moving parts. Because fuel cell systems are load-following,
fuel consumption depends on the load, and equipment operating
at relatively low loads can see a significant extension of runtime
when powered by this technology.
Criteria for selecting a fuel cell backup system for a specific
application include power requirements, frequency and duration
of outages, response time to the site, environmental restrictions
and serviceability requirements. Fuel cells can and are being used
as the sole backup power solution in many critical applications;
they can, however, also be used as an added layer of protection
for a site using incumbent solutions. This concept is analogous
to a layered network security architecture where each layer of
securitye.g. firewalls, intrusion detection devices, etc.add to
the overall network protection. Fuel cells offer rack-mounting
36
options within an equipment shelter as

well as environmentally-hardened outdoor cabinets for flexibility to meet network design parameters.
Most fuel cells being used for backup
power range from 50 watts to some 20
kilowatts. Based on available technology,
customer sites can be provisioned with fuel
for hundreds of hours of runtime. Refueling allows the system to run continuously
as long as needed during extended outages.
For sites with these relatively low power
loads and outages lasting from hours to
days, fuel cells can be the backup power
source of choice.
Fueling Options
Intrinsic to fuel cells is the need for fuel
to operate. PEM fuel cells use hydrogen as
the fuel to supply electricity and there are
options for fueling. Traditionally, fuel cells
have used hydrogen cylinders to store fuel
(packaged gas). The refueling of hydrogen cylinders is accomplished by a vehicle
transporting full cylinders to the site and
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Fuel Cells...
exchanging them for the empty cylinders.
Though labor-intensive, this remains the
option of choice for many locations.
A second option is bulk hydrogen refueling. Network operators and fuel cell
manufacturers have worked with global
hydrogen suppliers, initially in the US, to
establish a refueling model similar to the
diesel/propane model. In this model, the
cylinders remain on site and are filled on
site by the refueling truck. This development has broadened the market for fuel
cells to address higher capacity installations and sites requiring extended run times
of several days.
A third option for providing hydrogen
for fuel cells is the fuel reformer. The reformer takes a hydrogen-rich carbon-based
fuel, such as methanol mixed with water
and, using heat and catalyst, separates the
hydrogen from that fuel to deliver it to
the fuel cell. Because these fuels tend to be
liquid, energy density is better than with
gaseous hydrogen, allowing for more runtime to be stored on site in a smaller space.
Reformers, however, introduce additional

cost and complexity to the fuel cell system
and can reduce the reliability of the system
as a whole. Because hydrocarbon fuels are
not simple hydrogen, they also emit pollutants during the reforming process. In
locations where hydrogen is not readily
available or is priced too high, a reformer
may be the fueling option of choice.
Integrating a Fuel Cell

Into a Network
One of the attributes of a fuel cell that

makes it appealing for deployment in utility telecom environments is that a fuel cell
produces dc power. This makes it similar to
a standby rectifier source because the power
provided from the fuel cell can be directly
connected to the sites dc power bus.
In an outage situation, the fuel cell automatically turns on, providing dc power formerly provided by the rectifiers. This means
fuel cells can function for long reserve times
as a standby power source in customer applications. Fuel cell systems are intended to
operate in parallel and augment the traditional dc power system components.

Fuel cells can easily be added to an existing network or can be designed into a
new network location. They can also be
combined with solar and/or wind power
to provide a clean hybrid power solution.
With hot and cold weather design features,
many fuel cells are capable of serving loads
in a variety of geographical locations.
Putting it Into Practice: PG&E
PG&E incorporated in California in

1905 and is one of the largest combination natural gas and electric utilities in the
US. There are some 20,000 employees who
carry out PG&Es primary businessthe
transmission and delivery of energy. The
company provides natural gas and electric
service to some 15 million people throughout a 70,000-square-mile service area in
northern and central California.
As a provider of electricity and natural
gas to some 40 percent of Californians
and one in 20 Americans, PG&E is taking
38
a leadership role in various parts of its

business, including delivering some of the
nations cleanest electric power, bringing
more renewable energy to customers, and
supporting customers through an array
of customer energy solutions that include
energy efficiency, demand response, and
solar programs and incentives.
PG&Es use of fuel cells to provide
backup power at some 20 of its critical radio and SCADA sites began as a response
to a problem. PG&E has some 300 standby
emergency generators that automatically
power up during outages to keep company
assets such as radio and fiber optic equipment operational. Most of them are powered by propane or diesel fuel. They emit
pollutants, are noisy and can be unreliable.
Maintaining generators is expensive,
van Wyhe said. We spend a lot of time
and money sending people to remote generators to check the oil, change the plugs
and repair the breakdowns, which happen
frequently because little-used engines deteriorate over time.
When one of the generators failed as

winter was approaching, van Wyhes team
decided to use the site to pilot a fuel cell
system.
Wed been kicking around the idea
of fuel cells for awhile, van Wyhe said.
This was a perfect spot for a fuel cell pilot.
With little time to waste, the team was

