Consultant calls for a better way to corral stray voltage

Thursday, December 18, 2008

© Copyright AgMedia Inc

by BETTER FARMING STAFF

A consultant who measures stray voltage on farm properties says the Ontario Energy Board’s proposed solution doesn’t go far enough.

Lorne Lantz, one of about 12 who responded to proposed amendments to the Distribution System Code, says he hopes the Board “doesn’t stop at lowering the neutral to earth voltages.”

Farmers at a meeting he attended last year in Toronto had experienced problems even after introducing strategies to mitigate stray voltage. He’s also witnessed the problem on six farms. It’s a clear indication that something else is going on, he says. “What they’ve done should have helped them.”

Lantz, an electronics technician who lives near Wellesley, suspects currents returning through ground to substations are causing the problem.

If so, he fears one common strategy of lowering voltage levels - adding rods to direct currents to ground - will simply generate more problems for farmers.

The Plante family, who milk 70 cows on a farm near New Liskeard, wonders if “earth currents” might be the source of problems in their barn.

“We’re losing about $150,000 a year,” says Raymond Plante. “We never fill our quota and we lose cows.”

Plante says his hydro company checked the problem in 2000 and didn’t find any stray voltage.

Lantz tested the property last summer and found evidence of stray voltage. The family persuaded Hydro One to introduce mitigation.

But problems persisted. Animals lost weight and had poor appetites. Calves died. Raymond says doctors haven’t been able to find causes for ailments that he and his wife, Germaine, have experienced.

Raymond’s son Gilles says Lantz wants him to set up some more tests. They’ll have to wait because the snow is too deep.

Released Oct. 31, the Board’s proposal calls for amendments to the Distribution System Code requiring electrical distributors to use professionally qualified people when investigating a complaint and follow a specified investigation procedure; take steps to reduce to an established safe level any stray voltage attributable to the distribution system; and develop and make available its process for responding to farm stray voltage inquiries and customer complaints.

The comment period closed Dec. 5.

Paul Crawford, a spokesman for the Board, says next steps involve reviewing the comments and deciding whether the proposal needs to be changed.

The Board is also preparing to issue another proposed amendment that deals with the method of investigation. “It’s a detailed technical procedure,” says Crawford.

It too requires public feedback.

Crawford couldn’t predict how long it would take to complete the amendments.

“We’re coming to the end but it will still take a bit of time,” he says. BF