Shockingly Simple: PoC Validates ROI of Advanced Sensors in Substation Modernization

According to a recent publication by the Heritage Foundation, the U.S. grid consists of 6,400 power plants, 3,000 companies, and 55,000 substations. These substations play a critical role as the high-voltage electric systems used to switch generators, equipment, and circuits in and out of the grid. Additionally, as distribution nodes on the grid, substations are crucial locations of focus for both grid modernization and integrating renewable energy sources as collection points of high-fidelity data on grid health, including transients, harmonics, temperature, and vibration. This data helps identify potential problems to improve overall grid stability and reliability and enables a "smarter" grid that can adjust power flow and react to changing demands more efficiently.

Whether a result of schedule maintenance or as part of an overall modernization plan, utilities can achieve not only a significant increase in operational capabilities of their grid but also a material reduction in costs associated with substations by replacing traditional VT/CTs with an advanced optical sensor platform. To prove and quantify the savings, a regional energy services and delivery company serving more than 3 million customers in New England recently completed a Proof of Concept (PoC) exploring the feasibility and advantages of utilizing an advanced optical platform for current and voltage measurement in substations, specifically utilizing MICATU brand sensors. The PoC project successfully demonstrated that optical sensors offer substantial benefits over traditional VT/CT configurations, including:

• Reduced Investment and Construction Costs: The PoC showed a 48% cost reduction for optical sensor installation compared to conventional VT/CTs with engineering and construction costs lowered by 83%. Additionally, the substation outage time for installation was reduced by 90%.
• Enhanced Safety: Optical sensors eliminate the need for direct contact with high-voltage equipment, minimizing worker exposure to electrical hazards.
• Space Efficeincy: Their compact design makes optical sensors ideal for legacy substations with limited space for conventional VT/CTs.
• Improved Data Acquisition: Optical sensors offer additional features like transient and harmonic measurement, providing valuable insights for system analysis.
• Simplified Integration: MICATU sensors feature "plug-and-play" functionality with RTUs using IP/DNP3 protocols, eliminating the need for additional communication equipment.

Challenges of Conventional VT/CTs

Traditional voltage and current transformers (VTs and CTs) present several challenges for modern substations:

• High Installation Costs: VT/CTs often require steel structures or concrete foundations for installation, increasing overall project costs.
• Space Limitations: Legacy substations may have limited space for bulky VT/CT configurations.
• Safety Concerns: Working with high-voltage equipment during VT/CT installation poses safety risks for personnel.
• Limited Data Acquisition: Conventional VT/CTs provide basic voltage and current readings, lacking capabilities for advanced data collection like transient and harmonic monitoring.

Technologically Superior

The MICATU platform offers a compelling alternative to traditional VT/CTs. They utilize light pulses to measure electrical signals, providing several advantages:

• Cost-Effectiveness: VT/CTs often require steel structures or concrete foundations for installation, increasing overall project costs.
• Safety: MICATU sensors eliminate the need for physical contact with high-voltage conductors, enhancing worker safety.
• Space Efficiency: Their compact design makes them ideal for retrofitting legacy substations with limited space.
• Advanced Data Acquisition: MICATU sensors can measure transients, harmonics, temperature, and vibration, providing valuable data for system analysis and predictive maintenance.
• Simplified Installation: MICATU sensors offer a "plug-and-play" design, readily integrating with existing substation RTUs using IP/DNP3 protocols.

Proof of Concept Results

In order to accurately represent installation as well as ongoing operational cost, the PoC considered the investment required in engineering, erecting, and construction of any necessary structures for both classes of sensors. Direct comparison shows the MICATU platform has advantages in installation as well as ongoing performance:

Substation Three Phase Installation Comparison

The PoC compared the performance of MICATU sensors with a newly installed set of conventional VT/CTs. The results were highly positive:

• Investment Cost Reduction: The PoC demonstrated the MICATU platform represented a 48% reduction in total cost while engineering and construction costs were reduced 83% compared to VT/CTs.
• Reduced Outage Time: The substation outage time for installing MICATU sensors was only 10% of the time required for VT/CTs.
• Space Efficiency: Their compact design makes them ideal for retrofitting legacy substations with limited space.
• Accuracy: The PoC confirmed that MICATU sensors deliver accuracy comparable to conventional VT/CTs (within +/- 0.5%).
• Additional Features: The PoC validated the functionality of MICATU sensors for transient, harmonic, temperature, and vibration measurement.

Conclusion and Recommendations

The regional utility’s PoC successfully demonstrated the viability and advantages of the MICATU platform for substation applications. Based on the documented findings, the utility’s strategy includes:

• Prioritizing the MICATU platform in New and Retrofit Projects: Their cost-effectiveness, safety benefits, and space efficiency make them ideal for both new substation builds and legacy substation upgrades.
• Utilizing MICATU Sensors in Space-Constrained Substations: Their compact design allows for installation in substations with limited space for conventional VT/CTs.
• Continued Evaluation and Expansion: While the PoC focused on a single installation, further evaluation and deployment across diverse substations is planned to solidify the long-term and compounded benefits of MICATU sensors.
• Additional Features: The PoC validated the functionality of MICATU sensors for transient, harmonic, temperature, and vibration measurement.

By adopting MICATU’s digital optical technology, utilities of all sizes can achieve significant cost savings, enhance worker safety, improve substation space utilization, and gain valuable insights into grid performance through advanced data acquisition. The fidelity and frequency of advanced grid-edge analytics only available on the MICATU platform collects more data on grid health, including transients, harmonics, temperature, and vibration enabling proactive identification of potential problems and improve overall grid stability and reliability. Equipped for better communication with other grid components, the MICATU platform enables a smarter and superiorly performing grid capable of adjusting power flow and reaction to changing demands more efficiently and cost effectively.

Get more key takeaways to lower total cost of ownership across other applications in our whitepaper: Optimizing Electric Grid Monitoring: A Roadmap to Lower TCO.