able to procure and install a ReliOn fuel
cell system in less than 60 days.
Since that first fuel cell, PG&E has chosen to replace aging generators with fuel
cells at more of its sites.
The combination of high reliability,
lower maintenance and no emissions has
given fuel cells a place at our critical locations, van Wyhe said. What the neighbors think is cool is the peace and quiet
now that they dont have generators roaring to life in the middle of the night.
Conclusion
The issue of reliability is critical for utility networks. When a high level of reliability can be provided by a product that also
meets sustainability goals, a win-win scenario develops. Fuel cells meet both those
goals and offer a compelling solution for
site hardening at critical locations.
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39
VEHICLES&Accessories
Fleet Management
Mobile Applications: A Utility
Industry Accessory for 2014
By Todd Ewing
hen referring to accessories in the power and telecom industries, products such as safety lighting,
cable strippers, voltmeters and crossarms are more
likely to come to mind than a business intelligence
tool. Business intelligence tools such as fleet management software, however, are must-have accessories that allow operations
managers to have better visibility into where their trucks and drivers are and how efficiently they are working. And, a new advancement in fleet management tools is mobile access to the data the
platform provides. Some of the best utility fleet and operations
managers are beginning to consider fleet management tools to be
among their most valuable accessories.
Mobile Intelligence for

Optimized Operations
Mobile access will only grow in importance as Navigant Research
forecasts the global utility mobile workforce will increase from over
1.2 million employees in 2013 to more than 2.4 million by 2020.
For utility companies, it will be even more important to find mobile solutions such as apps that ensure they have visibility into the
entire workforce and fleet. Companies who neglect to consider fleet
management mobile solutions will fall behind in the race to provide
greater quality of service, optimize productivity and secure increased
revenues.
In addition, data is being generated, compiled, consumed and
analyzed at a high speed in the business landscape, and utility
companies have a need to find more efficient ways to leverage this
data in a meaningful ways. The utility industry historically has
40
been bogged down by cumbersome internal communications processes, but fleet management mobile tools can mitigate these inefficiencies. Fleet management apps allow operations managers and
field technicians to have clear visibility into business operations
to reduce costs, increase workforce productivity, and better serve
and communicate with customers whether they are in the office
or the field.
Benefits for Mobile Management

For utilities fleet and operations managers, mobile apps provide an on-demand hub of information in the palm of their hand,
allowing them to access fleet performance metrics from any locationwhether in the office or in the fieldand to receive alerts
about incidents in the field that may require immediate action. In
addition, apps provide managers with the ability to:
Work around situations that could minimize efficiencies such as
traffic congestion and inclement weather,
Validate service and contest customer complaints,
Check and confirm accuracy of payroll hours with objective information,
Monitor where their technicians are in the field in near real-time
through integration with global positioning system (GPS) satellite technology and Google Maps,
Build better company programs and policies from fleet tracking
data and trends, and
Manage fleets remotely and have visibility into how productive their field workforce is and how safely and smartly they are
workingi.e. speeding and fuel consumption.
Once this was discovered, the company enforced new rules about
idling time.
Reduced Cell Phone Bills and Overtime
Field Technician Advantages
In addition to the benefits for fleet and operations managers,

mobile apps tied to fleet management software also have benefits
for field technicians. There are even apps designed specifically
with the field technician in mindnot the manager. These apps
allow technicians to assign themselves to a vehicle remotely, create
location-based parameters, or key in assets that need to be tracked.
This is particularly important as utility technicians work in a complex grid of geographic information system (GIS) objects and field
assets, so having visibility into their location in real-time against a
map of the utility field assets is crucial.
Mobile apps help technicians to:
Facilitate greater and more direct communication between
field technicians and dispatch,
Identify more direct routes or send a new location from a mobile app to the technicians GPS device,
Reduce travel time or check-in calls back to the office and
save on fuel costs,
Respond to emergencies and customer needs with greater agility,
Improve customer satisfaction and productivity,
Verify work if a customer ever questions whether the technician arrived on time or worked the hours billed, and
Improve safety conditions should a technician ever get lost in
the field.
A Massachusetts-based plumbing and electrical contracting services provider was looking to improve their productivity through
tighter control over their fleet. Through fleet management software
and mobile tools, the company was able to eliminate unnecessary
paperwork, increase productivity and reduce monthly cell phone
bills through more efficient dispatching, and save more than $28,000
in overtime costs through time card automation.
As key service providers such as workforce management and
GPS systems develop apps for platforms, more utility companies
will become comfortable with relying on tablets and smartphones
as more efficient tools to deal with field service needs rather than
using bulky laptops anchored to the vehicle. And, its evident the
mobile utility workforce will continue to grow, making mobile
fleet management tools even more important in the optimization
of productivity and cost savings, among other competitive differentiators.
About the author:

Todd Ewing is director of product management for Fleetmatics.
WWW.FLEETMATICS.COM
Driving Return on Investment
In terms of real world results, following are two examples of

companies in the utility industry that have used mobile applications tied to fleet management software to gain insight into productivity and cost.
Fleet Management Software Saves

