Remote data monitoring and data analysis for substations: A case study in implementation

Today´s intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) and robust communications processors contain large amounts of valuable substation data that have been available for years but largely overlooked. Initial integration efforts by most vendors focused solely on providing data access and control of Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) type data from the IEDs to replace separate SCADA hardware such as RTUs. Following the RTU replacement method led many vendors to use SCADA protocols to retrieve these data for use in supervisory operation. Choosing to use SCADA protocols, such as Modbus^®, DNP, and UCA led to the problem that data unsupported by these protocols were trapped in the IED and unavailable. Stranded data include historical performance information, equipment monitoring data, device diagnostic data, automation data, as well as settings and configuration information. A few innovative utilities have been managing these data through remote monitoring and making them available for use by all divisions of the company. Today´s data tools and communications methods allow every utility to take advantage of these data to truly manage their power systems. This paper is a case study of remote data monitoring and data analysis design and techniques. This remote monitoring technology greatly reduces power system operation and maintenance (O&M) costs while providing valuable information to system planning and operating departments.