Substation Automation Technology

Reference Code: GDSG0003TA Publication Date: October 2010

Summary
Substation automation is one of the key first steps to achieving Substation Automation Value Chain
a smarter grid. Substation automation has been underway in
The substation automation process involves replacing legacy
the utility industry for many years since the advent of the
field equipment with “smart” field equipment (devices that
microprocessor relay. It helps utilities add sophisticated
support communication with other devices). There are three
protection and control functions while also providing greater
layers of vendors in the substation automation value chain. The
visibility on the performance and health of the grid
power equipment vendors provide field equipment, automation
infrastructure. Extending a secure, scalable communications
platforms and controllers. The second layer consists of grid
infrastructure to substations enables important IT applications.
communication equipment vendors with products such as IEC
These applications help utilities control and automate the grid.
61850 compliant routers and switches. The third layer consists
Condition-based and predictive maintenance programs benefit
of IT application vendors that provide SCADA, EMS and
from improved observation of asset health and accumulated
Distribution Management Systems (DMS). The major vendors
stress, enabling proactive maintenance that can avoid costly
in each layer are shown in the table below.
unplanned power cuts.

Substation Automation Table 1: Substation Automation Value Chain and Companies

Technology Software Distribution Management System & SCADA

Management &
Applications Telvent, ABB, OSI, ACS, Siemens, Survalent
Substation integration involves
integrating protection, control and data Substation Routing & Switching
Communication
acquisition functions into a minimal RuggedCom, GarretCom, GE, Hirshmann, Cisco, Motorola, Alcatel-Lucent
number of platforms to reduce capital RTUs / IEDs & Substation Platforms
and operating costs, reduce panel and Automation Platforms
& Controllers GE, Schneider Electric, Telvent, Rockwell, ACS, Cooper, Siemens,
control room space, and eliminate Novatech, DAQ, Subnet
redundant equipment and databases. Transformers, Circuit Breakers, Switchgears
Automation involves the deployment of Field Equipment
ABB, GE, S&C Electric, Siemens, ADD
substation and feeder operating
functions and applications ranging from Source: GlobalData

supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) and alarm

processing to integrated volt/VAR control in order to optimize
the management of capital assets and enhance Operation and
Maintenance (O&M) efficiency with minimal human intervention.
Basic substation automation has achieved a significant rate of
penetration in the US with upwards of 50% of distribution
substations having some form of connectivity.
Automation requires an IT application like a Distribution
Management System, SCADA and Substation Automation
System (SAS). The functions and uses of the different types of
equipment/components are discussed in the next section. The
different stages of substation automation are summarized
below.

Substation automation is the process of using the necessary

hardware and software to provide information exchange and
potential control between end devices (Intelligent Electronic
Devices) and another smart device (such as a server, Remote
Terminal Units, or communication processor) by various
communication methods and media. The information collection
point and control hub may ultimately be at a control center
where the SCADA/EMS (Energy Management System) is
located. In some instances, the information collection point and
control hub is located at the substation. This is the highest level
of substation automation.

GDSG0003TA / Published Month: OCT 2010

Substation Automation Technology Page 1
© GlobalData. This report is a licensed product and is not to be photocopied
 DOE (Department of Energy), only
Table 2: Stages of Substation Automation 30% of respondents (utility
companies) used PLCs in substations.
Stage 0 No automation technologies installed
Modicon is the clear leader in the PLC
Most equipment manually operated through local switching. Some market with almost half the market
Stage 1 programmable Intelligent Electronic Devices (IED) implemented, but no
share. Allen Bradley and Cutler
communications with central control room other than some monitoring.
Hammer make up most of the rest of
Some electromechanical devices remain. Installed IEDs are integrated, using this market.
Stage 2 two-way serial communications capability and no substation LAN, allowing
monitoring and control from the central control room. Substation controller/gateway
Some electromechanical devices remain. Installed IEDs are integrated, using The substation controller is a recent
Stage 3 two-way serial and/or LAN communications allowing monitoring and control development compared to either PLC
from the central control room
or RTU. Substation controllers
Installed IEDs are integrated, using LAN communications. Applications are run typically focus on communications
Stage 4 at the substation level to automate various substation functions with full control capability as opposed to analog input
from the central control room. and output field signals. Many have up
Source: GlobalData to 16 serial ports and one or more
Ethernet ports to allow these devices
to aggregate data from multiple IEDs and forward them to a
SCADA/EMS system. Many also allow an engineer to log in and
Substation Automation Technologies access the IEDs directly as well. Novatech is the leader by
Remote Terminal Units market share in this arena, with General Electric close behind.
Because Schweitzer Engineering Laboratory (SEL) and Subnet
Remote terminal units are programmable devices used to
Solutions both use Subnet’s software, Subnet/SEL could be
monitor the status of substation devices, gather basic metering
considered the third-largest supplier in this market.
data, and provide supervisory control capabilities with a remote
SCADA or EMS. Protective Relay

