IMPROVING GRID RELIABILITY IN AN INCREASINGLY VOLATILE STORM ENVIRONMENT By: Sugandh Rajpal, MS, PE, and Hunter Windle, PE
The intensity of cataclysmic storm and flooding events – including hurricanes – has increased globally. According to the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, the upsurge in the frequency and growing ferocity of hurricanes can be attributed to warmer sea surface temperatures, sea level rise, and expanding tropical zones. The impact this weather can have on our national electricity providers is enormous. According to the Wall Street Journal, much of the nation’s electricity system was constructed in the 1940s, and the American Society of Civil Engineers estimates that 70% of transmission and distribution lines are well into the second half of their 50-year expected lifespans. It’s no wonder that, with decades-old distribution lines, this aging network is what accounts for the majority of power outages. So whether an energy provider is responding to an actual or pending weather event, is seeking to satisfy legislative compliance, or is working to increase the resiliency of their system for the future, TTL is dedicated to failsafe and cost-effective infrastructure improvements that will keep the nation’s energy industry in peak operating condition. CONSTRUCTABILITY IS CRITICAL IN THE DESIGN APPROACH Get to know us better by following us on LinkedIn.
Constructability is a consideration for all design projects. But in the energy industry, constructability takes on a whole new meaning.
The unique locations of substations and overhead transmission lines present challenges not encountered in typical projects – marshy areas, mountainous terrain, inaccessible or remote locations – and the very distinct possibility of one stretch of transmission line encountering each one of these obstacles. For the energy experts at TTL, an engineering design firm focused on delivering integrated infrastructure solutions for public and private clients, these challenges are not uncommon. After all, they are what come with replacing or upgrading critical energy infrastructure throughout the nation, and overcoming them is a matter of determining the proper constructability for the conditions at hand. TTL’s approach to design begins with a thorough analysis of each unique situation to determine whether the potential solution can be constructed safely within the proposed timeframe and budget. TTL Project Manager Hunter Windle, PE, is a champion of designing