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Distribution Automation


A Grid With Multiple Applications

Examining the foundational elements in architecture decision BY TOM WILSON, Itron In recent years, the utility industry has seen a diverse set of use cases for Smart Grid deployments emerge. North American electric utilities are carefully considering architecture decisions to ensure that the...

Energy Storage & Grid Integration


Renewable Realities

Heavy incentives for small-scale distributed generation are floating around parts of Canada—and are growing globally. With large-scale generation becoming harder to build and having longer lead times, even utilities are looking favorably on small-scale distributed generation, such as residential...

Substation Automation T&D


Machine to Machine Communications

Connecting the ‘smart’ with the ‘grid’ with M2M technology BY JEFF DIXON, Freewave Technologies As the world becomes increasingly connected, the integration of smart devices and tools, such as sensors, process control devices, smart meters, and security cameras have increased the need for...

Asset Management & Maintenance


Coping with Extreme Weather Events

How to optimize the entire outage lifecycle BY RICK NICHOLSON, Ventyx The extreme weather just keeps coming. In 2012, there were 11 outages due to severe weather costing at least $1 billion. The year of 2013 had its share as well. More and more, the scale and variety of such major events are...

Utility Automation & Monitoring T&D


Protecting SCADA Systems with Defense-in-Depth Strategies

How utilities can utilize multi-layered security approaches BY RICHARD CLARK, InduSoft Defense-in-depth is a security strategy first developed by military leaders in which multiple layers of safeguards are placed throughout a system. The concept behind the strategy is that it is more difficult to...

Smart Metering T&D


Texas PUC Shelves $1B Grid Credit Mechanism

The Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) has unanimously decided to shelve the proposed $1 billion Performance Credit Mechanism (PCM) for power generators, concluding that it would not deliver the anticipated grid reliability benefits. The PCM was conceived as a means to incentivize power...

T&D Automation

Wireless Networks and Substation Automation

Fitting wireless networks into substation automation applications

BY ADAM GUGLIELMO, ABB Tropos Wireless Communication Systems

As with all Smart Grid applications, two-way communication is foundational to substation automation. To enable monitoring and control, substation computers, as well as computers located in utility operation centers, must exchange information with intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) throughout the substation yard. For new substations, both wired and wireless communications are options because the incremental cost of trenching to run cabling...

T&D Automation Articles