AEP Ohio crews recently inspected 20 miles of power lines in Canton, focusing on proactively identifying issues with poles, wires and equipment that could lead to power outages. But this was not your ordinary boots-on-the-ground inspection. This inspection happened from the sky.
AEP Ohio recently began using drones to inspect the circuits that bring electricity to homes and businesses across the AEP Ohio service territory. AEP Ohio plans to use drones to conduct 20% of scheduled inspections this year.
“Using drones helps capture more detailed imagery to see the condition of our equipment,” said Jake Reed, project manager principal at AEP Ohio. “Once a line is inspected, we can also use that data for future improvements without needing to do as many field visits. This allows us to be more efficient with our budgets and resources.”
The drones are equipped with high-resolution cameras and infrared imaging capabilities, allowing crews to pin-point potential issues — even in challenging terrains where normal crews can’t access.
“It’s exciting to use this technology to accomplish tasks that were once daunting, such as performing detailed line inspections over long distances,” said Ryan Zornes, technician principal at AEP Ohio and certified drone pilot. “As we develop new skills and techniques with drones, we continue to discover innovative ways to enhance reliability for our customers while prioritizing employee safety.”
It took Zornes just a few weeks to inspect 20 miles of lines that power the homes and businesses throughout Canton, capturing high-resolution and infrared images of equipment to be documented and reviewed for future maintenance and repairs. Future maintenance and repairs will include replacing poles, crossarms, wire, protection equipment and other pieces of equipment.
Using modern tools like drones in our maintenance efforts allows AEP Ohio to efficiently monitor the grid and repair issues before they lead to outages.
Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to enhance electric reliability in your area.
