Watch the birdie! [overhead line faults]

Electrical faults on transmission lines are an important source of power disturbances. These faults have a variety of causes, including fires, lightning, insulator pollution, animal electrocutions, and equipment failure. Important faulting mechanisms that have hitherto been largely overlooked are bird streamers. In this article, the role of bird streamers as a faulting mechanism are discussed, as well as remedies to reduce the problem. Results obtained in South Africa through the application of remedies are presented.