Whether grid asset failure induced, weather induced, or manmade, electricity service interruptions, fires, and related impacts are on the rise. Clearly, traditional solutions are insufficient. We need improved solutions, now.
Undeniably, recent years have painfully demonstrated that Wildfire Risk, and Utility Liability concerns are real.
As the US notably experienced in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021, grid asset failures and non-grid induced events can lead to devastating wildfires, billions of dollars in damage, personal injury, loss of life, enormous Greenhouse Gas emissions, and a wake of post-event destruction and rebuilding costs.
Sadly, the November 2018 Paradise California event accentuated previously unimagined risks and liabilities associated with wildfire impacts; including tremendous human suffering, community devastation, significant legal costs, government intervention, and bankruptcy of a leading US utility.
In 2020, California wildfires expelled an estimated 110 Million Metric Tons of Carbon Dioxide emissions. That's nearly 76% the annual emissions of California's 31.6+ Million automobiles.
Clearly, electricity operators require new technologies and funding support to ensure safe and reliable service, while also protecting their local communities and the surrounding environment.
GRIDWIDE FIRE-SPY helps to remedy these problems.
Time is of the essence when it comes to fire and wildfire intervention. Outdoor sensors deployed on existing overhead distribution transformers deliver vital, localized, empirical data value to utility operators and first responders thereby helping to pinpoint unfolding wildfire conditions.
Wildfires do not always happen during the day... sometimes they go undetected for hours. Whether day or night, response time is always key. Using automated alert capability, operators and first responders can benefit from sensors that autonomously report wildfire conditions occurring in the field.
Some wildfires can be prevented. Unfortunately, grid asset failures have led to various catastrophic events. Now, by proactively monitoring our distribution grid assets, operators can uniquely foresee emerging and/or manifesting intra-grid conditions that may lead to wildfires. Certain public safety events can now be thwarted, or reduced in size/scope/cost.
There is no substitute for ongoing data availability during an unfolding public safety event. Providing utility operators and first responders with actual fire, smoke, humidity, and ambient temperature data from the field is imperative when battling an event. This is how to help save lives, reduce damages, and lessen harmful environmental impacts.
The Distribution grid exists where people live, work, play; this is the home of our social existence and the heart of our economic engines. By uniquely leveraging our existing transformer infrastructure, we can immediately create a first-ever public safety wildfire solution. Operators can swiftly deploy novel wildfire sensors on overhead transformers to create an “Always-On” outdoor monitoring canopy that overarches our communities. Protecting people, property, economies and the environment from devastation that is now commonly caused by recurring wildfires. The existing grid assets will serve as our wildfire mitigation solution architecture. GRIDWIDE FIRE-SPY will help leadership to save lives, reduce costs, reduce liabilities, and reduce harmful Greenhouse Gas emissions.
To further enhance the value of the solution, GRIDWIDE FIRE-SPY is now FirstNet Ready® and available for use on FirstNet®. During a crisis, FirstNet will enhance communications between utility operators and first responders for improved public safety.
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GRIDWIDE FIRE-SPY presents a first-ever “Always-On” outdoor monitoring solution. By leveraging existing overhead distribution transformers, versatile intra-grid sensors are rapidly installed, forming a comprehensive network. The result is an overarching community-wide monitoring canopy that uniquely affords:
GRIDWIDE FIRE-SPY uniquely addresses both Grid and Non-Grid related wildfire and public safety event issues. By monitoring intra-grid assets and conditions, operators gain a proactive view of potential problems. By presenting an “Always-On” sensor capability, GRIDWIDE FIRE-SPY also affords Early Detection and Auto Alerts for Grid-induced events, AND for Non-Grid events caused by lightning strikes, arson, unattended fires, etc.
Additionally, GRIDWIDE FIRE-SPY uniquely provides valuable Situational Awareness data from within and around the event(s) scene. Thereby improving the ability of authorities to safely and effectively manage the unfolding public safety event.
