Fall 2013 e-News 12 6 13 FINAL.pdf - Quanta Technology

QT e-News™

QUANTA TECHNOLOGY’S ONLINE NE WSLE T TER

Volume 4, Issue 4 • Fall/Winter 2013

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Lessons We Learned from SandyBy Le Xu, PhDQuanta Technology Advisor

Extreme weather events and preparation for the damage they cause are nothing new to the electric utility industry. Electric companies have long prided themselves on the ability to respond to emergency conditions by marshal-ling large numbers of men, equipment and materials and working around the clock to restore power to their customers. Over time this capability has steadily improved with use of better emergency planning methods, appli-cation of outage management technologies, and efforts to avoid damage through design and construction enhancements generally referred to as storm hardening.

The northeastern United States experienced unusual and in some cases unprecedented storm activity in 2011 and 2012. Hurricanes Irene (2011) and Sandy (2012), the October 2011 snowstorm and the nor'easter that soon followed, Tropical Storm Lee, and other routine winter weather in the region resulted in more frequent and longer outages than

normally experienced. Similar to the hurri-cane activity in Florida in 2004 and 2005, the number of storms in consecutive years has drawn the attention of the public, legislators, regulators, and of course the utility industry. These events have once again shown the need for continuous attention to emergency operations planning and for consideration of damage mitigation strategies. Quanta Tech-nology has recently been engaged with New

York utility companies in review of storm hardening initiatives and assessment of approaches to increasing infrastructure resiliency based on recent extreme weather experiences.In the wake of Sandy, several study commis-sions in the State of New York were assem-bled, each of which reviewed preparedness and response to the storm. The various commission reports also included climate

Lessons We Learned from Sandy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Letter from the President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 2Multi-Function High-Voltage Sensors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 4The Power System of the Future . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 8

Applied Research & Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 11Results Oriented Asset Management (QT-ROAMSM) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 12GOAT Generator Siting Capabilties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 13International Spotlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 14

Continued on page 3

Inside This Issue:

Aerial view of the aftermath of superstorm Sandy (Oct. 2012)

Quanta Technology's

QT-ROAMSM

Result Oriented Asset Management Program (See page 12 for details)

QUANTA TECHNOLOGY’S e-NE WS

LE T TER FROM THE PRESIDENT

Looking Back to the FutureDear Colleagues, This is the time of year when we look at all we have accomplished and contemplate the future. Similarly, we can examine the achievements and technological advance-ments of the power utility industry that way, knowing that there is so much more progress that we will make in the coming years and decades.In this edition of the QT e-NewsTM newsletter you will find:• A contemplative article about the lessons we've learned when extreme events like super storm Sandy devastate our infrastructure and how we can better prepare for the next disaster.• How our "smart" grid is getting smarter with the assistance of multi-function, high-voltage sensors being the eyes and ears of the electric power system, enhancing parts of the system in addition to substation protection and automation.

• What the power system of the future will look like. Three trends, traditional systems, microgrids, technology adoption and making the best with what is available all play into the new melting pot of power systems – the "hybrid".

• Quanta Technology's investment in the future of our industry through Applied Research and Development. In order to better serve our clients, it is increasingly important to identify opportunities, provide leadership and develop new technologies with the aid of our new Applied R&D group.

• The introduction of an asset renewal program used to maintain accepted levels of Transmission and Distribution performance, called QT-ROAMSM (Results Oriented Asset Management). It has successfully been used to justify projects, as well as support the planning process and forecast operational performance.

• How to best pinpoint and qualify the best location for constructing new gas fired generating plants. Quanta Technology's proprietary GOAT (Grid Optimization Analysis Technique) is flexible and able to be customized.Quanta Technology wishes you and your familes a Happy Holiday and prosperous New Year filled with exciting accomplish-ments.Sincerely,

