More Power
New Lineworker Training Unit Creates Realistic Experience NC co-ops are industry leaders in using the technology Denny Gainer Denny Gainer
Denny Gainer
A new addition to the lineworker training field at Nash Community College incorporates a more realistic element to overhead line work training: high voltage. Installed earlier this year, the new Timpson training unit allows lineworkers to train using real-world voltage while keeping the current to a safe, non-lethal level. “It has always been a challenge to provide advanced training to linemen beyond simulation — there is a quick learning curve transitioning from de-energized work to energized work,” said Farris Leonard, director of Job Training & Safety Field Services (JT&S) for North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives. “This allows lineworkers to train on a live line in a safe way.” Three classes will utilize energized training this year. Students of JT&S sessions who trained with the unit report that working on a live line increased focus. “Working the lines hot really made us all think twice and move once,” said Ethan Hurley, apprentice lineman IV with Randolph EMC. “I think it’s really big step forward.” Although some investor-owned utilities, including Duke Energy, train on Timpson units, North Carolina’s electric
cooperatives are the first cooperative utilities in the country to utilize the technology. Leonard hopes the technology will be adopted by electric co-ops in other states now that it’s been proven in North Carolina. “We see training as an investment in people,” Leonard said. “This unit is a further investment in safety that will sharpen skills and provide real-time feedback during training.”
Big Questions About Our Brighter Future Your residential solar questions answered
Q: A:
What is the average cost of a residential solar installation?
Prices may vary across the country, but the National Renewable Energy Laboratory periodically publishes reported photovoltaic (PV) prices. For the first half of 2021, the average price for PV systems in the U.S. was as follows: ■
$2.70/watt (W) to $3.90/W for residential systems (A 10-kilowatt (kW) system, therefore, could cost between $27,000 and $39,000.)
■
$1.60/W to $2.50/W for non-residential systems
■
$0.90/W to $1.90/W for utility-scale systems
Q: A:
What is the life expectancy of solar panels? While there is no specific end-date for the productive life of a solar panel, production levels will decrease over time. The performance of solar panels is typically warrantied for 20 to 25 years, with a guarantee of 90% production at 10 years and 80% production at 25 years. After the end of the warranty, the solar panels can still produce electricity, but their level of output is no longer guaranteed. In addition to performance warranties, solar panels typically have an equipment warranty that guarantees they will operate 10 to 12 years without failing.
—Tim Lupo, Advanced Energy solar engineer
Editor’s note: What happens to those panels when they reach the end of their lifespan? Advanced Energy will provide answers to that question and more in future issues of Carolina Country.
8 | August 2022
CC08_JA.indd 8
7/12/22 12:28 PM
