We hear more and more

the monitoring and

control of networks.

The electrical network monitoring and

control market

But do we know exactly

what it means?

WHAT YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER

In this first chapter, we

are going to find out
how the monitoring
and control market is
segmented.

The 2 priorities of any electrical network operator are to reduce the

cost of the electricity product while ensuring continuity of service.
The monitoring and control market breaks down into 3 broad segments:
Transmission where the requirement is centred on real time
control with management and optimisation operations on networks comprising
production units and EHV substations.
Energy

Energy Distribution where the requirement is centred on real time

network control and in particular network reconfiguration of MV/HV and
MV/LV substations should a fault occur.

where the requirement is centred on network control to

guarantee the availability and quality of the energy at the lowest cost.

Industry-Building

Where are the candles, boss?

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The electrical network monitoring and control market

2 PRIME CONSIDERATIONS:
COST AND CONTINUITY

The 2 priorities of any network operator are to reduce the

cost of the electricity product while improving the continuity
of service.
Any electrical network operator must take care to reduce the cost and
improve the quality of the electricity product.
In all countries, the unit cost of the electricity product in kWh is now a
priority requirement.
in

EHV production and transmission (energy), it must be kept sufficiently

competitive with other sources of energy.
Privatisations in the energy sector make this requirement even more poignant.

in

industry-building, to reduce the process cost price by reducing the

energy bill.
Quality of energy supply is in the process of becoming a new prime
consideration.
in

energy, to maintain a good image in the eyes of the consumer, but

even more pressing is the need to reduce network down time, and the
corresponding lower level of invoiced energy.

in industry-building, to monitor the availability and non-disruption of the

kWh used by the process and to explore the opportunities for applying
tariffs that reflect down time and the quality of the current purchased.

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The electrical network monitoring and control market

DIGITAL SYSTEMS
OPEN UP OPPORTUNITIES
IN MONITORING AND
CONTROL

The advent of digital systems in monitoring and control

has enabled optimised operation of electrical networks.
Until now electrical networks were protected by devices such as electromechanical,
electronic and digital protection relays. Monitoring and control already existed
in the form of metering equipment (such as ammeters, etc.) and indicators
(status lights, push-buttons, etc.).
The advent of digital systems in monitoring and control has enabled new
standard functions to be developed and has had a radical effect on
network operation and maintenance. It has enabled optimised operation of
electrical networks.
With the benefit of Monitoring and Control, the operating company is kept
informed of the network status and thus had at its fingertips the data it needs
to analyse and control the electrical installation (in some cases assisted by
automatic controls).

BEING INFORMED
The monitoring or supervision function of an installation
The operating company has all the data on its network in real time:
locations of devices, configuration mapping of the network, metering at
various points in the network, alarms, etc.
ANALYSING DATA
Data logging function
The data provided to the operating company may be preprocessed to
make it easier to use:
archived for access should the need arise (e.g. to analyse an incident).
formatted to simplify interpretation.
alarm related messages, etc.
OPERATING THE INSTALLATION
Telecontrol function
The standard function is telecontrol whereby the equipment is operated
remotely. This network control system may have a number of automatic
controls such as power source transfer, reconfiguration of an MV loop
following a fault, etc.

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The electrical network monitoring and control market

3 BROAD MARKET
SEGMENTS

It is usual to think of the electrical network monitoring

and control market as having 3 segments:
Energy transmission
Energy Distribution
Industry-Building

ENERGY TRANSMISSION
where the requirement is centred on the production units, EHV substations
and HV/MV substations.
ENERGY DISTRIBUTION
where the requirement is centred on HV/MV substations and MV/LV substations.
INDUSTRY-BUILDING
where the requirement is centred on HV, MV and LV electrical distribution.
Unless the market segment is defined, the matching of user requirements
to monitoring and control systems supply is meaningless. The importance
of each monitoring and control function and the type of solutions adopted
depend on the end user.
A substation and network monitoring and control package is a crucial link
for a Transmission & Distribution application.

Electrical substation
HV equipment
Transformers
MV equipment
Local
incorporation

+
Network monitoring
Substation monitoring
Network protection

=
Network
T&D
application

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The electrical network monitoring and control market

REMINDER

Each MT application is segmented according to 3 standard P&C

configuration levels:

Level Equipment: monitoring the energy network and the order of tripping
of break mechanisms. Protection relays are interlinked to each HV bay in
EHV transmission and to each circuit breaker cubicle in MV distribution
(RSN and MV/LV).
Level substation: operating and maintaining a substation locally and
managing data exchange for remote operation. Substation monitoring
systems are interlinked to an EHV, RSN, or MV/LV substation.
Level network: operating and maintaining the telecontrol network of electrical
substations. Control is in terms of EHV transmission network substations,
those of the MV distribution network (RSN and MV/LV substations) or all of
the substations of an electrical installation in the industry-building sector.

