GE MULTILIN HELPS MUNICIPAL UTILITY TAKE CHARGE IN DEREGULATED ENVIRONMENT
06 March 2003 - GE Industrial Systems

An integral part of the station's design was the implementation of Universal Relay (UR) technology from GE Multilin, which is used to support remote monitoring, protection, control and communications functions. Devices used in the design include ten F60 Feeder Management Relays, three C60 Breaker Controller Relays, two T60 Transformer Protection Relays, and two D60 Line Differential Relays for backup line protection.

Erik Veneman, Engineering Supervisor Distribution for Cambridge Hydro, says that the utility's move to construct its own substation is the beginning of a trend for municipal utilities wanting to better manage capital costs and overall management of their assets. 'Before market deregulation in Ontario, stations were built for municipal utilities by the provincially owned utility Hydro One. Construction costs were recovered through the transformation portion of the rates. In the new environment with the current retail price caps on electricity, recovering costs through rate increases is not an option, so other avenues need to be explored. We knew that building our own site to increase capacity would allow us to control station design and construction schedules, as well as provide us with a potential source of revenue through increased system load .'

Veneman says the project also provided them with a unique opportunity to explore new technologies, including the UR. 'It had the open communications capability and flexibility we needed to work more efficiently. There was simply no comparison with any other product out there. The savings in wiring alone are substantial. The UR's compatibility with other systems - including Cambridge Hydro's and Hydro One's SCADA systems - simplified fulfillment of our needs immensely.'

He adds that another integral part of the design was the PowerLink advanced substation graphical user interface (GUI) software and GE D20 substation controller at the site from GE Power Systems.

The PowerLink software provides an invaluable on site monitoring and troubleshooting tool, while the D20 controller communicates with other GE devices connected to the fiber network, allowing Cambridge Hydro to access information and remotely view multiple points on the SCADA system. This capability facilitates remote troubleshooting and substantially reduces the need for site visits. 'Basically, we get a lot more information back than ever before.' says Veneman. 'We can program the relay to identify which protection element and phase caused the outage on our feeder from our head office, saving us a trip to the site. In addition, real time monitoring of the gas level for our two power transformers is reported back to the control room so that the condition of transformer insulating oil is always available.'

Mike Coleman, Sales Manager, Americas and Europe for GE Multilin, says that Cambridge Hydro is an excellent illustration of how municipal utilities with tight budgets can take control and obtain the benefits of current technology without depending on outside resources. 'Most if not all are working with restricted resources and have less latitude in terms of what they can do,' he says. 'Cambridge Hydro was able to look beyond their limitations to leverage current technology and develop a solution that would suit their capacity requirements, while allowing them to gain more control over their operational functions. Thanks to innovative technology from GE, Cambridge Hydro is well-positioned for the future.'

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