tion world is now abuzz regarding IEC 61850, which is arguably the next step in utility communications standards. IEC 61850 moves away from the “data points” concept and gives all data standardized names which can be read by human beings and machines alike, reducing configuration time and errors by as much as 75 percent. It also includes a set of high-speed peer-to-peer protocols for use in protection tripping and waveform transfer in real-time over the LAN. IEC 61850 may soon be used between two substations or between substations and control centers.

Most of IEC 61850 is not practical for use in distribution feeder automation in the near future, however. The bandwidth required will not be available until more high-speed wide area networks are used out to the pole-top.

The Future of DA Communications

As you can see, there is no one “best” solution for all utilities. However, some trends can be expected.

• More and more intelligence will be moved out to the pole-top, and these smarter devices will be communicating peer-to-peer to implement advanced auto-restoration algorithms.

• More bandwidth will be available as new wide-area wireless technologies, such as WiMAX filter in from the commercial computing environment.

• DA is likely to become integrated with advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) for customer meters, since both applications must share the same geography and many of the same problems. There are significant gains in reliability and efficiency that

can be achieved, such as faster outage detection and cheaper capacitor control, when metering data is used in the DA system.

 

The biggest challenge, as always, remains the business case for DA. However, many utilities are beginning to realize that DA, when based on a well-planned communication network, can be the foundation of a truly intelligent grid: one that does not just react to emergencies, but predicts and prevents them. ❮❮

 

Bob Uluski is a senior consultant for EnerNex Corporation. He has assisted a number of electric utilities with distribution automation projects that involved planning, business case development, implementation and training.

Grant Gilchrist is a consulting engineer for EnerNex Corporation. A recognized expert in data communications for the electric power industry, he has worked extensively in utility communication architecture development and standards.

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