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IN GERIN
MERL

IN GERIN
MERL

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The electrical network monitoring and control market

REMINDER (contd)

Monitoring and control systems are increasingly integrated

into the MV equipment engineering business.
Historically monitoring and control has always existed:
on an MV cubicle: provided by electromechanical protection relays linked
to a local monitoring and control station whose functions were carried out
by metering equipment (ammeters, voltmeters, etc.) and monitoring
devices (status lights, push-buttons, etc.).
in a substation: provided by a wallboard made up of status lights and
push-buttons.
the transition to digital systems has radically changed protection
products (Sepam) that have now integrated local monitoring and control
functions into the MV cubicle.
the vast opportunities for teletransmission linked to protection products
throw the monitoring arena wide open to equipment engineering companies.
The MV panel builder business is branching out: from cabling work it has
ventured into engineering design, programming, parameter setting,
beyond the supply of plain MV panelboards.
the transition to digital systems has had a dramatic effect on MV
equipment which is now considered more in terms of performing an
electrical function in an electrical network.
But we must not lose sight of the fact that supervision is not an end in
itself for our customers, but a means of improving the efficiency of their
electrical network.

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The electrical network monitoring and control market

THE ENERGY
TRANSMISSION SEGMENT

We mention this segment for information purposes only. It is restricted to

specialists handling very large projects.

Customers range energy producers, to transmission

providers and consumer centres in the form of HV/MV
substations.
The target network is made up of production units (power stations) and
EHV substations.
The requirements are centred on real time network control, in
particular, network management and load optimisation operations
(Energy Management System).
Monitoring and control combines:
a remote control centre (dispatching),
a set of telecontrolled EHV substations,
a set of power generating stations to be managed,
a teletransmission network.
The control centres are data processing rooms communications are generally
transmitted over specialised, dedicated telephone lines.
Substation telecontrol requires substations to be equipped with an RTU
(Remote Terminal Unit) interface function.

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The electrical network monitoring and control market

THE ENERGY
DISTRIBUTION SEGMENT

The customers are utilities managing MV networks.

The target networks are made up of HV/MV and MV/LV substations
(overhead and underground).
The companies (Energy Distribution) running these networks have to offer a
competitively priced and quality electricity product, this strengthens the
interest in telecontrol for MV/LV substations.
Nowadays most utilities employ telecontrol to manage their MV network.
The requirements are centred on real time network control, in particular
when reconfiguration operations have to be made following breaks on
MV distribution loops.
Where monitoring and control comes into its own is in reducing the down time
on these networks, and thus the disruptions to users.
The cost of undistributed energy is a decisive economic factor in the decision
to use telecontrol on MV distribution networks.
The privatisation of the Distribution sector is making the requirement all the
more urgent.

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The electrical network monitoring and control market

Monitoring and control combines:

a remote control centre for the whole of the network,
a set of HV/MV and MV/LV substations adapted for telecontrol,
a communications system linking the control centre and these substations.

THE ENERGY
DISTRIBUTION SEGMENT
(contd)

The control centres are data processing rooms with terminals manned
round the clock by operators running the network.
The HV/MV or MV/LV substations can be telecontrolled by RTUs (Remote
Terminal Units) and incorporate additional monitoring and control functions.
Communications are made either by:
specialised, dedicated telephone lines to the HV/MV substations,
radio, telephone or MV current mode to the MV/LV substations.

Network control center

Operation
Operation
Reconfiguration
Load management
Specialized lines

Radio / Phone / PLC

HV-MV substation control

data logging

local control

remote control

RTU

MV-LV substation control

protection & control
Protection

Automation

Control

remote control

Measure

local control

remote control

RTU

RTU

Wiring

Wiring

Wiring
Wiring

HV

MV

MV

MV

RMU

MV

MV

RMU

LV

LV

MV

MV

MV

MV overhead
switch

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The electrical network monitoring and control market

The monitoring and control of an HV/MV substation combines 3 main

functions:

MONITORING AND
CONTROL OF AN HV/MV
SUBSTATION

data exchange to and from the control centre (RTU)

local control of the substation (PC screen or wallboard)
recording of all events in the substation (data logger).

