Reducing engineering costs using IEC 61850
BY ADAM GAUCI, Schneider Electric
As substation automation is moving towards software environments based on the International Electrotechnical Commission’s substation automation standard, IEC 61850: “Power Utility Automation”, the engineering process is becoming more complex. Consequently, a greater portion of the capital expenditure (CAPEX) budget is used to develop new—or upgrade existing—substations, especially in interoperable, multi-vendor environments. This can be attributed to the increasingly complex automation schemes which are now...
What to ask to ensure proper circuit breaker testing and maintenance BY ROBERT FOSTER, Megger Protecting a utility’s assets is essential. There are many different apparatus in electrical substations that need to be protected. The circuit breaker (CB) is designed to stop the flow of...
According to the American Public Power Association, squirrels are among the top causes of power outages across the United States. Depending on your geographic region, there may be no “quiet” season - squirrels and other “Critters” can be active all year long.Since...
Most utility customers now pay an average price for electricity that changes little (if at all) over the course of the year. Average, flat-rate, real-time pricing is akin to a form of insurance, where a premium is paid to hedge against market volatility and price spikes. Yet this approach misses...
Developing circuit breaker lubrication procedures BY RICK YOUNGBLOOD, Doble Engineering Company Circuit breaker analyzers are used to determine operating speeds and velocity. This information enables the tester to determine if a breaker is safe to place back into service. The data recorded by a...
From Hardwiring to Data Networking The modernization of substations is as much a communications revolution as a protection one. For decades, copper conductors carried analog signals from instrument transformers to relays and controls. Each new circuit meant more wiring, more panels, and more room...
Reliable and secure communication infrastructure is essential to the safe and efficient operation of the modern power grid. As utilities transition to digital substations, integrate distributed energy resources (DERs), and deploy real-time monitoring systems, the need for robust, scalable grid...
The power industry is undergoing a profound transformation driven by grid modernization, renewable integration, and increasing demands for resilience and efficiency. At the heart of this evolution lies the smart substation—a next-generation facility equipped with advanced sensors, digital...
The IEC 61850 protocol has become the global standard for substation automation, enabling high-speed communication, interoperability, and streamlined integration of intelligent electronic devices (IEDs). It plays a foundational role in transforming traditional substations into digital substations...
A coalition of large energy consumers and ratepayer advocates has filed a complaint with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), urging the agency to prohibit transmission owners from independently planning "local" transmission projects exceeding 100 kilovolts (kV). The coalition argues...
In the rapidly evolving landscape of power grid management, digital twin technology is emerging as a game-changer for substations. By creating virtual replicas of physical assets, digital twins bridge the gap between the physical and digital worlds, enabling enhanced operational efficiency and...
