Safety, Reliability and Restoration PDF

NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release:
Wednesday, September 7, 2016
Safety, Reliability and Restoration:
ENWIN’s Leading Edge UAV Technology Will Benefit
Customers and First Responders
ENWIN’s UAV Team –
Manager of Distribution, Jim
St. Louis (l) and Lead UAV
Pilot, Jean Pepin (r) – share
information about the UAV
technology with Windsor
Fire Chief Bruce Montone.
Windsor ON: Windsor will be among the first cities in Ontario to benefit from unmanned
aerial vehicles (UAVs), better known as drones, which are increasingly employed in the
maintenance of hard-to-access infrastructure, across North America.
While many Ontario Electricity Distribution Companies (LDCs) are exploring the potential for
this equipment in assessing and maintaining electrical infrastructure, ENWIN Utilities Ltd.
(ENWIN) has received a standing Special Flight Operations Certificate (SFOC) from
Transport Canada, and is now fully licensed to employ the technology for infrastructure
assessment and inspection.
Please join us to witness a test flight of the UAV over property adjacent to the A.A. Weeks
Water Treatment Plant.
Who: ENWIN’s UAV flight team, Jean Pepin and Jim St. Louis
Windsor Fire & Rescue, Chief Bruce Montone.
What: Demonstration of UAV in flight
Discussion of how UAVs help with community safety and disaster restoration
Where: A. J. Brian Pumping Station (on the North side of Wyandotte, across from the A. H.
Weeks Water Treatment Plant)
NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release:
Wednesday, September 7, 2016
When: Wednesday, September 7, noon to 1 p.m.
Why:
After six months working with Transport Canada, ENWIN received a standing SFOC to fly
drones for use in infrastructure inspection and maintenance. The utility can now begin to use
the small flying machines routinely, to check transformers, powerlines and other infrastructure
necessary to maintain the safety and reliability of the local distribution system.
ENWIN’s Manager of Distribution Jim St. Louis and Lead UAV Pilot, Jean Pepin will lead the
ENWIN UAV Team, working within Transport Canada guidelines, under the conditions of
ENWIN’s SFOC, which authorizes flight over public property and easement areas,
photographing and transmitting images of the equipment and infrastructure owned by the
utility.
“Our certification will be invaluable to both the
utility and the community,” said ENWIN
President and CEO, Helga Reidel. “The
technology will allow us to get a good look, at
close range, at powerlines and transformers,
often detecting a potential problem before it
becomes a danger.”
If the power does go out, the utility can use the
unassuming mini-copters to locate and assess
the cause, without the time and expense of
sending out a crew and a truck. This will also
improve response times, and help avoid
potential emergency situations.
UAV photos helped ENWIN locate downed
wires and damaged infrastructure following the
August 24 tornado, allowing workers to ensure
safety before entering damaged areas.
“Safety is always a top priority in working with
electrical power, and post-storm scenarios are
often fraught with danger,” explained Reidel.
“With the help of drones, our employees will be
able to assess damage safely and quickly, from
afar.”
ENWIN has a long-standing record of working with first responders in the Windsor area,
including Windsor Fire and Rescue Services and Windsor Police Services, and will be able to
pass on information about electrical fires, downed wires and other potential hazards.
Longer-term benefits could include the early detection of potential electrical fires. Poor
connections get hot, and drones equipped with infrared cameras are able to detect them and
flag them for repair. Reidel anticipates that this could also benefit the City’s Emergency
Management team.
Chief Bruce Montone agrees.
NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release:
Wednesday, September 7, 2016
“The August 24 tornado gave us a chance to see ENWIN’s drones in action for the first time,”
added Windsor Fire Chief Bruce Montone. “They have capabilities that can help prevent,
assess and manage fires, as well as enhance our Community Emergency Management in the
event of a declared City emergency.”
Employee safety was also a factor in
ENWIN’s decision to employ UAVs.
In storm conditions, the drone can
generate pictures of infrastructure located
in impassable streets and alleyways,
minimizing the need for employees to
climb poles made dangerous by ice and
snow or downed trees and wires. Workers
entering these areas to make repairs will
do so with a fully developed plan of action,
based on the pictures that clearly show the
extent and location of the damage and the
danger.
A post-storm close-up, taken using UAV technology,
ensures this infrastructure has remained intact and safe.
Further benefits of working with drones
include a reduction in costs related to
infrastructure inspection, timely
assessment, repair and restoration. Using
them will free up skilled workers to repair
and upgrade equipment.
UAVs are subject to Canadian Aviation Regulations, as are all vehicles flown over Canadian
soil. Canadian Aviation Regulations require an SFOC for businesses, like ENWIN, that wish
to operate a drone, for work or research purposes. This certification allows Transport Canada
to ensure that operators can use their UAV reliably and safely.
The SFOC contains conditions specific to the proposed use of the drones, such as maximum
altitudes, minimum distances from people and property, operating areas, and coordination
requirements with air traffic services. These measures also ensure public safety and privacy.
Between 2010 and 2015, Transport Canada issued 5,679 approvals for UAV operations.
____________________________________________________________________
ENWIN Utilities Ltd. (ENWIN) is a licensed electricity distribution company, serving
customers in the City of Windsor. ENWIN is also the licensed water system operator for the
water system owned by Windsor Utilities Commission. ENWIN works with Windsor to provide
a safe, reliable source of electricity and water for our community.
Media contacts:
NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release:
Wednesday, September 7, 2016
Helga Reidel,
President & CEO
ENWIN Utilities Ltd.
519-255-2888 ext. 730
[email protected]
Bruce Montone,
Fire Chief CEMC
Windsor Fire & Rescue Services
519-253-3016 ext. 238
[email protected]
Jim St. Louis,
Manager Distribution Hydro
ENWIN Utilities Ltd.
519-255-2888 ext. 210
[email protected]
Barbara Peirce Marshall,
Manager Corporate Communications
ENWIN Utilities Ltd.
519-255-2888 ext. 849
[email protected]
Jean Pepin
Lead UAV Pilot
ENWIN Utilities Ltd.
519-255-2888 ext. 671
[email protected]