2 technologies are used:

as many devices as there are functions and thus large
amounts of cabling in the substation.
integrated: a digital system that processes all the functions and provides
data exchange via an FIP type local network in the substation.
conventional:

Wiring

Bus

data logging

local control

remote control

data logging

local control
wallboard

RTU

remote control

RTU
Wiring

protection & control

Protection

Automation

Control

Measure

Protection

Wiring
Wiring

HV

Measure

Wiring
Wiring

MV

Integrated solution

Control

HV

MV

Conventional solution

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The electrical network monitoring and control market

MONITORING AND
CONTROL OF AN MV/LV
SUBSTATION

The monitoring and control of an MV/LV substation combines 5 main

functions:
data exchange to and from the control centre (RTU)
detection in the event of an MV fault (fault sensor)
supplying energy to operate MV equipment when the MV network is not

powered (charger-rectifier-battery)
interfacing with MV equipment
local control (often limited to push-buttons, status lights or simplified
terminals).
To reconfigure an MV network which is out of service, the utility has smart
points on the MV loops (2-3 per loop as a rule). These points are MV/LV
substations (underground/overhead) that are telecontrolled from a network
control centre. Thus the operator loses no time in isolating the part of the
MV network that is down and restoring supply to the maximum number
of users.
The monitoring and control of an MV/LV substation processes the following
functions:
interface with the MV switches,
interface with the network control center,
flow detection of the MV fault current,
charger-battery,
man-machine interface,
enclosure with environmental hazard.

MV-LV substation control

remote control

local control

remote control

RTU

RTU

Wiring

Wiring

MV

MV

RMU

MV

MV

RMU

LV

LV

MV

MV

MV

MV overhead
switch

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The electrical network monitoring and control market

MONITORING AND
CONTROL OF AN MV/LV
SUBSTATION (contd)

The configuration of the monitoring and control of an MV/LV substation can

be depicted as follows:

Communication
medium
Radio/Phone/PLC

Teletransmission device

Cabinet
MV
Apparatus

MV network
control
function

Sensors
Current
Voltage
Energy

MV Eqt
interface

Local
control

RTU
Data
processing

MV fault
Automation

Power supply/Battery

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The electrical network monitoring and control market

THE INDUSTRY
BUILDING SEGMENT

The customers manage the electricity at industrial or

commercial facilities connected to the MV and LV networks.
The networks do not cover a wide geographical area.
The MV and LV networks, generally linked to stand-by sources (MV and LV
generator sets), are interlinked through a monitoring and control system
common to the electrical installation.
The requirements are centred on the availability of energy (depending
on how sensitive the customers process is) and its cost (reduction of
the electricity bill).

Reduce cost-billing
Check quality supply

UTILITY

ELECTRICAL
SUPPLY

Size and
maintain
electrotechnical
equipment
Get updated
image

Improve reliability
Manage cost for account
Measure quality
PROCESS
FACILITIES

Get safety

Industry-Building monitoring and control combines 4 main functions:

energy cost savings through tariff management
safety through a centralised alarm system
control via the remote control of electrotechnical equipment
event log-assisted maintenance.

Monitoring and control consists of:

a network monitoring and control station
devices in the substations that interconnect with MV and LV equipment
a communications system between the various elements
possibly plcs to manage load shedding/restoring, source management.

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The electrical network monitoring and control market

THE INDUSTRY
BUILDING SEGMENT

The network monitoring and control station is often an easy-to-use PC, that
enables an operating company to detect (via alarms, meters, etc.) and act
promptly (by telecontrol of an MV circuit breaker, etc.).

(contd)

The products used in the electrical substations or MV, LV panels are generally
protection devices that communicate directly with the monitoring terminal
(e.g. Sepam 2000).
Communications are via bus or digital systems that considerably
simplify the cabling in the installation (e.g. J-Bus, Batibus, etc.).

Network

control center

Operation

Substation

data logging local control remote control

protection and control

MV switch

Equipment

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The electrical network monitoring and control market

The monitoring and control market can be summed up in the form of a

customer /level of monitoring and control table

SUMMARY TABLE

Customers: Energy Transmission/Energy Distribution/Industry-Building.

Level: Equipment/Substation/Network.

THE MT APPLICATIONS OF THE P&C MARKET

Energy

Industry/Building

Transmission Distribution Distribution EHV substations HV/MV substations MV/LV substations

Electrical distribution
HV + MV + LV

Network
control

EMS

DMS

DAS

RTU
Substation
control
Network
protection

Control of
EHV substations

RTU

Control of
Control of
RSN substations MV/LV substations

Transmission
Distribution
Distribution
protection devices protection devices protection devices

Electrical
control
of networks

Distribution and machine

protection devices

EMS : Energy Management System (transmission network management system)

DMS : Distribution Management System (distribution network management system)
DAS : Distribution Automation System (distribution network operating system)
RTU : Remote Terminal Unit (local data acquisition unit in a substation)

THE SCHNEIDER P&C OFFER

Network
control

Energy

Industry/Building

Transmission Distribution Distribution EHV substations HV/MV substations MV/LV substations

Electrical distribution
HV + MV + LV

Milnium 8800

Milnium 8500

Milnium
8200 - 8100

Talus
Substation
control
Network
protection

Sprite

ISIS 7000

ISIS 2000

ITI/Telpam/TC

S range

Sepam

VIP

SMS/
ISIS 1000

Circuit monitor*
Sepam

*Circuit Monitor: LV or MV PowerLogic metering device without protection function.

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