$40,000 a Year in Wasted Fuel
A leader in telecommunications construction ranked as one of

the top 5,000 fastest growing companies in the US turned to fleet
management software with mobile assets to remain ahead of the
competition and keep costs low for customers. The fleet management software allowed the company to gain business insights such
as the finding that in only one week, the companys trucks had
idled more than 259 hours and 52 minutes, burning more than
180 gallons of fuel. Had the idling continued, it would have cost
the company some $40,000 for the wasted fuel for the entire year.
41
VEHICLES&Accessories
Driver Safety in Utility Fleets

By Ashley Jones
river safety is a concern among

utility business owners and
fleet managers. Often, the most
dangerous part of the day for
a worker in the utility industry is the time
spent behind the wheel of the vehicle. The
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports
that motor vehicle crashes are a leading
cause of fatalities in the workplacemore
than fires, explosions, falls, trips and equipment incidents combined. In addition, vehicle crashes occur every 5 seconds in the
United States, according to the Occupational Health and Safety Administration
(OSHA).
Vehicle crashes not only endanger the
lives of your employees and others on the
road, but they can also cause considerable
financial strain on your company. Many of
these incidents occur during the workday,
during the commute to and from job sites
and employers bear the cost of these injuries
that occur both on and off the job. The average cost of a crash costs an employer $16,500
and crashes involving injuries cost $74,000.
If a fatality is involved, the cost increases to
over $500,000, according to OSHA.
As a whole, motor vehicle crashes cost
employers $60 billion annually in medical
care, legal expenses, property damages and
lost productivity. In addition, they drive
up the cost of benefits such as workers
compensation, Social Security, and private
health and disability insurance.
Many utility companies may use or
consider using a global positioning system
(GPS) fleet management solution for tracking and routing vehicles, but you may not
realize fleet management solutions can also
be used to monitor driver behavior and increase driver safety in many ways.
Educate Your Drivers

Many of the commercial vehicle crashes
that occur throughout the year are preventable if your company implements a driver
safety policy and gives your employees the
tools to do their job safely, without negatively affecting productivity.
The first step to ensure your drivers
practice appropriate driving behaviors and
42
are safe on the road is to create safe driver

policies and stick to policy enforcement.
This should also be done in coordination
with some type of driver behavior program. When considering a GPS fleet management solution for your company, you
should find one that supports your business strategy to address driver education
and driver safety issues.
This can be accomplished with online
driver education courses that support your
comprehensive strategy to promote safe
driving habits. Online education courses
provide safety managers and business
owners a way to constructively engage and
coach drivers to be safe behind the wheel.
Courses may be offered from the GPS fleet
management solution and can offer insight
into aggressive, distracted, fuel-efficient or
proactive defensive driving.
By addressing these behaviors proactively, fleet owners and safety managers
can reduce driving incidents while also
demonstrating the value of driver and fleet
safety to employees, both experienced and
novice. Promoting responsible driving
habits from the start allows businesses to
reduce insurance costs, cut down on potential collisions and decrease legal expenses.
With the high number of driving incidents
occurring each year, utility companies need
to take a preventative approach to driver
safety. Find a fleet management solution
that gives you an outlet for your business
to encourage responsible driving and ensure your fleet is operating at the safest
level possible. When it comes to driver
safety, prevention is the best policy.
Reduce Distracted
Driving Opportunities
responsibilities if theyre driving. Drivers

make more than 200 decisions during every
mile traveled, increasing the chance that if
your employee is distracted during his or her
route, an incident may occur.
Currently, 41 states ban text messaging
while driving. In addition, 11 states also prohibit hand-held cell-phone use while driving, which includes talking on the phone. In
2011, commercial truck and bus operators
were also banned from all hand-held cellphone use, except for emergency purposes.
Since it is now illegal in most cases for your
employee to use his or her phone while driving, the basic features of your GPS fleet
management solutiontracking, routing,
dispatchingare essential for any business.
Many fleet management solutions, however, also provide additional distracted driving support, helping companies eliminate the
need to communicate through a hand-held
device. Make sure your GPS management
solution provides an option for your company to discourage distracted driving by
blocking or restricting calls, texts, emails,
web browsing and more while the vehicle is
being operated. Twenty-eight percent of all
accidents are caused by mobile devices, increasing the importance to eliminate the risk
hand-held devices present.
These distracted driving solutions allow
your company to maintain your policies
concerning mobile device use in vehicles,
ensuring driver safety and protecting your
company reputation. Some solutions also
provide the option to set up an automatic
Short Message Service (SMS) response to
anyone who attempts to contact the driver
on their cell-phone while he or she is driving,
informing them the employee is driving and
Distracted driving incidents are increasingly in the news, and for good reason. Distracted driving is a factor in 25 to 30 percent
of all traffic crashes, according to OSHA.
Drivers in the utility industry are often driving to and from sites, spending a great deal
of time operating a vehicle. With busy schedules, road construction and other delays
that occur, many employees feel pressured
to multi-task to keep up with work-related
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Meet face-to-face with leading utility product and safety equipment providers
andmanufacturers
Participate in educational presentations focused on training, safety, vehicles and more
REGISTER TODAY!
Use coupon code PRINTAD when registering.
Jan. 28 30, 2014

