Case Study: Hawaiian Electric Company achieves faster fault detection and reduced outage times with FreeWave's wireless M2M solution

Using Fault Circuit Indicators and Wireless M2M Communications at Hawaiian Electric

Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO), which serves 95% of Hawaii’s residents across multiple islands, faced growing demand and the challenge of locating and isolating distribution-line faults quickly in rough, remote terrain and unpredictable weather. HECO needed a reliable, long-range M2M communications solution to support Fault Circuit Indicators (FCIs) so operators could pinpoint faults faster and reduce customer outage times without costly or fragile infrastructure.

HECO partnered with FreeWave and Power Delivery Products to embed FreeWave FGR2-PE radios in FCI sensors, delivering industrial-grade Ethernet connectivity, strong RF performance and up to 60 miles LOS range. FreeWave was the first vendor to establish a reliable link in Oahu’s harsh environments; FCIs were deployed island-wide beginning in late 2012, enabling real-time fault data, faster isolation and response, reduced outage duration, improved reliability and better customer service.

Hawaiian Electric Company