Volume 8, Issue 2 - April 2015
The Supplier
WUE EXPANDS PRODUCT OFFERING BY BEING NAMED A REP/DISTRIBUTOR FOR SURVALENT TECHNOLOGY
A recent survey of American Public Power Utility leaders (coops and municipals) indicated that showing a return on investment and value from smart grid investments (37%) is the number one issue that they are focusing on in 2015. WUE is pleased to offer Survalent Technology applications which allow utilities to protect, manage, control and secure their distribution networks. The Survalent SCADA solution provides for an integrated platform with real time data and a user friendly focus. The advanced distribution management system allows for integrated outage management, distribution management and also SCADA. A total of 16 utilities in Colorado currently have the Survalent system. For a complete presentation of the Survalent technology or for more information on other available survalent applications to enhance your existing system (i.e. Power factor control, fault detection isolation & restoration, load flow analysis, fault data recorder etc) see your WUE account representative.
WUE UPDATE
Mohave Electric Cooperative in Bullhead City, AZ is now a participant in the WUE inventory management program. They are the 28th WUE member to join the program.
Kansas Electric Cooperatives recently became the 59th member of WUE. Additionally Overton Power in Overton, NV has applied for membership to become the 60th member of WUE.
Paul Laverack has joined the WUE sales team as the account manager covering southeast Colorado and selected accounts in Utah and Kansas.
Marathon Rheem has announced the discontinuance of their 30 gal, 75 gal, 85 gal and 105 gal hot water heaters due to the new DOE specifications that took effect on April 16, 2015. WUE will continue to stock the 40 gallon, 50 gallon tall and 50 gallon short units. All warranty issues should continue to be handled directly between the utility and Marathon. Information on warranties for the discontinued units will be forthcoming.
Aluma-Form has announced that they now have RUS approval on selected pole line hardware items that are being manufactured for them in China.
Evluma has announced that they are discontinuing the manufacture of their Clearlight Beacon LED retrofit bulbs. Since the bulbs have a 5 year warranty, Evluma will honor replacement bulbs warranties until February 1, 2019.
Novinium has acquired Utilx. Thus Novinium now has over 100 customers and over 300 employees across all 50 states and is considered the leader in providing an alternative to the capital intensive process of replacing underground utility power cables by a patented process of rejuvenating those cables.
WUE has been approved as a distributor for CMT fiberglass street lighting poles (formerly known as Newmark poles).
RECLOSER REBUILDING PROGRAM
In partnership with the Kansas Electric Cooperative statewide organization, WUE is now offering recloser maintenance services. WUE will now pick up a customer's used single phase oil reclosers that require servicing and then ship them to Kansas in specially built pallets. The Apparatus Testing Department of the Kansas statewide (separate facility in Osage City) will completely rebuild, repaint and test the units according to original manufacturer specifications. The units are then shipped back to the utility. Additionally the statewide sells newly rebuilt units that they have in stock. The statewide has been providing this service for over 20 years to their members as well as to coops in Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa at a discount from the service provided by similar for profit companies. See your WUE inside sales rep to arrange pick up of your units with the weekly WUE truck.
New Products Update
COMPOSITE UTILITY POLES
RS Composite Utility poles is introducing a line of composite (ultra-strong polyurethane resin and E-glass fiber rovings) distribution poles. Formerly the company focused on composite transmission line poles. Their modular design poles (one set of modules can build 262 different poles) allow for the lowest logistics cost (one truck can carry 53 poles as opposed to only 15 wood poles), assembly can be completed on the ground due to the significantly lighter weight (as compared to steel, wood or concrete), lowest liability due to the superior strength (allowing for hardening of the grid by installing a fiberglass pole every fifth or sixth structure thereby preventing line cascading during severe weather), and the longest life (excellent weathering and UV protection, resistant to corrosion and pests), Their 41 year warranty is the best in the industry. Pre-drilling at the factory can reduce field labor (however field drilling can also be performed). See your WUE account manager for more information. Users include Tennessee Valley Authority and Western Kentucky REC.
Scotch* Professional-Grade ColorCoding Vinyl Electrical Tape Nine fade-resistant colors, super stretchy and conformable, excellent insulating properties. Resists abrasion, corrosion, alkalies, and acids. Phase identification and marking
Scotch* Super 33+TM ProfessionalGrade Vinyl Electrical Tape Highly conformable, super stretchy in all weather application; resists UV rays, abrasion, corrosion, alkalies, and acids. Primary insulation for splices up to 600v · Protective jacketing · 7 mil thickness · Designed to perform continuously in ambient temperatures up to 220 F. The tape is conformable for cold weather applications down to –18 C · UL* Listed; UL510
Scotch* Heavy Duty-Grade Vinyl Electrical Tape Super 88 All weather, heavy duty, professional use, abrasion resistant, fast build up. Primary insulation for splices up to 600v · Protective jacketing · 8.5 mil thickness · Designed to perform continuously in ambient temperatures up to 220 F. The tape is conformable for cold weather applications down to –18 C · UL* Listed; UL510
OSHA RULES EFFECTIVE April 1, 2015
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) have initiated a mandatory compliance with rule OSHA 29 CFR1910.269. Thus employers that operate or maintain electric power generation, transmission or distribution lines or equipment must follow the new rule if certain types of equipment are present. A study must be completed by January 1, 2015 by each utility to assess the incident heat energy hazard posed by flames or electric arcs. By April 1, 2015 the utility must provide the appropriate FR clothing and proper personal protection equipment based on the study. WUE, with Salisbury by Honeywell, has multiple personal protection equipment products available to meet the new requirements (employees must wear clothing that will not melt onto their skin or that could ignite and continue to burn from an arc-flash). Products include a 12 cal face shield, a 20 cal face shield, a 40 cal front hood face shield, a Balaclava, assembled 8, 11 or 40 cal kits with jacket, bibs, face shield, balaclava, eyewear and bag. See your WUE account manager for more information.
HENDRIX TAP WIRE provides wildlife protection and reduces outages. Hendrix offers copper tap wire (used for riser wire applications when installing cutouts, transformers and other equipment) that is covered with a .150" layer of flexible black thermoplastic elastomer material (excellent ultraviolet and weathering characteristics) in order to avoid outages due to wildlife contact. Available in either #2, #4, or #6 solid or stranded as a hand coil, 24" reel or on a master reel. The wire can also be used in substation applications where a covered bus or covered ground lead is desired. See your WUE account manager for additional information.
PREFORMED SPLICE SHUNTS
Preformed line products has introduced splice shunts to provide for added assurance against failing splices on overhead conductor. The shunts install in minutes and restore 100% of the electrical conductivity and also reduce the temperature across an automatic or compression splice. They can be installed over existing splices without disrupting power. Features and benefits include: Permanently repairs conductors from #4 to 2156 kcmil. Installs directly over damaged or failing compression, automatic or formed wire splices and compression dead-ends. Made with lightweight aluminum alloy rods, coated with conductive grit. Installs easily with hot sticks. Restores 100% electrical strength of the conductor. Restores 100% of the mechanical strength of ACSR AL strands of the conductor and 10% of the steel strands of the conductor. Thermal rating on ACSR conductor is 125 degrees. out