Henry B. Gonzalez Convention
Center
San Antonio, Texas
http://utilityproductsexpo.com

owned & produced by:
presented by:
supporting publications:
media sponsor:
host utility:
Driver Safety...
will contact them shortly. This eliminates the
urge to multi-task because your employee
knows the person attempting to reach them
is aware they are unavailable while driving.
Cell phone use by drivers creates a serious
threat for your company. According to the
Network for Employers for Traffic Safety
(NETS), more than 90 percent of all motor
vehicle crashes are caused by human error
and neglect. The risk of being the target of a
lawsuit greatly increases when an on-the-job
employee causes the vehicle crash.
By using a GPS fleet management system
that disables distracted driving, a utility company decreases communications to the basic,
necessary interactions and greatly decreases
the risk of an accident occurring.
Identifying Dangerous Driving

Despite designing company policies and
creating a culture of safety, chances are
there will still be an occurrence of distracted
or aggressive driving in your companys
fleet. The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) defines aggressive
driving as occurring when an individual

commits a combination of moving traffic
offenses so as to endanger other persons
or property, and includes but not limited
to tailgating, weaving in and out of traffic,
speeding, running stop signs or red lights and
preventing other from passing. Aggressive
driving actions were reported in 56 percent of
fatal crashes from 2003 to 2007, with excessive
speeding being the number one factor.
Driver safety reports are an essential
feature to look for when considering a GPS
GOLIGHT THE WAY

LED
HID | Halogen | Permanent or Portable

Remote Controlled or Fixed
fleet management solution. These tools

monitor, measure and identify dangerous
actions such as hard braking, quick
acceleration, sharp turning and excessive
speeding. This information is not used to
scold employees, but to help drivers realize
and identify any dangerous habits. Business
fleet managers are supplied with concrete
metrics to help identify risky drivers and
work with their employees to take proactive
actions against vehicle crashes.
Driver behavior information also helps in
cutting down on excessive fuel costs, vehicle
wear and tear, and additional expenses from
insurance or potential collisions.
Importance of Driver Safety

Companies spend money on creating
logos and company information to transform vehicles into moving billboards. Inappropriate or dangerous driving on the road
in your fleets can turn that investment into
a poor company image. Safety and compliance are major concerns for fleet managers,
so it is important to have driver safety education and monitoring options in your GPS
fleet management solution.
Ultimately, it is your companys responsibility to protect your employees and companys image against the dangers of driving.
Fleet management solutions can not only
increase productivity and efficiency and decrease fuel usage, but assists fleet managers
in working with employees and drivers to
ensure everyones safety on the road.
About the author:

Ashley Jones is marketing director at
NexTraq. The NexTraq Fleet Tracking
solution and its applicationsFleet
Dispatch, Fleet Metrics and NexTraq
Connectdeliver real-time data needed
to optimize fleet operations.
800.557.0098 | www.golight.com | info@golight.com
WWW.NEXTRAQ.COM
44
JAN. 28-30, 2014

HENRY B. GONZALEZ CONVENTION CENTER
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS
http://distributech.com
DISTRIBUTECH BRINGS TOGETHER THE COLLEAGUES

YOU KNOW WITH THE CONTACTS YOU NEED TO MAKE.
BENEFITS OF ATTENDING DISTRIBUTECH 2014

Network with more than 10,000 utility professionals from over 50 countries
Build alliances among these attendees and share knowledge, expertise and viewpoints toward effective solutions
to your power delivery challenges
See the most innovative products and services available in the industry from more than 450* exhibiting companies
Attend conference sessions and gain a better understanding of current and future issues affecting power delivery
*co-located with Utility Products Conference & Exposition
REGISTER TODAY! http://distributech.com

Owned & Produced By:
Offcial Publication of
DistribuTECH:
Supporting Publications:
Media Sponsor:
Host Utility:
NewPRODUCTSShowcase
FlashSentry Enclosure Reduces
Danger of Arc Flash
Brooks Utility Products, a supplier of metering accessories,
security products and meter sockets/transockets to the electric utility industry, is focusing on providing answers to the
growing threat of 480-volt arc flash.
ED3766 SAE Class I Dual Color

