Integrating technology in National Grid USA´S distribution substations

National Grid USA´s electricity delivery network includes approximately 12,000 miles of transmission lines, 72,000 miles of distribution lines, and more than 1,200 substations across New England and New York. It serves 3.2 million customers with a service territory running from the Atlantic Ocean to Lake Erie. This paper describes the philosophy and evolution of a standard substation design that integrates the technologies associated with protection and control. The design has reduced the number of components and therefore the amount of space needed for the control house. The overall cost of the secondary systems has been reduced while dramatically increasing their functionality. The architecture of the substation will be described, along with the features that allow the gathering and display of information from within the substation for operations. It also provides selective information remotely for system control and engineering, providing faster diagnostic and hence faster response time to power system disturbances. The paper will conclude by showing how the modular approach taken allows parts of the design to be taken and used directly in smaller applications, where an entire substation is not being built. Conversely key elements of the design are now being used in larger transmission stations, in order to provide more comprehensive local display of information and diagnostics and accelerate the engineering and design time for major transmission stations.