Damir Novosel and the Quanta Technology Team

"Applications of Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs) for Integration of DER in Modern & Future Power Distribution Systems," by J. Romero Agüero, F. Katiraei, E. Udren, L. Yu, M. Lelic, W. O’Brien (SDG&E), T. Bialek (SDG&E) – DistribuTECH 2014"Creating a Sustainable Protective Relay Asset Strategy," by A. Feathers (PG&E) and E. Udren – DistribuTECH 2014"Performance Driven Asset Management at International Transmission Company (ITC)," by D. Morrow – DistribuTECH 2014"Smart Substations: Protection, Control, Communications, Wide-area Measurements & Enterprise Applications," by E. Udren and D. Boroughs – Utility University (UU 103), DistribuTECH 2014"Challenges and Opportunities of Distributed Energy Resource Integrations," by E. Liu – IEEE Asia Pacific Power and Energy Engineering"Arrowhead to Western 345 kV Line History & Commissioning Experience," by S. Salem and D. Herbst (Realtime Utility Engineers) – 49th Annual Minnesota Power System Conference"Protection & Control Design for Wind Farms & Solar PV Plants," by F. Katiraei – CEATI Protection & Control Task Force 2013 Workshop "Real-Time Simulation Testing of Complex Protection Schemes – A Case Study," by J. Holbach, S. Ward, E. Clark (FPL) – Western Protective Relay Conference "Economic Benefits of Energized Work - A methodology and case studies," by D. Elizondo – CIGRE Grid of the Future Symposium"Digital Protection – Past, Present and Future," by E. Udren – CIGRE Grid of the Future Symposium"Accidental Islanding of Distribution Systems with Multiple Distributed Generation Units of Various Technologies," by T. Chang, F. Katiraei, C. Sun (PG&E) – CIGRE Grid of the Future Symposium"System Protection & Defense Plans for Power Systems," by D. Elizondo – COCIER, Colombia "Planning Flexible Energy Systems," by D. Elizondo – COCIER, Colombia

Quanta Technology Presentations & Publications


change studies which were focused pursuing the question of what could be the "new nor-mal" for extreme weather activity. The climate change reports consistently suggest continual increases in average temperatures, rainfall and sea level. They also indicate an increase in the number of extreme heat and cold events. In other words, weather patterns that are more extreme than historically experi-enced. At a minimum, a rise in sea level puts more land area at risk for flooding and surge damage from even a moderate storm than would have been experienced in the past. Regardless of one's opinion or position on climate change and global warming, the ex-periences from Sandy, Katrina, the Derecho and other notable events in all areas of the country suggest that utility executives must be prepared for the next big storm, which may be far more severe than what has been the historical benchmark for their company. Preparation for the next extreme event of unknown character is the challenge.

Flood RiskA lesson from Sandy is that utilities may not be adequately prepared for flood risk from major weather events. The Sandy experience showed that flood risk sources such as FEMA flood maps and NOAA slosh maps may not reflect current conditions. Climate predictions of sea level rises and more intense rainfall events raise the risk of flooding and over-wash from hurricanes or flash floods from intense rainfall. Utility facilities that have historically been out of a designated flood risk area may now or soon be at risk. As any utility company evaluates their system for weather exposure, risk of flood and storm surge conditions should be considered.

System design criteria address the mechani-cal ability of structures to withstand the weight of the components and the added load due to wind and/or ice as well as the electrical safety concerns. The majority of power systems are designed and maintained for normal weather con-ditions since it is not economical to design the system, especially distribution systems, to withstand extreme weather like hurricanes. Instead, the primary focus is on efficient restoration after the major events. As a part of comprehensive asset management, there are major industry initiatives to harden distribution systems. Hardening can be expensive, but it can result in reduced restoration costs and shorter restoration times. Also it will improve the system reliability during normal weather conditions.

Devil in the Design DetailsBased on Quanta Technology's experience in various related studies with utilities and com-missions, it is clear that broad prescriptive approaches to storm hardening are generally not cost-effective. However, certain targeted vegetation and hardening approaches can be cost-effective such as focusing on critical circuits, important structures, and structures that are vulnerable during extreme weather.

In order to develop an effective storm hard-ening plan, factors including design criteria,

maintenance practices, and risk assessment have to be carefully examined in addition to the cost-benefit assessment. Utilities need to first clearly un-derstand the performance of its existing structures by examin-ing the age and condition of the poles and examining the actual loading on the structures. With a full understanding of the structures' current capability,

vulnerability to probable extreme weather events can be assessed. A comparison can also be made with a desired or targeted weather withstand capability. This facilitates development of a comprehensive approach which can then be evaluated for economic benefit. There are multiple variations and options for engineering design to achieve a storm hard-ened condition. The cost of hardening can be extreme, and even when justified, a sound basis for project prioritization is needed. A comprehensive approach that begins with the current status of the system infrastructure considering age, condition, loading, and weather exposure is the first step in under-standing risk for extreme conditions.