Directional LED
Because worker safety, comfort and productivity continue
to be top concerns for utility managers, engineers and field
service personnel, Brooks has focused much of its new product development efforts to address those needs. FlashSentry
enclosure provides an answer to the ever-present industry
threat of worker injury because of 480-volt arc flash. The
patent pending Safe-T-Guard barrier technology reduces the
threat of arc flash and provides maximum safety for workers.
The enclosure is safer because it isolates the 480 service
voltage in a separate, sealable compartment from the 120volt metering compartment. The voltage is reduced by either
the Two-Sockets Two Meters VT Pack with Molex connections or with conventional voltage transformers. Provisions for
either are supplied as standard. This provides utility workers
with much lower arc fault risk, reducing the requirements for
additional flame retardant clothing. The enclosure also allows utilities the ability to adhere to stringent OSHA standards
driven by the latest NFPA 70E standards for PPE.
ECCO introduces its new dual color directional LED. The ED3766 offers
the flexibility of two different color outputs within a single unit, comprised of
12 high intensity LEDs, six of each color. SAE Class I light output, synchronization capability and the choice of 11 flash patterns allow the creation of an
attention-getting multi-color warning system with half the number of lights
typically required. Each model can be programmed to flash either color option individually or alternate colors.
The ED3766 is constructed of durable aluminum and a polycarbonate
lens with encapsulated electronics, and is backed by a three-year warranty.
Available colors are: Amber/Blue, Amber/Clear, Amber/Green, Amber/Red
and Red/Blue.
Brooks Utility Products
Hastings is introducing a
new product this falla hot
stick for Huskie and Greenlee
in-line battery tools. The hot
stick is available in both 6-foot
and 8-foot lengths and can be
used for both overhead and
underground purposes. Battery
tools install quickly and easily
onto the hot stick and can be
used in multiple positions with
universal head 0, 30, 60, and
90 degrees. Linemen simply
push a lever to activate the battery tool and pull to release.
The battery tool can be used on voltages up to 69 kV and
the hot stick has been tested at 100 kV per foot.
Greenlee, a Textron Co.,

has redesigned bending shoes
for the 555 triple nickel line
of electric conduit benders,
allowing users to bend 1/2-in.
to 2-in. of the same conduit
type on the same shoe. This
reduces changeovers and allows customers to save time
and money on the jobsite.
With the new shoes, conduit size is now selected by
rotating the shoeno longer requiring a changeover for different sizes. This
reduced handling of heavy shoes also lessens the risk of ergonomic injuries
when swapping shoes on the jobsite.
The company has more than 10,000 triple nickel [555] benders in the
field and wanted to make the bending process faster, safer and easier for
these customers. These new shoes save time, reduce changeovers, and are
far easier to use than the outgoing models.
New shoes are compatible with all current-line 555 benders (555C,
555CX and 555DX) and are available for Rigid/IMC, EMT and PVC-coated
conduit.
Hastings
Greenlee / A Textron Co.
WWW.BROOKSUTILITY.COM
Hot Stick for Use with In-line

Battery Tools
WWW.HFGP.COM
46
ECCO
WWW.ECCOLINK.COM
Shoes Upgraded for 555 Triple Nickel

Electric Benders
WWW.GREENLEE.COM
Bulkhead Ground Connector

BURNDY, a manufacturer and
provider of connector solutions
to the industrial, energy, construction, telecommunication,
petrochemical, data center and
transportation industries, introduces its Bulkhead Ground Connector designed to allow ground
wires to easily and effectively be
connected from the inside of an
enclosure to the outside.
Using proven split bolt BURNDY
technology, the Bulkhead Ground
Connector incorporates a male
SERVIT POST and female SERVIT
POST as part of an easy to use kit. The male and female SERVIT
portions are made of silicon bronze and the hardware supplied is
stainless steel. An optional rubber grommet is also provided to
ensure a NEMA 4X rating when installed correctly.
Supplied with an easy to follow application guideline brochure,
this new kit provides solutions to an application issue that has
been a challenge to many industries for years.
BURNDY
WWW.BURNDY.COM
Predictable
Trucks for
Unpredictable
Jobs
The Freightliner M2 106
comes equipped with a
reliable and efficient Cummins ISB engine or optional
ISL engine. The M2 106 is
designed for easy maintenance, keeping downtime
to a minimum. Easily accessible transmission and other components, as well as see-through
fluid reservoirs, make inspection and service hassle free. The Cummins ISB engine is the lightest in its class, further increasing efficiency.
The M2 106 also offers safety features: best-in-class driver visibility, up to a 55-degree wheel cut, and low step-in height for easy
entry and exit. Our chassis is designed for customized upfit of complex
body configurations. And our SmartPlex Electrical System provides
high flexibility for specialized utility needs.
Freightliner
WWW.FREIGHTLINERTRUCKS.COM
NewPRODUCTSShowcase
Hi-Test Insulator Tester
HD Electric Companys Insulator
Tester tests energized or de-energized
insulators for non-visible internal failures at any ac line voltage. These
non-visible failures are known causes
of radio frequency/television interference (RF/TVI), blinking lights, recloser
operations and blown fuses. They are
also a threat to line crew safety when
performing energized maintenance.
Detect non-visible insulator failures before they cause operations difficulties or safety threats to line crews.
Mach Series of Mobile Column

