The control of electricity systems-adapting to and adopting new technology

The development since 1910 of electricity distribution control rooms and their wall diagrams, including ways of isolating parts of the network for work to be done, is reviewed. Modern developments are then examined. Telecontrol systems are used for operating and monitoring remote equipment. The integration of all information into one computerised data system is discussed, and the replacement of wall diagrams by screen displays is considered. The growing complexity of the system makes this ever more necessary; and the introduction of the integrated system may itself simplify the procedures used by removing the need for a centralised control room and allowing access to information from terminals anywhere. Control of a part of the system could be temporarily assigned to the engineer working on it, and he could isolate parts of it using remote, and even hand-held, terminals