Managing Extreme EventsThe IEEE PES General Meeting in Van-couver this year included a well-attended Late Breaking News (LBN) session orga-nized by the Technical Council in order to share recent, important issues affecting our industry. As regular sessions are planned a year before the meeting, this "super" session, presented by industry leaders, addressed topics of urgent interest and impact.

A number of extreme events, on which this session focused, have affected power grids around the world, including an increase in weather related events (hurricanes, floods, droughts, wildfires, tropical cyclones, wind and ice storms), acts of vandalism and wide-area outages.

Lessons We Learned from Sandy — Continued from front cover

Continued on page 4The risk of floods and overwash is more evident with increases in sea level and intense rainfall events.

System hardening is primarily thought of for hurricanes.


Multi-Function High-Voltage SensorsKey to Enhanced Power System Operation & AutomationBy Farnoosh Rahmatian, PhDQuanta Technology Senior Director & Executive Advisor

Wide-area blackouts, such as the ones in India, Southern California and Mexico, em-phasize needs for better grid management.

These extreme events have changed the societal mindset and a new sense of urgency has been brought to all energy issues, includ-ing expectations for very reliable power grid operation. Regulatory bodies ask their utilities to investigate vulnerability, hardening options and how to restore the system faster. Furthermore, as the increased use of natural gas continues, addressing interdependency with electric power is becoming an important issue, including availability and delivery to gas power plants and electrical power delivery planning.

These Late Breaking News super sessions and panel discussions were chaired by Quan-ta Technology's president, Damir Novosel, along with Co-Chair, SCE's Juan Castaneda. Hot topics discussed included:• Challenges & Solutions for Gas & Electrical

Interaction• Northeast Storm Experience & Improve-

ments• Storm Hardening & Preparedness• Hardening Grid Against Vandalism -

Metcalf Substation Event• Technology Innovations to Improve

Response to Extreme Events Using Microgrids for Disaster Recovery

• Modeling & Simulating High-Impact System Events

• Innovation in Customer Communication during Big Events

• Lessons Learnt from Indian Blackout & Future Solutions

These presentations can be seen on YouTube™ (www.YouTube.com) – keywords: IEEE PES Late Breaking News.

Lessons We Learned fromSandy— Continued from page 3

2012 New York City blackout, overhead view.

Continued on page 5

High-voltage (HV) measurement devices, such as voltage and current transformers (VTs and CTs), have long been a key part of substation protection and automation sys-tems. More advanced multi-function sensors can integrate voltage and current measure-ments with various functions and support a variety of applications concurrently.To date, smart sensors have been used in a limited number of applications, mostly in HV transmission systems. However, use of multi-function high-voltage sensors is accelerating in both transmission and distribution substations. In fact, use of smart sensors is becoming prevalent even outside the substation as key elements of distribution automation (DA) systems in today's move towards a smarter grid.At the recent Cigré Canadian Technical Conference in September, Farnoosh Rahmatian of Quanta Technology and Wenpeng Luan of the State Grid Smart Grid Research Institute of China collaborated on a technology deployment roadmap for maximizing value to power system operation and automation. This article examines the transition to multi-function voltage and current sensor systems in the evolving power systems.

Toward a Smarter GridVoltage and current measurement devices are essentially the "eyes and ears" of the electric power system. The measurement function has enabled several other key func-tions, including equipment and system protection and control, revenue metering and event analysis. For example, voltage and current transformers (VTs and CTs) have been an integral part of substation protection and automation for decades. Naturally, the transition to a more modern and dynamic electric power grid can take advantage of more advanced "eyes and ears," with accuracy over a wider dynamic range, wider bandwidth and safer design. Availability of cost-effective, high-performance voltage and current sensors is a key enabler for the implementation of a more intelligent grid.System-wide sensing and measurement is a key characteristic of a smarter grid. The present electric power infrastructure was built using solid engineering principles, relying on over-design and conservative planning. The demand on the electric power grid has contin-ually changed over time, and this change is happening at a more rapid pace in the recent years. There are several key factors that are accelerating this change, including:

• More interest from the energy users (end customers) to be involved in the energy use and management process, partially fuelled by rising energy prices and interest in energy conservation, as well as interest in deploying more environmentally friendly solutions.

• The demand on the electric power system continues to increase while the environmental and economic pressures on investing in traditional supply and transmission have also increased; thus, we are trying to get more out of the present infrastructure.

