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Asset Management & Maintenance


A Grid With Multiple Applications

Examining the foundational elements in architecture decision BY TOM WILSON, Itron In recent years, the utility industry has seen a diverse set of use cases for Smart Grid deployments emerge. North American electric utilities are carefully considering architecture decisions to ensure that the...

Energy Storage & Grid Integration


Deep Packet Inspection Firewalls

Protecting legacy SCADA systems from cyberattacks BY ERIC BYRES, Belden Over the past decade, the power industry has embraced network technologies such as Ethernet and transmission control protocol (TCP)/Internet protocol suite (IP) for supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) and...

Distribution Automation


Trends in SCADA Security

The importance of up-to-date critical system monitoring BY MARLEE ROSEN, Rosen Associates Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) networks contain computers and applications that perform critical capabilities in delivering essential services and commodities (for example, electricity,...

Utility Automation & Monitoring T&D


Smart Metering T&D


Extracting Value From Big Data

Moving forward with distribution automation and intelligent electronic devices BY JOHN MCDONALD, GE Digital Energy The ongoing rollout of interval (aka “smart”) meters and the resulting deluge of data have rightly received much attention and triggered the initial impetus for electric utility...

Substation Automation T&D


Distribution Grid Monitoring Technologies

How to improve situational awareness of grid operations BY MARK FEDERLE, QinetiQ North America The adoption of Smart Grid technology in recent years has accelerated the modernization of the electric utility grid. This is a positive development given that the grid infrastructure in North America is,...

T&D Automation

Security Protocols

Using enterprise tools to secure wireless field area communication networks

BY BERT WILLIAMS, ABB Tropos Wireless Communication Systems

Utility grid modernization applications such as automated metering infrastructure (AMI), distribution automation (DA), substation automation (SA), and mobile workforce automation, in short, the portfolio of applications known as Smart Grid, require two-way information flow. Systems that have traditionally used physically isolated, proprietary networks are evolving toward integrated, open standard, internet-protocol (IP)-based architectures to facilitate communications.

The...

T&D Automation Articles