Lifts Save Time
Princeton Tecs Vizz-IND headlamp features a 165-lumen Maxbright LED and provides a long throw bright white spot beam. Four
white ultrabright LEDs provide a flood beam for close work and
a wider viewing angle.
The four white LEDs
having a dimming
feature to set the light
output according to the
users needs. Three
AAA alkaline batteries,
a nylon head-strap and
a rubber hard-hat strap are included. The headlamp is waterproof to
3.28 ft. for up to 30 minutes with a 150-hour burn time.
Rotary Lifts Mach Series mobile column lifts can be used

throughout the shop and
are easy to set up,
providing space-saving and time-saving
benefits for users.
The Mach series features intuitive controls, battery power
for increased mobility, and a horseshoe
wiring system that
leaves one end of the
lift open at all times
for quick vehicle entry
and egress.
The mobile column
lifts versatility makes them a good fit for public works fleet managers operating on tight budgets. They can be used indoors and out,
for any vehicle maintenance and service task. In addition, as your
fleet grows, you can add individual columns to meet demand without
investing in new facilities or more expensive stationary lifts.
Rotary Lift Mach series lifts are available in sets of two, four, six
or eight columns with either 13,000 lbs. capacity or 18,000 lbs. capacity each. A pair of 13,000-lb. capacity columns (MCH213) can
lift a standard pickup truck and eight 18,000-lb. capacity columns
(MCH818) offer 144,000 lbs. of power, enough to lift nearly anything
on the road.
Princeton Tec
Rotary Lift
HD Electric Co.
WWW.HDELECTRICCOMPANY.COM
Vizz-IND Headlamp
WWW.PRINCETONTEC.COM
WWW.ROTARYLIFT.COM
Circuit Breaker, Transformer Testing Training

OMICRON has opened its circuit breaker and transformer testing training center in
Houston as part of its on-going effort to improve the quality of its service and training to
customers in North and Latin America. This hands-on training facilityindoors and fully air
conditionedis just minutes away from downtown Houston and area airports.
The facility provides versatility for accommodating different training scenarios and everything is indoors. OMICRON can train on circuit breaker testing and transformer testing,
24-7, rain or shine. There is need to cancel class because of weather.
The facility in Houston offers these key features:
10 MVA power transformer to perform all typical electrical power, transformer tests as
well as advanced diagnostics;
69 kV SF6 circuit breaker and a 15 kV vacuum breaker for circuit breaker testing;
Partial discharge (PD) testing area;
Hands-on protective relay lab for up to 16 people; and
Training area for distribution automation including apparatus from various manufacturers.
Built around real testing situations, courses are tailored for technicians and engineers
from electrical utilities, industrial plants, equipment manufacturers and service companies.
Attendees include technicians and engineers in the fields of design and commissioning,
substation maintenance, asset management, protection and metering.
OMICRON
WWW.OMICRONUSA.COM
48
Rust-Oleum
Industrial Choice
Inverted Marking
Paint
Stringing Equipment is Safe, Reliable
Rust-Oleum Industrial Choice

inverted marking paint is for use
on concrete, pavement, grass,
gravel and more. It features a
precision-line spray tip for easyto-read, bright, vivid markings with no oversprayand
it marks more linear feet than
the competition. The no mess
spray tip keeps paint off fingers
and is guaranteed not to clog. It
can be applied down to 25F;
water-based paint dries in less
than 5 minutes. And, its USDA
acceptable.
A complete selection of marking paint is featured in Forestry Suppliers current catalog.
The Condux Tesmec line of hydraulic pullers, tensioners, pullertensioners and stringing blocks is
cited to represent the safest and
most reliable equipment in the
power transmission and distribution industry.
Condux Tesmec hydraulic pullers, tensioners and puller-tensioners offer advanced features such
as negative self-acting hydraulic
brakes, integrated hydraulic dynamometers, hydraulic cooling systems, complete user controls and more. Hydraulically
controlled systems allow Condux Tesmec pullers to eliminate conductor galloping,
providing maximum pulling control.
Condux Tesmec also offers one of the largest and most diverse selections of
conductor blocks. Conductor blocks include single conductor blocks, three bundled
through six bundled blocks, single helicopter blocks and bundled blocks. Condux Tesmec also provides grounding devices for all its single and bundled helicopter blocks.
A full line of productivity-enhancing conductor stringing tools and accessories is
also available including anti-twist rope, reel winders, reel stands and more.
Forestry Suppliers Inc.
Condux Tesmec
WWW.FORESTRY-SUPPLIERS.COM
WWW.CONDUXTESMEC.COM
High Strength, High Security

with Gregory Industries, Inc. High Security Fence Super C-Post
Higher security
Superior wildlife protection
with expanded metal or
welded wire panels
Competitive pricing
Utilized by many substations
throughout the USA
Made in America
For additional information including specications, go to
www.gregorycorp.com/fence fence@gregorycorp.com 330-477-4800 x150
Gregory
49
NewPRODUCTSShowcase
Design and Build Your
Own UL1558 Switchgear
Mobile LED Light Tower Provides