Legacy RTUs typically have basic digital and analog inputs and
outputs and one or more communication ports to connect to a
SCADA front end. Because these earlier RTUs were often
supplied by the same manufacturer as the SCADA system,
many of them support only the proprietary protocol supplied by
the manufacturer. They have limited onboard processing
capability and data storage. Smart RTUs have additional
communications and processing capability compared to legacy
RTUs.
From a communications perspective, smart RTUs typically have
multiple communications ports, often including Ethernet ports,
and have the capability to act as a “master” to poll data from
IEDs and forward it to a SCADA/EMS system. To accomplish
this, they support multiple protocols, including non-vendor
specific “open” protocols like DNP 3.0 and Modbus that are
used by multiple manufacturers. They also have additional
processing capability, often including the ability to incorporate
PLC (Power Line Communications) style program logic.
Programmable Logic Controller
Protective relays are used to protect critical and expensive
equipment such as transformers, generators, substation
buswork, and transmission and distribution lines. Relays use
current or voltage inputs from the equipment being protected to
sense faults or abnormalities. The protective relay is typically
used to detect conditions such as over-current, under-voltage,
over-voltage, under-frequency and over-frequency.
Differential protection senses the difference between incoming
current and outgoing current and assumes that if these are not
approximately equal, then there is an internal short circuit fault
and trips the protected equipment offline. Differential protection
is used to protect high-value assets including transformers,
generators, substation buswork and sometimes transmission
lines.
Distance protection is used almost exclusively for transmission
lines and uses voltage and current to calculate the line’s
impedance (similar to resistance). If there is a fault on the line,
the impedance changes, the relay senses this change, and
signals circuit breaker(s) to trip and protect the system.

PLCs provide many of the same functions as smart RTUs.
However, they are not nearly as popular as RTUs for substation
automation. This is partly because most utilities have
historically used RTUs, and because as a more generic
platform, PLCs require more programming than a typical RTU
to perform the same functions. In a survey conducted by the US
In transmission applications, protective relays are often in
redundant configurations. Two relays, often from different
manufacturers, are connected in parallel with the same inputs.
If either senses an abnormal occurrence, that relay will trip the
relevant circuit breaker(s). If they both sense the abnormal
occurrence, both will try to trip the breaker(s).

