Installation Sequencing Benefits Lowest Logistics Cost Case Study SUMMARY Withlacochee River Electric Cooperative (WREC) has traditionally used single piece concrete poles to build their distribution and transmission infrastructure. PROBLEM Right-of-way (R.O.W.) costs and permitting were becoming a challenge in urban areas. Performing installations in high traffic areas with the large cranes required for concrete poles was becoming increasingly expensive and disruptive to the community. RS POLE SOLUTION The modular design of the RS pole allowed WREC to install the base modules during the day, with limited impact on the community, and return at night to vertically assemble the remaining top section of the pole: Shorter outage time. Non-peak change out cost savings. Reduced installation costs. Smaller equipment. Limited impact on the surrounding community. Longer pole life expectancy.   “By installing the RS base module first then adding the pre-framed completing top modules overnight we were able to reduce our setting time which saved money and kept outages to a minimum to limit the impact on our customers. Our crews completed the installation easily and liked working with the RS poles.” Greg Musser, Senior Engineer Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative (WREC) installation-sequencing-benefits

THREAT: HURRICANES APPLICATION: 69kV TRANSMISSION LINE LOCATION: GRAND BAHAMA, THE BAHAMAS OTHER CONSIDERATIONS: SALT SPRAY, LOGISTICALLY CHALLENGING A significant development in Grand Bahama required a new 22 mile [35.4 km] 69kV line to be built. With frequent hurricane exposure, the project needed to push the limits of accepted overhead line storm resilience to reliably deliver service to the west end of the island.   The island location presented many project challenges. Because of hurricanes, salt spray and soil pH corrosion of steel and concrete poles as well as logistical challenges and costly material handling, RS composite poles were selected as the best solution. Up to 65 ft. [19.8 m] lightweight, inert, and modular nesting composite poles can fit into standard sized 40 ft. intermodal shipping containers. Furthermore, RS poles have an 80-year service life, requires no scheduled maintenance, and are covered by a 41-year warranty. In 2016, Grand Bahama was hit by Hurricane Matthew, a Category 4 storm with winds of 140 mph [62.6 m/s]. The island’s west end took a direct hit and about 10% of the island’s poles were downed, over 2,300 wood poles. As the restoration efforts continued, there was one observation that became clearer: the RS composite poles had stood strong during the hurricane.   On September 1st, 2019, Category 5 Dorian, packing wind gusts to 220 mph [98.3 m/s]. Dorian’s slow pace of 25 miles [40 km] in 24 hours resulted in damage of $7 billion. 1,000’s of wood poles were lost. A text message from Grand Bahama Power Vice President, Frank Woodworth, confirmed that the RS composite poles had survived… “again.” RS composite poles mitigate the threat of hurricane damage and speed restoration efforts because the poles stand strong. 

THREAT: FIRE APPLICATION: 4kV, 16kV AND 33kV DISTRIBUTION LINES LOCATION: CALIFORNIA, USA OTHER CONSIDERATIONS: REMOTE LOCATIONS   In 2018, California’s Camp Fire was the largest fire on record in the U.S. causing over $16.5 billion in damage and burning 153,336 acres in 17 days. In 2020, there was the August Complex, a collection of 38 wildfires ignited by lightning strikes. Collectively, 1,032,648 acres were scorched in almost four months. Then the next year in 2021, there was the Dixie Fire. After 79 days of burning, it was 94% contained and had consumed 963,309 acres, or about 6.5 times the area burned by the Camp Fire. Fire sizes in the U.S. are growing at such a pace that a new term was required to denote fires that destroy 1 million acres of land: Gigafire.  The world is changing. In the last five years, California has endured 13 of the 20 most destructive fires on record. Faced with this intensifying challenge and desperate to mitigate their fire threat risk, California’s utilities needed a pole that would not burn.   RS composite poles do not support combustion so they were a natural consideration to the wildfire challenge, but that was not enough. Going back to 2011, RS was not satisfied with the UL94 and ASTM D635 coupon-level fire tests that the industry was using to gauge fire performance. While these tests worked well for their intended applications, they were not representative of a wildfire moving through a utility line right-of-way. Partnering with University of Alberta fire expert, Mark Ackerman, a full-scale test was developed which not only exposed an entire embedded pole to intense, unrelenting flame for 2-minute and 3-minute durations, a post-fire vertical full scale bend test was included to quantify any strength or stiffness loss.   This test, known as the RS-Ackerman Fire Test, has now become the industry standard to which all California utilities use to evaluate a pole’s fire performance. Composite poles outperform wood poles in the fire test, making RS composite poles the safer choice for line crews and the public.  RS poles have already proven themselves in many California fires including the 2019 Tick Fire that consumed 4,615 acres. The RS composite pole emerged from the fire unscathed while the wood poles in the area burned to the ground.  RS composite poles have now become the preferred solution at many utilities that need to have a fire mitigation strategy.

