NV Energy is looking to advance the use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), known as drones, into utility operations.
NV Energy has been working alongside NIAS, AviSight, and other stakeholders on the discovery process for part 107 waiver development. The main goal of this collaboration has been to work with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to discover the requirements for developing a beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) approval path forward to inspect utility infrastructure. The ability to use this technology will allow for safe and cost-effective data collection.
Drones will fly above power lines and inspect them for any kind of problems such as clearance, terrain and vegetation under the lines, nearby structures, and the shape of the poles. The goal is to inspect 41 miles of power lines in central Nevada.
"We do have a survey team that actually comes out and does this manually from the ground and then we send them out to each site, pole to pole to pole to pole," Chris Hofmann, Director of Electric Delivery in Rural Districts for NV Energy said.
Currently crews inspect power lines by sight and with measuring equipment. While the drone can cover two to four miles of power lines in minutes, Hofmann says it would take crews about a week finish the same mileage of work.
NV Energy's next test flight will incorporate the use of a new ground control system (GCS). This system will fly drones, collect data, provide near real-time distribution in any environment and ensure that NV Energy has the safest flight operations technology can provide for BVLOS operations.
Nevada is one of seven test sites in the country. The Federal Aviation Administration made that designation in 2016. Since then, NV Energy has done three test flights.