Penelec is getting ready to install some new pieces of equipment to help reduce the duration of power outages.
Penelec’s parent company First Energy has announced that they will install 350 automated TripSaver devices on neighborhood power lines in its service area to limit the frequency, duration and scope of power outages. The devices are meant to work like a circuit breaker in a home with the added benefit of re-energizing a power line within seconds to keep power flowing to customers. This is part of a five-year program to install 2000 TripSavers in the areas served by First Energy companies and is also part of the company’s long-term infrastructure improvement plan.
According to a news release, TripSavers will be put on neighborhood distribution lines that branch off the main power line serving the area. When a temporary problem is detected, the device can sense when the branch line is gone and can re-energize the line to prevent extended outages within a matter of seconds. If a more serious problem is detected, the device can isolate the outage to that area and limit the number of affected customers, along with pinpointing the location of the problem.
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