Infrared Scans

Electrical equipment failure is almost always preceded by an increase in resistance and a subsequent temperature rise. With an Infrared Scan from Alliant Energy's PowerCure™ Services, you can pinpoint hot spots, prevent costly downtime and protect your business.

How an Infrared Scan works

Poor electrical connections cause an increase in resistance, which results in an increase in temperature. An infrared camera can find electrical problems before they cause serious destruction of equipment - and expensive outages.

Alliant Energy's certified thermographers use portable infrared imaging cameras to scan your low- and high-voltage systems, capturing temperature difference in colorful images. If a potential problem exists, the infrared image pinpoints the exact areas of temperature rise.

Infrared can spot loose or corroded connections, overloaded circuits and transformers, current imbalances between phases, defective fuses, mismatched overloads and faulty contacts inside a circuit breaker. Infrared scans can also be used to detect chemical contamination, faulty assemblies, wear, and energy loss from buildings due to insulation problems.

Cost-effective predictive maintenance

The cost of an eight-hour scan, from initial consultation to final report, is usually less than $1,000. Scans are usually completed within a day and are performed while equipment is running — requiring no downtime. You'll receive a thorough report with infrared photos showing any problems, their severity and recommended actions.

View a sample Infrared Scan report [PDF]

As part of a comprehensive predictive maintenance plan, an annual infrared scan can allow you to schedule maintenance, preventing unplanned downtime. Scans also help you maintain a safe working environment, reducing the risk of catastrophic failure and fire - and possibly reducing insurance costs.

Contact your Alliant Energy account manager to learn more about Infrared Scans

Equipment:

Replacement cost:

400 amp 480V 30 fused disconnect

$800-1,000

50 kVa 30 dry type transformer

$1,000-1,200

400 amp 480V 30 distribution pane

$1,200-1,500

Four-bulb T-8 fluorescent fixture

$1,500-1,800

600 amp 480V 30 molded case breaker

$2,400-3,000

600 amp 15 kV 30 fused disconnect

$7,000-9,000

10 feet of 2,000 amp 480V 30 bus duct

$8,000-10,000

2,000 amp 30 draw out circuit breaker

$12,000-15,000

2,000 kVa 13 2,000/480V oil-filled transformer

$25,000-$30,000