How to Permanently Enhance Electrical Safety in Just Two Months

Reimagining Electrical Safety with Permanent Solutions

Invenergy, a global leader in sustainable energy solutions, took the initiative to enhance their electrical safety practices and operational efficiency through a pioneering collaboration with Grace Technologies. This proactive approach demonstrated their commitment to staying at the forefront of the industry and significantly improved their operations.

By incorporating ChekVolt into their Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) procedures, Invenergy witnessed a remarkable transformation. They experienced a significant reduction in electrical hazards, a substantial boost in productivity, and a streamlined path to compliance with safety standards. This case study delves into the tangible benefits of ChekVolt, showcasing its real-world impact on operations.

Meet The Hero: Invenergy’s Journey to Enhanced Safety

Invenergy, a true leader in sustainable energy, embarked on a quest to enhance their LOTO procedures. Their existing methods, while effective, were time-consuming and posed significant risks without an innovative approach to electrical safety. The stakes were high: maintaining compliance with stringent safety regulations, minimizing downtime, and protecting their workforce from electrical hazards.

Invenergy sought a solution that could streamline their LOTO processes, ensure compliance with safety standards, and mitigate risks associated with electrical maintenance. LOTO violations are among OSHA's top-cited violations, underscoring the critical need for effective and compliant safety procedures. Without an innovative solution, Invenergy risked regulatory penalties, potential accidents, and operational inefficiencies.

The discovery of ChekVolt through a trusted colleague marked a turning point. ChekVolt offered a non-fused voltage test device compatible with bus connections, providing a safer and more efficient method for absence of voltage testing. The integration of ChekVolt promised to simplify LOTO procedures, enhance safety, and ensure long-term compliance with OSHA and NFPA 70E requirements.

Grace Technologies and ChekVolt were the perfect fit for Invenergy's operations for several reasons:

• Expertise in Electrical Safety: Grace's reputation for innovative visual voltage indicators and electrical safety solutions made us a trusted partner.
• Tailored Solutions: ChekVolt was designed to meet the specific needs of industrial applications, offering high impedance-protected voltage absence test points and clear LED voltage presence indicators.
• Proximity and Support: Being an American company based in Davenport, IA, Grace provided Invenergy with the opportunity to visit our factory, witness the manufacturing process, and gain confidence in the product's quality and reliability.

Invenergy, working in close collaboration with Grace Technologies, successfully integrated ChekVolt into their solar projects, setting a new standard in the industry. By adopting ChekVolt, Invenergy enhanced their safety protocols and set an example for other organizations to prioritize electrical safety and leverage innovative solutions like Permanent Electrical Safety Devices (PESDs).

About ChekVolt: The Permanent Solution for Electrical Safety

ChekVolt is Grace’s most advanced PESD designed to ensure electrical safety during maintenance procedures. It allows for safe and compliant absence of voltage testing with multimeters, making it an essential tool for qualified electricians.

The device features redundant LED voltage indicators and high impedance-protected test points, providing a visual reference that confirms the presence or absence of voltage. This helps prevent accidental contact with live voltage, a critical safety concern in industrial settings.

LOTO and absence of voltage testing are inherently risky due to the potential for arc flash and shock hazards. Arc flashes can result in severe burns, injuries, and even fatalities, while electric shocks can cause serious harm or death. ChekVolt mitigates these risks by providing a safe and reliable method for verifying the absence of voltage, ensuring that maintenance personnel are protected from these dangerous events.

Key Benefits of ChekVolt:

• Enhanced Safety: ChekVolt reduces the risk of electrical hazards by providing clear visual indications of voltage presence and allowing safe testing of voltage absence.
• Compliance: It ensures compliance with OSHA and NFPA 70E standards, making it easier for companies to meet regulatory requirements.
• Efficiency: By streamlining LOTO procedures, ChekVolt significantly reduces downtime, improving overall operational efficiency.

Results: The Outcomes Achieved

By integrating ChekVolt into their utility-scale solar inverters with ~630VAC bus connections, Invenergy achieved remarkable results:

• Time Savings: The ChekVolt significantly reduced LOTO procedure times, saving approximately 2 hours per inverter. This efficiency minimized downtime and allowed for faster and safer maintenance operations.
• Compliance and Safety: The high impedance-protected test points ensured compliance with OSHA and NFPA 70E requirements. They also enabled safe and efficient absence of voltage testing, preventing accidental contact with live voltage.
• Operational Efficiency: Streamlined troubleshooting and maintenance processes, particularly during unplanned maintenance, reducing the need to take entire feeders offline.

Steps To Results: Implementing ChekVolt for Maximum Impact

Invenergy’s ChekVolt implementation began as a mission to improve safety and compliance. In the process, the company also gained reduced downtime thanks to the efficiency of PESDs. The following steps illustrate how Invenergy and Grace Technologies achieved these goals by successfully integrating ChekVolt:

1. Discovery: Invenergy identified ChekVolt as a potential solution through a colleague and recognized GracePESDs reputation for visual voltage indicators. They collaborated with Grace Technologies and a US-based distributor to integrate ChekVolt into their projects.
2. Motivation: Invenergy sought a safer and more efficient LOTO process and needed a non-fused voltage test device compatible with bus connections.
3. Integration Process: Invenergy visited Grace’s Davenport factory to witness the manufacturing process. Within two months, they piloted ChekVolt at a solar site, installing it on utility-scale solar inverters.
4. User Feedback: The installation process was straightforward, with site technicians appreciating its ease of installation and the ability to perform LOTO procedures independently.
5. Time Savings and Compliance: ChekVolt proved invaluable during planned annual maintenance and unplanned faults, ensuring compliance and significantly reducing downtime.

New ChekVolt PESD Innovations

Whether you are in the solar, EV, or other industry, we have a ChekVolt variant tailored to your specific needs. Each variant is engineered to provide maximum safety and productivity, ensuring compliance with OSHA and NFPA 70E standards. Recognizing the diverse needs of various industries, Grace offers multiple ChekVolt variants:

1. ChekVolt AC3: Ideal for environments with single-phase power applications up to 1000VAC.
2. ChekVolt DC2: Perfect for solar panels and EV charging stations with two-wire DC systems up to 1000VDC.
3. ChekVolt DC3: Designed for three-wire DC systems up to 1000VDC, ensuring compatibility with specific installation standards.

The Broader Impact and Future Directions

Invenergy's integration of ChekVolt has transformed their LOTO procedures, ensuring safer operations and reducing downtime. This success story highlights the positive impact of incorporating innovative electrical safety products like ChekVolt into industry-specific operations.

Grace Technologies remains at the forefront of electrical safety, empowering organizations to achieve a safer, smarter, and more productive future. The best part is you can accomplish the same results with ChekVolt by requesting a sample today. Ensure your operations are safe and efficient by integrating ChekVolt into your LOTO procedures today.

Missed Kevin's insightful webinar titled 'Enhancing Electrical Safety for Higher Voltage DC Systems'? Renewable energy sources like solar power and electric vehicles bring environmental and economic benefits but also introduce new electrical safety challenges with increasing DC voltages.

Kevin's webinar provides an overview of current safety standards in renewable energy, identifies hazards, and offers recommendations to enhance safety and performance in solar power and EV infrastructure. Don't worry if you missed it—you can watch it on-demand now!