Full Stand-alone Operation
The ABB Low Voltage Products division

has introduced the Emax Link, an abbreviated switchgear that provides electrical Distribution Equipment Manufacturers (DEMs) an
advanced solution to easily design and build
their own UL 1558 switchgears. Developed to
maximize the functionalities of ABBs Emax
power circuit breakers, the Emax Link is designed and constructed to provide high power
distribution, protection and safety, providing
DEMs with a solution to withstand the mechanical, electrical and thermal
stress found in a variety of manufacturing environments.
Each Emax Link abbreviated switchgear section includes all frame members, panels, barriers and bussing necessary for metal-enclosed construction, requiring only the addition of control devices, side covers, bus splices,
wiring and the Emax breakers. The comprehensive ratings of the Emax Link
allow DEMs to complete the switchgear lineup by simply adding the custom
controls and wiring required for the specific application.
The Emax Link is available with a main bus rated current up to 10,000
amps at 600V. It is also available in many different configurations, such
as main breaker, tie breaker, feeder breaker and auxiliary sections, which
can be arranged and assembled to form complete switchgear lineups as
required.
Industrial lighting specialists Larson

Electronics have announced the release of a mobile LED light tower that
provides full stand-alone operation and
up to 60 hours of run time. The WCDE4-4X300W-LED Mobile Light Tower
produces enough light to illuminate
a six-acre work area, and, with LED
lighting technology and diesel powered
generator, can run continuously for 60
hours on a single tank of fuel.
The WCDE-4-4X300W-LED mobile light tower is a full size industrial
grade lighting system that provides
operators with the ability to illuminate
large sites for extended periods without refueling. This tower is designed
to be towed behind vehicles and is a
fully self-contained system that provides everything needed
to produce on demand large-scale illumination. The entire
system is mounted on a two-wheel trailer featuring a 2,000lbs. axle and 2-in. ball style coupling with dual safety chains
for connecting to standard trailer hitches.
ABB Low Voltage Products
Larson Electronics
WWW.ABB.COM
WWW.LARSONELECTRONICS.COM
Full Line of Tower Wrenches
ProMark Active
LED Road Flare Kit
Lowell Corp. now offers a full line of ratchet wrenches and accessories
for tightening nuts on transmission towers. There are six wrenches and
an impact socket in the line. Each of the rugged wrenches can handle either two or three of the most common transmission tower nut sizes, and,
with a bolt-thru head, can handle nuts on any threaded length. By combining several tools in one,
each wrench offers not only
greater flexibility but also
greater convenience. All
tools are covered by a oneyear guarantee.
There are three models
in the Lowell 100T Series.
Each has a permanent
socket with three sizes that
fit 3/4-in., 7/8-in. and 1-in.
hardware as well as 1 1/2-in. hex nuts. The 103T has a 12-in. handle and
weighs 2 3/4 lbs.; the 104T has a 15-in. handle and weighs 3 lbs.; and the
105T has an 18-in. handle and weighs 3 1/4 lbs.
There are two models in the 50T Series that feature double square socket
openings to fit 7/8-in. and 1-in. hardware and 1 1/2-in. hex nuts. Handle
lengths and weights are 15 in. for the Model #52 (4 1/8 lbs.) and 20 in.
for the Model #53 (5 lbs.) Also available is a Model #152 with a 15 3/4-in.
handle (3 3/4 lbs.).
SigCorps new ProMark Active

LED Road Flare Kit comes with
six powerful flares, each having
16 Epistar 1 watt LEDs that hold
a 100,000-hour rating. Flares can
operate up to seven hours, use a
built-in magnet for disabled vehicle
placement, and provide nine flash pattern modes. The kit includes a carrying/storage case with an integrated car and office charger.
With the press of a single button, operators find these road
flares easy to operate and can be deployed quickly. Accident
investigators can typically work an entire scene without having
to replace flares, while traditional flares must be replaced every 15 to 30 minutes. Road damage and forest fires concerns
are eliminated because the Active LED flares produce no heat.
The rugged chassis makes flares completely weatherproof and
able to sustain a direct run-over by cars and light trucks.
The ProMark Active LED Road Flare Kit uses lithium batteries so it can be reused hundreds of times and hold charges
beyond one year. Simple operation and long run time saves
time, and flash patterns stimulate increased traffic awareness.
Lowell Corp.
SigCorps
WWW.LOWELLCORP.COM
WWW.SIGCORPS.COM
50
Temporary Power
Cable Guard
Scan this QR Code with

your smartphone to
view product
Prod# 86-TPCG5
Scan TAG Code to view
product demo on phone.
Get free moble app at
http://gettag.mobi
The TPCG-5 helps restore services quickly by allowing

