The holistic monitoring of substation plant

Ideally, a holistic monitoring system would observe all significant substation parameters continuously and raise an alarm well in advance of any catastrophic failure. In practice continuous monitoring of all the parameters of interest may not be justifiable on economic grounds. Furthermore, what may be justified for primary substations or bulk supply points may not be so for distribution substations. The author lists the parameters identified as being the most important. The author suggests that under existing conditions continuous monitoring of some parameters plus the periodic interrogation of others, with the connection of water ingress prevention systems, is the most favourable solution