The GRIDWIDE FIRE-SPY solution consists of hardware and software components specifically conceived to cost-effectively monitor our communities. By leveraging existing transformer assets, the traditional grid can be uniquely transformed into a game-changing, public safety protection solution.
Flames
Smoke/Gas
Temperature
Humidity
GRIDWIDE FIRE-SPY devices are specially designed to rapidly deploy onto overhead distribution transformers, to uniquely leverage the strategic asset locations, heights, and deployment densities throughout the grid.
As GRIDWIDE FIRE-SPY devices are deployed across a community, an “Always On” Outdoor Overhead Fire Mitigation Canopy is created, thereby delivering a series of novel benefits including enhanced Public Safety Protections.
The single-phase Distribution Transformer Monitor consists of accurate and patented sensing, metrology, and communications components, combined into a compact and lightweight self-contained device. It can be installed live, in minutes, attaching to the transformer by means of its integrated magnets, creating a wildfire mitigation solution.
The Poly-phase Distribution Transformer Monitor is a robust, flexible and rapidly deployable device, designed for use in both, three-wire and four-wire applications. It supports the optional use of external antennas, and can be installed live using its integrated magnets or optional pole mounting kit.
FirstNet and FirstNet Ready are registered trademarks and service marks of the First Responder Network Authority.
The networking of GRIDWIDE FIRE-SPY devices, which are now FirstNet Ready®, mounted onto overhead transformers allows grid operators and authorities to deliver novel use of the existing grid architecture. And, to ensure that fire mitigation sensors are being deployed where people live and work.
Communications Options
Distribution Grid Pressures: Electrification, Wildfire Mitigation, Reliability, Aged Assets, Transformer Shortages, DER Voltage Fluctuations, Forward & Reverse Energy Overload on Transformers, EV Charging Stations, etc. All of these realities, and others are simultaneously unfolding throughout our distribution grids. Utility operators NEED enhanced intra-grid visibility, and empirical understandings of these unfolding grid-edge conditions.
The International Fire & Safety Journal sought to learn more about GRIDWIDE FIRE-SPY’s Early Detection capabilities; inspired by reading the company’s latest press release describing a successful wildfire detection field demonstration in Ventura County, California, US. This exclusive editorial offers valuable insights regarding the frontlines wildfire mitigation capabilities presented by GRIDWIDE FIRE-SPY.
GRID20/20's GRIDWIDE FIRE-SPY® wildfire sensor capabilities were once again successfully demonstrated. The September 6, 2022 field- test was held at a training facility operated by Ventura County Fire Department near Camarillo, CA.
Wildfire Mitigation is imperative; saving people's lives, our communities, and our environment requires novel solutions. GRIDWIDE FIRE-SPY uniquely leverages existing electricity grid infrastructure to create “Always On” outdoor monitoring canopies, spanning where we all live, work, sleep and play.
The purpose of GRIDWIDE FIRE-SPY is to deliver much-needed public safety protections, while simultaneously helping to protect our residences, our businesses, and our valued institutions (e.g., schools, medical, government, etc). By using our existing grid infrastructure, we can quickly and cost-effectively deploy GRIDWIDE FIRE-SPY. Thereby preventing certain fires, and keeping unpreventable fires small. The grid represents our wildfire mitigation ally. The choice is ours: do we want to continue being reactive to ongoing wildfire devastation, or, do we want to invest in a proactive public, community, and environmental safety solution? If you could achieve a 24:1 investment value, would you do it?
GRIDWIDE FIRE-SPY presents this type of investment value; it will help to reduce corporate liability for our valued utilities, and will help to avoid localized economic devastation. In turn, local, state and federal government budgets will become far less impacted by costly wildfire events given the Early Detection, Auto Alerts, Prevention, and ongoing Situational Awareness capability simultaneously afforded by GRIDWIDE FIRE-SPY.