GDSG0003TA / Published Month: OCT 2010

Substation Automation Technology Page 2
© GlobalData. This report is a licensed product and is not to be photocopied
 Intelligent Electronic Devices (IED)
IEDs being implemented in substations today contain valuable
information, both operational and non-operational, needed by
many user groups within the utility. An IED is any device that
incorporates one or more processors with the capability to
receive or send data/control from or to an external source (for
example, electronic multifunction meters, digital relays,
controllers). IED technology can help utilities improve reliability,
gain operational efficiencies and enable asset management
programs including predictive maintenance, life extensions and
improved planning.
IEDs are a key component of substation integration and
automation technology. IEDs facilitate the exchange of both
operational and non-operational data. Operational data, also
called supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) data,
are instantaneous values of power system analog and status
points such as volts, amps, MW, circuit breaker status and
switch position. This data is time critical and is used to monitor
and control the power system (for example, opening circuit
breakers, changing tap settings and equipment failure
indication). Non-operational data consists of files and
waveforms such as event summaries, oscillographic event
reports or sequential events records, in addition to SCADA-like
points (for example, status and analog points) that have a
logical state or a numerical value.
Circuit breakers
These are high-speed switches that are designed to open
automatically in the case of an overload or short circuit. Unlike
most low voltage breakers, medium and high-voltage breakers
in substations typically rely on external devices (For example,
protective relays) to sense these conditions. They also can be
used for the routine switching or reconfiguration of power lines,
transformers and loads in and out of service.
Capacitor banks
They are used to support voltage, maximize power transfer
between substations, and inject reactive power to the system
without relying on rotating machinery (i.e., generators or
synchronous condensers). In transmission applications
capacitor banks are most often installed in series with the line,
whereas in distribution applications they are often installed in a
shunt configuration. Shunt applications usually require that the
capacitor bank be switched in and out so that they are on only
when required (For example, when the load is great enough to
cause the voltage to sag).
Benefits of Substation Automation
Automated distribution systems will have the capability to track
the performance of distribution assets (cables, transformers,
breakers, reclosers, sectionalizers, capacitors, regulators,
arresters, etc) in a much more detailed manner than they do
now. Loading information, operation history, and disturbance
Substation Automation Technology
characteristics can all provide information about the condition of
assets. This condition information can be used to make more
intelligent decisions about maintenance programs and asset
replacement strategies.
Reduce operations expense: The substation reduces
operational expenses by combining multiple controls and
monitoring systems onto a single IP network while helping to
ensure a higher priority for grid operational and management
traffic. This network convergence enables utility companies to
reduce power outages and service interruptions as well as
decrease response times by quickly identifying, isolating,
diagnosing and repairing faults. These improvements are
achieved through automation and flexible access to operational
control systems and better data correlation across multiple
monitoring systems.
Substation automation allows utilities to extract value from their
corporate networks by providing a remote workforce with
secure access to applications and data that are located in the
operations center.
Reduce capital expense: As demand for energy continues to
grow, utilities must find ways to generate power to meet peak
loads. As a regulated industry, utilities must provide power
regardless of the amount of power consumed. Utilities are
challenged to find new ways to shave the peak load to help
reduce costs and manage the supply and demand of energy
more efficiently.
Substation automation can be the enabling technology for
mass-scale peak load shaving and demand response, which
will reduce the need to build as many power plants to meet
peak demand.
Additionally, substation automation can reduce the expense
and complexity of dedicated control wiring between devices
found in many transmission and distribution substations today
by converging to an Ethernet-based network. Logical network
segmentation and the reconfiguration of IED connectivity are
much simpler to achieve. Point-to-point wiring not only is
expensive, but also increases the difficulty of fault isolation
detection.
Enable distributed intelligence: As network intelligence
expands beyond the control center out into the substations, new
applications can be developed that enable distributed
protection, control and automation functions. A distributed
intelligent network also introduces opportunities for new service
creation, such as business and home energy management.
Meet regulatory compliance: Various regulatory mandates
exist or are emerging which requires utilities to secure, monitor,
and manage their critical data networks in accordance with
regulatory requirements.
GDSG0003TA / Published Month: OCT 2010
Page 3
© GlobalData. This report is a licensed product and is not to be photocopied
 Improve grid security: Grid security is about creating a secure
end-to-end architecture that maximizes visibility into the entire
network environment, devices and events.
Substation automation enables an important part of the end-to-
end security architecture and allows network operators to
control network users, devices and traffic. Physical security can
be layered on top of this network security to create security
zones of access control, IP cameras for surveillance monitoring
and video analytics to protect and alert network administrators
to intruders.
Substation Automation Technical Issues
System Integration: The system must interface with all of the
IEDs in the substation. This includes polling the IEDs for
readings and event notifications. The data from all the IEDs
must be sent to the utility enterprise to populate the data
warehouse. The system processes data and control requests
from users and from the data warehouse. The system must
provide a generic interface to the IEDs. In other words, there
should be a standard interface regardless of the IED supplier.
System Architecture: The types of data and control that the
system will be expected to facilitate are dependent on the
choice of IEDs and devices in the system. This must be
addressed on a substation-by-substation basis.
Field Devices: Each electronic device (relay, meter, PLC) has
internal memory to store some or all of the following data:
analog values, status changes, sequence of events and power
quality.
Substation Data Concentrator: The substation data
concentrator should poll each device (both electronic and other)
for analog values and status changes at data collection rates
consistent with the utility’s SCADA system. The substation data
concentrator should maintain a local database.
SCADA System/Data Warehouse: All data required for
operational purposes should be communicated to the SCADA
system via a communication link from the data concentrator. All
data required for non-operational purposes should be
communicated to the data warehouse via a communication link
from the data concentrator. A data warehouse is necessary to
support a mainframe or client-server architecture of data
exchange between the system and corporate users over the
corporate WAN (wide area network). This setup provides users
with up-to-date information and eliminates the need to wait for
access using a single line of communication to the system,
such as telephone dial-up through a modem.
Substation Host Processor: The substation host processor
must be based on industry standards and strong networking
ability, such as Ethernet, TCP/IP, UNIX, Windows 2000 or XP
and Linux. It must also support an open architecture, with no
proprietary interfaces or products. An industry-accepted
relational database (RDB) with structured query language
Substation Automation Technology
(SQL) capability and enterprise-wide computing must be
supported.
Substation LAN: The substation LAN must meet industry
standards to allow interoperability and the use of plug-and-play
devices. Open-architecture principles should be followed,
including the use of industry standard protocols such as IEEE
802.x (Ethernet). The LAN technology employed must be
applicable to the substation environment and facilitate
interfacing to process-level equipment (IEDs and PLCs) while
providing immunity and isolation to substation noise.
User Interface: The user interface in the substation must be an
intuitive design to ensure effective use of the system with
minimal confusion. An efficient display hierarchy will allow all
essential activities to be performed from a few displays. It is
critical to minimize or, better yet, eliminate the need for typing.
There should be a common look and feel established for all
displays.
Communications Interfaces: There are interfaces to
substation IEDs to acquire data, determine the operating status
of each IED, support all communication protocols used by the
IEDs, and support standard protocols being developed.
Data Warehouse: The corporate data warehouse enables
users to access substation data while maintaining a firewall to
substation control and operation functions. Both operational and
non-operational data is needed in the data warehouse. To size
the data warehouse, the utility must determine who the users of
the substation automation system data are, the nature of their
application, the type of data needed, how often the data is
needed, and the frequency of update required for each user.
Communication Protocols in Substation
Automation
A communication protocol allows communication between two
devices. The devices must have the same protocol (and
version) implemented. Any protocol differences will result in
communication errors. The substation integration and
automation architecture must allow devices from different
suppliers to communicate (interoperate) using an industry-
standard protocol. The utility has the flexibility to choose the
best devices for each application, provided the suppliers have
designed their devices to achieve full functionality with the
protocol.
The use of international protocol standards is now recognized
throughout the electric utility industry as a key to successful
integration of the various parts of the electric utility enterprise.
One area addresses substation integration and automation
protocol standardization efforts. These efforts have taken place
within the framework provided by the Electric Power Research
Institute’s (EPRI’s) UCA.
Merger of UCA with IEC 61850: In 1995 IEC Working Groups
began developing IEC 61850, “Communication Networks and
GDSG0003TA / Published Month: OCT 2010
Page 4
© GlobalData. This report is a licensed product and is not to be photocopied
 Systems in Substations”, which defines a standard
protocol for substation control and protection, Figure 1: Protocol Usage Among Utilities
including alternate communications stacks to be
used with a standard substation-defined object-
oriented user layer. The 10 existing parts of 61850
have been issued as international standards,
although future revisions are likely as field
installations reveal issues and shortcomings.