you to run temporary cables over most any surface.
It reduces truck rolls, and eliminates downtime due
to cable cuts, storm damage, trafc or roadway
activities. This item is a must have for storm
restoration crews.
The TPCG is 5 long, 10.5 wide and 2.75 high.
Accommodates a cable/bundle up to 2.25 in diameter
and weighs 35 lbs. Withstands heavy vehicle trafc
without damaging cable.
1-800-331-2246
budcocable.com
ADVERTISERIndex
Company Name
AEMC Instruments
Al Asher & Sons
AlturnaMATS
BLOOM Manufacturing Inc
Budco Cable
BURNDY LLC
Doosan Portable Power
DistribuTECH 2014
Dur-A-Lift Inc
ENOSERV
FLIR
Freightliner Truck
Gamber-Johnson LLC
Golight Inc
Gregory Industries Inc
Hastings Fiberglass Products
Havis Inc
Hercules Industries Inc
Hughes Brothers Inc
Jotto Desk
KH Industries Inc
Leggett & Platt Inc
Lowell Corp
Megger Inc
Milliken
PG#
7
51
30
28
51
5
9
45
38
14
C3
C4
37
44
49
21
39
51
25
26
13
27
34
35
15
Company Name
NAFA Fleet Management Association
Nordic Fiberglass Inc
Onspot Automatic Tire Chains
Osmose Utilities Services Inc
Phoenix Contact
Reconyx Inc
Reel-O-Matic Inc
Scott Powerline
SensorLink Corp
Tait Communications
Tallman Equipment Co Inc
TransmissionHub 2014
TSE International Inc
Utility Products Conference & Expo 2014
Wesport Light Duty
White Industrial Tool
Yale Cordage
Youngstown Glove Co
PG#
47
11
41
12
3
19
36
32
1
23
31
29
33
43
C2
22
4
24
51
S.A.F.E.@work
Getting the Chair Out of Our Face

By Matt Forck
hat would you take into a cage if you had to train a

lion? Well, the experts carry three thingsa whip,
a pistol and a four-legged stool. Im not sure about
you, but the pistol would be all I would need!
Watching a trainer approach a new lion, however, I would see
there is a science to the madness of working and training such a
large, powerful and dangerous animal. The first thing the trainer is
going to do is cautiously approach the beast holding the stool out,
the stool legs toward the lion. The lion tries to focus on all four
legs and becomes dizzyand, over time, passive. At that point the
trainer can work the animal with much less fear of an attack.
In safety, we often have the equivalent of a chair launched in
our faces. It might be a change in the work place, an argument
at home, a new crew assignment, a new job assignment, different safety rules or something else. These types of things can make
us dizzy, and, if we arent careful, passive over time. In fact, the
Carnegie Institute reported that people with emotional problems
are 140 percent more likely to have a vehicle crash. One out of five
52
victims of fatal incidents had an argument six hours or less prior to

the incident. Its a chair in the faceits lack of focus.
But we are smarter than the lioness beastwe know when we
are working that we leave those issues behind. They will be there
when the shift is over. Focus. Plan your work. Fight the chair in
the face and make sure you can see clearly.
About the Author:

Matt Forck, CSP and JLW, leads safety conferences,
seminars and keynote presentations on safetys most
urgent topics including leadership, accountability and
cultural change. A noted speaker, Matt is a former journey
line worker and member of a utility safety staff. Matt has
also published six books and dozens of articles. Contact
Matt, learn about FREE resources or inquire about having
Matt speak at your next event through his website at
www.safestrat.com.
Technician Saves
$2.4 Million
Find Out How

Its simple to operatetheres no rocket science
involvedyou can interpret things easily.. RF
Go to FLIR.COM/uplineman
The New FLIR E4
$995.00
Check out the Powerful New
FLIR E4 with MSX at:
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Now theres no excuse not
to have one on every truck.
Imagery used for illustration purposes only
A PREDICTABLE TRUCK FOR

AN UNPREDICTABLE JOB.
When calls come in, trucks better go out. That's why the
Freightliner M2 106 is equipped with a reliable and fuel effcient
Cummins ISB engine or optional ISL engine. It's the perfect
combination for maximum uptime. The M2 106 also offers bestin-class driver visibility, up to a 55-degree wheel cut and low
step-in height for easy entry and exit. Put simply, its our job to
help you do your job. Find out more at FreightlinerTrucks.com.
Competitive financing available through Daimler Truck Financial. For the Freightliner Trucks dealer nearest you, call 1-800-FTL-HELP. www.freightlinertrucks.com.
FTL/MC-A-1232. Specifications are subject to change without notice. Copyright 2013. Daimler Trucks North America LLC. All rights reserved.
Freightliner Trucks is a division of Daimler Trucks North America LLC, a Daimler company.

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Senior Vice President,

Preparations against arc flash accidents make all the difference.

16 Communications Technologies and the Cloud

Enable Productivity, Efficiency for Field Workers

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Transform the Utilities Industry

Features to Look for in a Rugged Notebook

Utility Products Conference & Expo Exhibit

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Driver Safety in Utility Fleets

4 Editors Letter 46 New Products Showcase 51 Advertiser Index

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Utility Products November/December 2013 www.utilityproducts.com

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Preparing for Arc

hen arc flash occurs, it is devastatingand usually deadly. Preparation is

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Connecting Power to Your World

Making Your World Flow

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BURNDY LLC, 2013

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Sources and Remedies

Utility Products November/December 2013 www.utilityproducts.com

Models 6472 / 6474

Conduct Ground Resistance and

Leakage Current tests on tower legs

Test Ground Impedance on

lightning protection systems using

Check the quality of the overhead

ground conductor without climbing

Conduct Fall of Potential tests and

automatically plot the results

Conduct Resistance vs. Frequency

Conduct Bond Resistance tests

Conduct Soil Resistivity tests