Electricity Today T&D Magazine

INTRODUCTION
In 2005 an article about toughened glass insulators (TGI) titled “Return to Clarity” was published. Fifteen years later, this sequel article by a team including the two original authors, picks up where the former concluded with optimism about the future of TGI technology in the USA. Thanks to the deeper understanding of TGI, we are witnessing today a new age of toughened glass insulators. The built-in characteristics of Sediver TGI’s provide safety, reliability and resilience, which yield measurable cost savings. This sequel article will further explore these attributes which are being recognized by a growing number of line crews and asset managers responsible for maintaining their HV lines.

HISTORICAL OVERVIEW
TGI technology was first introduced by Sediver in Europe in the early 1950s, and found its way to North America in the 1960s. With the advent of polymer technology in the 1970s, attention quickly turned to its promise for...