Date: February 20, 2018
TransGard’s proven fence panel attachment keeps snakes out and the power on at substations
(NEW FREEDOM, Pa.) — Squirrels and raccoons might get the most publicity when it comes to climbing into electrical substations and wreaking havoc, but over the last few years, another type of animal has slithered into the running as an equally destructive problem: snakes.
This year alone, snakes have been responsible for outages from Florida to Colorado, leaving thousands of residents and businesses without power.
Snakes seek out eggs in birds’ nests that are often found in substations. Being cold-blooded, snakes are drawn to the warmth of electrical equipment when the temperatures drop. And – they are small enough to find openings that might not be accessible to raccoons and other animals.
In the face of this growing problem from snake incursions at substations, TransGard expanded its already effective electrical fencing product and developed a patented snake panel that attaches to the bottom of any TransGard fencing panel. These aluminum mesh panels are designed to keep out snakes as small as ¼” in diameter, and they deliver the same non-lethal shock as the standard panels.
“We had been hearing from utilities – especially in the southern and western U.S. – about chronic outages caused by different species of snakes,” says Bill Reichard, TransGard’s General Manager. “Our snake panel is a simple, yet effective solution to the particular challenges all snakes present to substations.”
Utilities like the West Kentucky Rural Electric Cooperative Corporation and Western Farmers Electric Cooperative that have adopted the TransGard “snake solution” continue to report an almost total elimination of snake-caused outages.
For more information about TransGard snake panels, visit Booth 3425 at IEEE or www.transgardfence.com.
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About TransGard TransGard’s patented fencing was developed exclusively to eliminate substation outages caused by climbing animals, including snakes. Since it was founded in 1990, TransGard fences have been installed at more than 3,000 substations in the U.S. and Canada. For more information or to request a quote, visit www.transgardfence.com.