FLIR Systems Insights from the Field: How thermal cameras safeguard remote substation perimeters

Security personnel must be able to quickly detect unauthorised vehicles and individuals at critical infrastructure sites.

Without intrusion detection, entities like electrical substations can be subject to physical attacks. 88 percent of substations experience at least one break-in every year and 10 percent see more than 20 intrusions in the same time frame, according to CIGRE, a global electricity industry organisation.

To safeguard remote substations from external threats, electric utilities are relying on durable thermal cameras for superior monitoring and protection.

Remote substation security

The failure of a key substation caused by a security breach would have a debilitating effect on homeowners, businesses and mission-critical infrastructure.

While physical security is a top priority for utilities, designing, installing and operating a perimeter system requires skill.

Remote location, limited network connectivity, minimal lighting, internal security audits, and compliance with North American Electric Reliability Corporation are some of the challenges that both substation security directors and system integrators face.

Perimeter Intrusion Detection System (PIDS)

Since its arrival on the mainstream security scene a few decades ago, thermal security cameras have quickly become the optimal solution for remote substation perimeter security, due to their ability to monitor perimeters day and night in adverse weather conditions as well as in harsh environments.

Thermal cameras measure the minute differences in heat signatures emitted by objects and people to produce high-contrast images and reliable intrusion detection. They enable security personnel to detect an intruder before they ever reach the perimeter for early intervention.

Sensor quality

FLIR's perimeter cameras offer the widest selection of lenses and detection ranges, adaptable to both large and small deployments As the industry front-runner in advanced thermal technology, FLIR provides the best sensor quality available.

FLIR’s total security solution featuring a diverse suite of perimeter cameras offers the widest selection of lenses and detection ranges, adaptable to both large and small deployments.

FLIR’s track record of success is just one of the reasons why utilities choose FLIR cameras time and again.

Design recommendations

When deploying thermal cameras at substations, there are several factors to consider to optimise performance. Here are some tips from the FLIR experts.

Identify What One Needs to Protect: Assess the substation’s unique needs, define one's threats, and determine which area one needs to monitor.

• For rural or small substations miles away from the nearest city, position one's cameras so one has a solid view of the outside perimeter. If anyone approaches, one wants to have ample warning.
• For substations in urban areas that are next to public lands and walkways, it may not be cost-effective to look out as pedestrians can easily generate nuisance alerts. In these scenarios, thermal cameras that survey the interior of the substation may be the better option.

Make the Most of Existing Infrastructure: Thermal cameras must be mounted at a minimum of 12-15 feet above the ground. However, some substation fences are only 6-8 feet tall.

In this case, consider mounting cameras on telephone poles or tower structures. Utilising these existing structures instead of digging new trenches can save one both time and money.

Select the Right Camera for your Application:

• For small substations that are less than an acre, deploying a couple of FLIR Elara™ FC-Series ID cameras, which feature onboard analytics, along the fence line will often do the trick.
• For short to mid-range needs, the FLIR Elara FB-Series is a great, economical option.
• Install a visible camera or a camera that provides both thermal and optical imagers, like FLIR Saros™ DH-390 Dome at the gate, to monitor general traffic.
• For larger substations (around two acres) that are high-value sites, consider deploying a mix of FLIR FC-Series ID cameras with the FLIR Saros™ DM-Series to cover the fence line.
• Additionally, mount a pan-tilt camera with both visible and thermal streams, such as the FLIR Elara™ DX-Series or FLIR Triton™ PT-Series, to look around the perimeter for superior monitoring and threat assessment.

Choose the accurate software

As a final consideration, choose the right software to streamline management, operations, and functionality.

• For large applications where customers need to manage surveillance, access control, radar, and other disparate systems on one platform, consider command and control software.
• For enterprise-level surveillance operations, a video management system is optimal and for small applications using just a few cameras, a network video recorder is sufficient.

Regardless of the size of the project, partner with an expert team that can help assess, design, installs and program the right system for one's application.