Distributed Network Protocol (DNP): The

development of DNP was a comprehensive effort to
achieve open standards-based interoperability
between substation computers, RTUs, IEDs and
master stations (except inter-master-station
communications) for the electric utility industry. The
short-term benefits of using DNP are:
interoperability between multi-supplier devices,
fewer protocols to support in the field, reduced
software costs, no protocol translators needed, Source: GlobalData / US DOE
shorter delivery schedules, less testing,
maintenance and training, improved documentation,
independent conformance testing, support by independent user
Impact of IEC 61850 Standards on Substation
groups and third-party sources (for example, test sets and
Automation
source code). In the long term, further benefits can be derived
from using DNP, including easy system expansion, long product Utilities and industries have long been seeking a global
life, more value-added products from suppliers, faster adoption communication standard to facilitate fully integrated and truly
of new technology and major operations savings. interoperable substation automation systems. Under the
umbrella of the International Electrical Committee (IEC),
Communications Protocol Application Areas: There are
representatives from both utilities and suppliers have jointly
various protocol choices depending on the protocol application
developed the new standard IEC 61850 “Communication
area of your system. Protocol choices vary with the different
Networks and Systems in Substations”. Gaining acceptance
application areas. Different application areas are in different
worldwide, IEC 61850 is the first and only global standard that
stages of protocol development and industry efforts.
considers all the communication needs within substations.
Within the Substation: The need for a standard IED protocol
The general scope of the standard is designed to support the
dates back to the late 1980s. IED suppliers acknowledge that
communication of all functions being performed in the
their expertise is in the IED itself – not in two-way
substation. Its main goal is interoperability: this is the ability for
communications capability, the communications protocol, or
IEDs from one or different manufacturers to exchange
added IED functionality from a remote user. Though the
information and use the information for their own functions.
industry made some effort to add communications capability to
Moreover, the standard allows free allocation of these functions
the IEDs, each IED supplier was concerned that any increased
and accepts any system philosophy, from a distributed
functionality would compromise performance and drive the IED
architecture (such as a decentralized substation automation) to
cost so high that no utility would buy it. Therefore, the industry
a centralized configuration (RTU based, for example).
vowed to keep costs competitive and performance high as
standardization was incorporated into the IED. The standard separates the functionality represented by the
data model and the related communication services from the
Substation-to-Utility Enterprise: This is the area of traditional
communication implementation (stack). This makes the
SCADA communication protocols. The Data Acquisition,
standard future-oriented, taking into consideration that the
Processing and Control Systems Subcommittee of the IEEE
development in communication technology is moving quicker
PES Substations Committee began developing a recommended
than the development of the functionality in the field of
practice in the early 1980s in an attempt to standardize
substation automation, including protection.
master/remote communications practices. At that time, each
SCADA system supplier had developed a proprietary protocol
based on technology of the time.

