Retrofitting to Last: Identifying and Avoiding Retrofitting Errors in Bird Protection Devices

Electrocutions on overhead 6–10 kV electric distribution systems are killing substantial numbers of raptors in Kazakhstan, Russia, and adjacent countries. Electrocutions can also create disruptive electrical faults and outages, damage equipment, and occasionally ignite wildfires. To manage raptor electrocution risks, electric utilities in the region install Bird Protection Devices (BPDs) designed to prevent birds from contacting energized components. When installed correctly, BPDs can be highly effective. When installed incorrectly, however, electrocutions may continue to occur on retrofitted pylons. BPDs deployed beyond their intended service life may also allow electrocutions to resume. We provide examples of correctly and incorrectly installed BPDs to help readers identify five categories of retrofitting errors: product design errors, mitigation plan errors, application errors, improvisation errors, and beyond service life failures. Missteps can be avoided through carefully selecting which BPDs will be used, ensuring all risk points on a pylon are covered with BPDs, training field personnel to install BPDs correctly, ensuring BPDs are available to field personnel, communicating with manufacturers to improve BPD designs when necessary, and replacing BPDs as they approach the end of their intended service life. Electric utilities should also consider environmental stresses that may impact the effectiveness and lifespan of BPDs. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) recommends a sequence of tests for BPDs to ensure long-term durability, enabling electric utilities to select objectively evaluated high-quality covers. Careful attention to preventing errors and accounting for service life can help electric utilities maximize the conservation and reliability benefits of BPDs.