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To: Roy F who wrote (882)	7/23/2001 8:06:23 AM
From: robert b furman	Respond to of 7249

To Thread, Say you run an electric company.Last night you just experienced a huge lightning storm.Two transformers took voltage spikes and need to be replaced. Do you: Send out two trained workers in a company car with a 20 pound fog current sensor or do you call for a crane and h.d. trailer.Send them to a storage yard with a team for operating the crane and a team for installing the transformer(described by Martin as the size of a truck). The fog sensor can be placed inside the building, the transformer is isolated out on a cement perch which undoubtedly must be reinforced by rebar to support it's weight. Once the transformer that is damaged is removed - it would be prudent to inspect the isolation perch as well as all of the wires that go to and from the transformer. You begin to see the cost picture (all at union labor rate scales). So as a component manufacture - the cost of the component could be very equivalent and yet the statement that the fog current sensor is much cheaper to use can very credibly be made. Martin has differentiated the cost savings as within a $1000.However it seems to me, he left the door open for higher margins on the higher voltage sensors - in that they require more associated costs.These are just perceptions - but I think they hold water. JMHO It wouldn't take much of a rocket scientist to see which product makes life easier - the fact that it also cuts down on manpower requirements and initial inventory dollar levels and speed of application/recovery all add up to what should be a slam dunk towards quick implementation - even in the stodgy utility industry. I too want to keep this thread's expectation realistic.However if you told me how to do something better ,faster and all at a lower cost - it would take me about a heart beat to get behind such a program.These are the purposes of conventions and industry groups.I think they will spread the word much faster than expected. Afterall in some states electric companies compete for business.This moves electric companies to be efficient providers. Cost savers aren't looked down on they are looked for. This is not every where and it is a new concept.I got a phone call saturday from Shell energy asking me to grab my power bill for a savings analysis.This product is coming to the market just perfectly, as the industry evolves into a competitive marketplace. The power of this force has yet to be determined and is reason for optimism. JMHO Bob