GDSG0003TA / Published Month: OCT 2010

Substation Automation Technology Page 5
© GlobalData. This report is a licensed product and is not to be photocopied
 The data model of the standard is an object–oriented one, The IEC 61850 represents the first world-wide standard for all
grouping the data into the smallest possible sets referring to the interoperable needs in a SAS (Substation Automation System)
smallest possible functions to be implemented independently. environment. This standard gives the user the freedom of
These smallest possible data groups or functions are named choice when selecting equipment from different vendors and
logical nodes. The logical nodes and all data and attributes allows the user to easily integrate the chosen equipment.
contained are named according to a standardized semantic,
IEC 61850 running on an Ethernet-based station bus reduces
which is mandatory.
wiring and commissioning time by providing one common
Each IEC 61850-compliant IED may be configured using its platform for all communication within the substation.
dedicated tool. However, all these IED-tools have to be
Engineering expenses play an important role in the SAS life
compliant with IEC 61850. This means that the reading,
cycle costs. The IEC 61850 with its standardized substation
handling and writing of configuration files has to be according to
configuration language reduces the engineering effort. This is
the Substation Configuration description Language (SCL) of
becoming more relevant when implementing complex functions
IEC 61850 as regards the standardized data model, the data
using IEDs from different vendors, in other words, carrying out
access (services) and all communication connections. This
substation integration.
allows the system integrator to use understandable data from
all devices (independently of the supplier) to build the complete The IEC 61850 separates the application and data model from
system and to assure data consistency. the real communication network (today 100Mbit/s Ethernet).
This means further and new innovation of communication
Advantages for the users/utilities
networks can be easily adapted in the future.
The new global standard IEC 61850 comprehensively
addresses customer requirements for fully integrated substation Disclaimer
automation systems and is therefore increasingly gaining
All Rights Reserved.
acceptance with utilities, industry and suppliers all around the
world. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means,
The integration of third party equipment is facilitated and the
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise,
use of a common language (SCL) avoids ambiguities.
without the prior permission of the publisher, GlobalData.
Engineering data stored as SCL files can be reused, for
The facts of this report are believed to be correct at the time of
example in the event of extensions (additional bays) or
publication but cannot be guaranteed. Please note that the
refurbishment.
findings, conclusions and recommendations that GlobalData
As the new standard IEC 61850 covers all communication delivers will be based on information gathered in good faith
needs within a substation, it also defines the communication to from both primary and secondary sources, whose accuracy we
and from the process level, especially the transporting of are not always in a position to guarantee. As such GlobalData
samples (“process bus”). Therefore, choosing IEC 61850 as the can accept no liability whatever for actions taken based on any
communication standard means the users keep the doors open information that may subsequently prove to be incorrect
for further optimization possibilities like usage of unconventional
current and voltage transformers.
The standard does not impose any restriction concerning the
system architecture. The standard defines common naming for
a common understanding. The introduction of the IEC 61850-
based solutions means an investment into a system that can
incorporate future technologies. It takes into account the
possible evolution of the technology, for example the
introduction of the process bus with new sensors and actuators.
The standard IE 61850 gives a methodology that can be
applied in other applications such as wind farms, hydropower
plants and distributed energy resources (DER).

GDSG0003TA / Published Month: OCT 2010

Substation Automation Technology Page 6
© GlobalData. This report is a licensed product and is not to be photocopied