Department of Energy Awards Exclusive License to Colorado Engineering Firm

 

Press Release – June 25, 2010

Boulder/Broomfield, Colorado

 
 

DOE formalizes contract for high-voltage worker safety instrument with Advantage Electronic Product Development

 

The U.S. Government, through the Department of Energy, has granted Broomfield Colorado firm: Advantage Electronic Product Development an exclusive domestic and international license to all product development, manufacturing and sales of their patent pending concept for an industrial safety instrument under the government’s technology transfer program. The instrument designed to be used in high-voltage environments is designed to enhance safety for lineworkers. The wireless communication protocol for the instrument is utility favorite, Zigbee. Advantage has already begun the design phase of this wireless electronic product that will greatly increase safety for power & utility companies. Advantage will develop the instrument’s electronics, software and packaging. It will also perform marketing, product roll out and support.

 

“Every year, workers are seriously injured; some fatally, while working in high-voltage environments. With the development of this instrument, the DOE and utility companies will be better able to protect workers in the field. DOE believes that safety is paramount when working with high-voltage in transmission and distribution environments. Increased demand for infrastructure as the country implements Smart Grid technology and introduces more alternative energy sources also increases the probabilities for specific hazardous conditions. We are honored to be able to design such an important instrument.” said Advantage president and CEO, Jody Singleton.

 

The electronics engineering firm is recognized for its expertise in instrumentation development. 16 years of leadership in Smart Grid development, support of renewables/energy, space, earth sciences, and eco-friendly electronic products has placed Advantage at the forefront of instrumentation technologies. An excellent example was a 2009 NASA contract, where Advantage was engaged to design a flight qualified radiation detecting dosimetry instrument for astronaut medical safety on the International Space station.

 

Safety engineers with the U.S Department of Energy decided to address the issue that despite the extensive safety practices used by workers, severe accidents and fatalities still occur. The Department’s point of view is: “The Department and its contractors remain firmly committed to ISM (Integrated Safety Management). The Department of Energy’s Heath, Safety & Security, ISM Integrated Safety Management) as first defined in 1996. The objective of ISM is to perform work in a safe and environmentally sound manner. More specifically, as described in DOE P 450.4, Safety Management System Policy: “The Department and Contractors must systematically integrate safety into management and work practices at all levels so that missions are accomplished while protecting the public, the worker, and the environment. This is to be accomplished through effective integration of safety management into all facets of work planning and execution.” Therefore, DOE selected Advantage for the development of the new instrument designed to improve the safety of high-voltage workers.

 
The Electric Power Research Institute – (EPRI) has invited Advantage to demonstrate it’s first prototypes at the Lineworkers Conference in the High-Voltage Transmission Laboratory in Lenox Massachusetts September 29, 30 2010.
 
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