From California to New York, various states across the United States have established their own requirements for sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) monitoring and reporting. This increased layer of reporting has added complexity to how organizations are managing SF6 and its associated requirements.
It doesn’t stop there. A continual focus on how to manage this greenhouse gas will likely create additional regulations and requirements for utilities in the future, which will require more astute monitoring and insight into how equipment performs.
Since recognizing SF6 as a potent greenhouse gas in the past several decades, there has been a bigger focus on putting regulations in place to ensure that this gas has a minimal impact on the environment. However, for many utilities organizations, this has revealed several areas to focus to improve how to manage, monitor, and report on this gas.
Replacing Aging Infrastructure
Electrical switchgear has a service life of 30 years, but the average age of switchgear in operation tends to be significantly higher than 40 years. For many utilities organizations, this isn’t out of the ordinary; as most infrastructure today has outlived its service life.
Some of the equipment remains in service because it provides steadfast operation, while others may have not been prioritized from a capital planning perspective due to lack of data, resources, or both.
When it comes to SF6 equipment, even that with minimal maintenance needs due to limited reactive issues, it can still lead to emission issues. In some cases, preventive maintenance only focuses on the equipment and infrastructure that flags the most issues. But, even the equipment that seems to be in working order can benefit from regular maintenance and replacement.
After all, while the equipment itself may be operational; there could be minor issues that cause SF6 gas to leak. Erosion or cracks in where the seal has broken down could cause problems in emitting gas. In addition, older equipment doesn’t have as advanced of functionality, which can also lead to higher SF6 emissions.
A fragmented capital planning process means prioritization often goes to the squeakiest valves – or the equipment that’s flagging the most reactive maintenance requirements. Because of this, some equipment that may be past its prime and still operational, could be lower on the list; despite having a bigger problem with SF6 emissions.
To identify which infrastructure should be replaced (and when), a data-driven capital planning process can help to inform critical decisions. As part of this, organizations can look to internal and external requirements for SF6 monitoring to understand how this equipment should be prioritized, and which investments should be made, to adhere to regulatory requirements.
Connecting Disparate Data Sources
From identifying key data sources to implementing data governance strategies, utilities organizations in the United States face challenges with their data. This data extends across several decades; and holds information across its lifecycle – from customers to employees to power levels to asset information. Given the immense footprint of most utilities companies, a great deal of their data pertains to its infrastructure.
Specific to their assets, this data often lives in different formats and systems. This can cause problems with how issues are addressed. When it comes to monitoring for SF6, for instance, the complexity results in varying layers of data across systems. Ongoing monitoring and reporting can result in significant challenges.
Regulations for SF6 emissions and monitoring continue to evolve. Shifting regulatory requirements at the federal level require more detailed reporting and often require additional data sets that previously were not reported upon.
States continue to add monitoring regulations; often with requirements for different information than what may be needed at the federal level. This means that there are different reporting thresholds and even formats that are required by states and federal bodies. Because of this, it can be extremely time consuming to pull these reports together in a suitable format – and prone to error due to the manual nature of doing so.
This disparate data causes issues beyond reporting requirements as well. It can mean that there isn’t a single place to track data to understand what’s happening on a broader scale. For instance, a single SF6 monitoring solution can provide insight into key trends – helping to predict leaks and inform proactive maintenance decisions.
Educating the Future Workforce
Like many industries in the United States, the utilities industry faces a shift in its workforce as the younger generation steps into roles that have been manned by experienced personnel. The existing staff may have been in the roles for several decades, and hold a great deal of institutional knowledge.
Maintaining older equipment requires insight into operations that may not be properly documented. This equipment may not require frequent service, which means that its every few years that there’s a required procedure.
The generational shift creates knowledge gaps, mostly because of the lack of documentation and the focus on learning on the job. Using a technology solution that can support SF6 maintenance, monitoring, and reporting means that this information can easily be documented and shared.
Beyond documentation, these systems can help to track training to match the employees that have the right qualifications to the tasks at hand. In addition, it can provide further support to these employees by tracking which tools and equipment may be required to conduct maintenance on a particular piece of equipment.
The age of SF6 equipment, combined with the specialization of monitoring for this emission, makes it a great fit for a solution that can both provide support for utilities companies to monitor SF6, while offering additional functionality to assist with getting the right people on site to repair issues, or provide proactive maintenance.
While future regulatory requirements continue to drive forward a focus on SF6 monitoring, other key industry issues – like disparate data and the aging workforce – continue to play a role in modernizing how SF6 emissions are monitored, managed, and reported.
Interested in learning more about SF6 monitoring at Endevor? Schedule a demo with our team to see how it can fit into your workflow.