Lowest Logistics Cost and Longest Life Case Study SUMMARY A telecommunications company located in the Arctic North of Canada required a utility pole solution that can withstand extreme temperatures. PROBLEM For six months of the year, temperatures consistently drop below -76°F [-60°C]: Traditional poles were deteriorating quickly from the harsh winter loading conditions. Their goal was to minimize the investment in equipment to transport and install their poles. RS POLE SOLUTION Thermoset resin and weathering durability enables high performance RS poles to perform consistently in the harsh arctic weather. Lower replacement costs. Lower maintenance and inspection costs. Longer pole service life expectancy. Lightweight RS modules enabled NorthwesTel to use smaller trucks, install the poles by hand and save on capital expenditures.   “The installation crew was really impressed with how easily the poles were installed. All it took was a two-person crew to erect each pole.” Rick Moses, Access Implementation Manager NorthwesTel

Lowest Logistics Cost Case Study SUMMARY Prince George Electric Cooperative (PGEC) had to replace a 75 ft. pole in a remote, wet location. PROBLEM Due to the challenging accessibility of the site, spotting the heavy line equipment required to set traditional poles would require a costly right-of-way. A replacement wood pole would quickly deteriorate in the wet environment. Transporting traditional poles would require special DOT permits due to the long length. RS POLE SOLUTION The lightweight RS modules were easily delivered to the remote site and allowed for a mini–derrick truck to set the pole instead of a regular line truck having to make the journey. The hydrophobic surface of the RS pole is perfectly suited to the wet location for an 80-year pole life expectancy. The fast and cost-effective RS pole solution allowed for 40-45% installation cost savings over wood or steel alternatives.   “The RS pole was an easy solution to a difficult problem. The lightweight and modularity attributes of the pole made for hassle-free transportation to the construction site and enabled us to use our mini-derrick rather than a regular line truck which would have had major difficulty crossing the wet terrain. I was surprised at how quickly the pole was pieced together and set. PGEC chose the composite pole over other options because of its light weight, ease of transport and price. It was a no-brainer.” Mike Malandro, Manager of Engineering Prince George Electric Cooperative cost-effective-challenging-installations

Longest Life Case Study SUMMARY A Pacific Island utility traditionally used wood and steel poles for distribution and transmission. Wood was used for lower initial cost; steel was used to resist brush fires. The utility evaluated the Net Present Value (NPV) benefit of RS poles versus other materials over a 20-year cost period to determine the most cost-effective solution. PROBLEM Both wood and steel deteriorate quickly in the local climate: Wood is susceptible to termites and rot. Steel is susceptible to corrosion as a result of the humid coastal climate and airborne salt exposure. Conventional materials require regular maintenance and costly early replacement. The utility was spending a large portion of resources maintaining and replacing their grid frequently. RS POLE SOLUTION No replacement costs – which was costing the utility $15,000/pole. No regular inspections – which was costing the utility $175/pole. Minimum 6-fold increase in service life. NPV savings of RS poles vs. Wood for a 20-year cost period (based on typical yearly usage) is estimated at $27,573,624. cost-benefit-of-life-and-durability