Data-driven decisions in a changing climate

With all of the hazards a utility worker can face, it may be a surprise to some to learn that the most dangerous part of their day is actually driving. NV5 offers solutions with GIS, remote sensing, LIDAR, and more to paint an accurate picture of where assets are and where they might fail – and while not the primary intention, this can result in fewer trips taken by workers.

Mike Casey, president and founder of Tigercomm and co-host of Renewable Energy World’s This Week in Cleantech podcast, was joined by NV5 account managers Lexi Fojtik and Jamie McMillan at the POWERGRID International Interview Studio at DISTRIBUTECH International 2024 to discuss how NV5 is helping utilities navigate climate change by enabling and assisting asset management and vegetation control.

In this interview, NV5 highlights vital changes in utility disaster response amid climate change. Their data-driven approach, incorporating GIS conflation and remote sensing, revolutionizes asset management and vegetation control. By showcasing real-world applications, NV5 demonstrates how tailored solutions enhance planning, mitigate risks, and prioritize safety, setting a benchmark for the industry’s evolution.

“We all observe climate change in our world,” McMillan said. “And that is resulting in the higher frequency of these high impact events necessitating a need for utilities to focus on the safety of their assets and their systems and what could be a threat to those systems during these catastrophic events.”

Fojtik, who previously worked for a utility, is aware that GIS data can be somewhat off, resulting in utilities not knowing precisely where their assets are. NV5 Geospatial aims to address this by collecting LIDAR data and imagery to create a more accurate image of asset locations, which is the first step to enabling effective asset and vegetation management.

Next, after analyzing the environment around poles, NV5 analytics can predict which trees or vegetation are likely to cause a problem, flagging them to the utility.

“One of the things that we do that really stands out is rapid reporting,” Fojtik said. “So we turn around your highest threats on your system within two weeks, which is really fast for a lot of geospatial projects.”

A common trend NV5 has noticed among utilities is undertaking a programmatic approach to geospatial data, by acquiring data every year, or before every vegetation management cycle. This, Fojtik said, allows utilities to create a “view of change” over time, especially concerning vegetation affected by wildfire or draught.

“Just simply, the more information you have, the better decision maker you can be,” McMillan said. “The powers that you’re beholden to, whether it’s the users of your system or your management, you have to provide answers as to where their dollars are going and how they’re being spent. And if you have data to back that up, it has better results and more comfort.”

Many utilities are interested in remote sensing, but are overwhelmed by all of the options and considerations. NV5 stresses there is no “one-size-fits-all” approach, and it has begun consulting for utilities to educate them about available technologies and how they can be applied within regulatory compliance.

“I think the biggest thing is remote sensing data provides safety because it pulls people out of the field” Fojtik said.

Originally published in POWERGRID International.