Transmission Tower Signage.

Protecting safety and budgets. Tower signage with 4x the lifespan.

Transpower, New Zealand’s national grid operator, was replacing tower signage every seven years—meeting standard specs, but at a steep long-term cost.

Partnering with their tactical engineering team, Identimark modelled the savings of switching to U3 signage with a 32+ year lifespan.

The results were clear: millions saved over time, fewer contractor visits, and safer, more compliant assets. That insight led Transpower to update its national signage standard, and overhaul how it protects critical infrastructure.

What needed to be solved.

Transpower’s original tower signage met industry specs—but only lasted about seven years in the field.

With thousands of transmission assets across the country, the cost of replacements, contractor time, administration, and risk added up fast.

Signs were fading well before the asset’s useful life ended, creating safety and compliance issues and adding strain to asset management teams.

Key challenges included:

Short signage lifespan: Frequent replacements inflated costs and drained resources.

Safety risk exposure: Faded or missing signs increased the likelihood of accidents.

Inefficient standards: Specified materials weren’t aligned with asset longevity goals.