Our utility customers maintain the state of their rights-of-way (ROWs), but they tell us that an increasing threat from areas outside these corridors is gaining focus. The industry term for this is “off-ROW threats,” consisting primarily of trees that show potential to fall into overhead assets when under stress. We hear repeated requests from interested utility managers looking for solutions to identify these off-ROW threats.

Satelytics’ vegetation management algorithms include measurements for tree height, health, type, and encroachment in or out of the wiring zone. Spatially, the results are accurate within 50 centimeters (the size of a dinner plate), providing accurate insights on all trees in the area of interest. The customer decides the frequency and timing of imagery acquisition and analysis. The results are available for viewing the next day. Alerts can also be viewed in our web-based application, satelytics.io, or our mobile app, Satelytics OTG™. Satelytics OTG allows viewing results and recording field notes and photos, even in areas lacking connectivity, thus facilitating continuous availability of results to field crews.

At the beginning of a project, Satelytics’ customers provide a shapefile for their transmission or distribution lines. They also supply us with the corridor width to be monitored, usually less than 200 feet on either side of the conductor. Satellite imagery swaths are wider than these buffer zones, meaning trees not within the customer’s management area are included in the survey. Every tree is cataloged, building an inventory of vegetative data for foresters and asset managers. Some of our T&D projects have hundreds of thousands of trees under watch so every threat can be monitored.

Drought, blights, wildfires, storms, and excessive moisture can cause trees to become unstable. Satelytics’ vegetation management solution pinpoints only the trees that are a clear and present danger to your assets, in or outside your ROW. Reach out today to find out how.