• Our way of life is more dependent on the availability of reliable electric power than ever before (e.g., computers, smart phones, etc.). The electric power infrastructure has become the most critical infrastructure affecting our daily lives, productivity and recreation.

Conference Report


Multi-Function High-Voltage Sensors — Continued from page 4

The promise of a smarter grid is a grid that is used more efficiently, can accommodate various sources of energy at various points in the grid (including renewables, like solar and wind), and provide more choice for the energy users, while remaining economical, reliable and dependable. To accomplish this, real-time (or near real-time) monitoring and control of the system is necessary, and voltage and current sensors are critical components of this control loop.

RequirementsThe requirements (also see [1]-[4]) that voltage and current sensors need to satisfy can be divided into three general categories:

Environmental Performance Asset ManagementBased on where and how a physical device is installed and used.

Governed by the functions and applications that the measurementsare (or will be) serving.

Life-cycle looks at the total cost/value of own-ership and necessary infrastructure to support/maintain the system.

• Safety and high-voltage withstand capability• Ability to withstand and function under "the elements", including temperature range, pollution, solar heating, wind, rain and snow• Physical size and dimensions, preferably compact size (simplifying transport and installation) and compatibility with other HV equipment• Electromagnetic Compliance (EMC), such as withstanding electrostatic discharge or radio wave radiation

• Accuracy class• Dynamic range of operation (the voltage or current range over which they keep their performance)• Bandwidth• Measurement latency (quite often overshad- owed by the communications system latency)• Availability (and reliability)• Performance under abnormal conditions

• Ease of installation• Training and familiarity – simple and practical to learn • Sufficient manufacturer support• Interoperability (sensor compatibility with other devices)• Interchangeability (can be easily replaced)• Ease of maintenance/upgrade• Product life (longevity)• End-of-life management• Product evolution path (especially for devices using communications technology)

The overall cost-of-ownership is influenced by a number of the above-mentioned factors, as well as the architecture of the power system applica-tions and functions using these measurements. A sensor technology deployment roadmap entails a detailed business case, including applications requirements analysis and optimization, design and architecture of the applications to be deployed in a particular power system, establishing the requirements for the sensors, and planning staged deployment of the sensors for the benefit of those functions and applications.

System ArchitectureA key factor in capturing optimum value from smart sensors is the architecture of the integrated smart grid applications infrastructure. Many of the requirements for the sensor systems are derived from the requirements of the application according to the system architecture chosen. It is important to consider trade-offs between the choice of the architecture versus the performance demand on any single component of the system. Ultimately, an advanced sensor system needs to satisfy the requirements of a number of applications and functions concurrently to be cost effec-tive. The architecture of an integrated smart grid infrastructure should be optimized with practical consideration for both the enabling features and the limitations of the sensor system. Business Case & Deployment RoadmapA natural step before implementing any technology is to develop a business case and a deployment roadmap for that technology. The exact items to be considered in the business case vary depending on an organization's particular requirements, functions to be deployed, and regulatory and other factors. For smart grid applications, the business case contains a value analysis (cost vs. benefit) for deployment of certain technologies.

For example, [5] provides an exemplary summary of a business case for deploying the synchrophasor technology. It goes through the list of the function enabled or improved by use of synchrophasor technology, including real-time monitoring and control, state estimation, real-time congestion management, post disturbance analysis, system model validation and fine-tuning, protection and control applications for distributed generation, etc. For each function, it summarizes the benefits/approach, beneficiaries/status, and implementation costs/gaps. Reference [5] also documents the relative value of synchronized measurement for various functions, ranking deployment challenge for each function. Finally, it provides a generic roadmap for deploying synchrophasor functions considering the role/impact of synchrophasor measurements, the value of the function, the maturity of the solution, and the ease and cost of implementation.

Continued on page 6


The methodology used in [5] can be extended to develop a business case and a roadmap for deploying voltage and current sensor systems. The functions that use voltage and current sensor technology include traditional power system monitoring, metering, protection and automation applications, as well as a new myriad of smart grid applications. A number of power system and smart grid applications supported by Feeder Metering were identified in [6], including:• Various real-time system operations functions and EMS and DMS applications, e.g., state estimation and voltage and VAR optimization (VVO).• Data archiving for various system planning functions, e.g., area reinforcement projects, improvement to system and load modeling, support of decision-making in remote capacitor bank switching along the feeder, load balancing and equipment condition assessment and risk analysis. • Supporting distribution operations, e.g., feeder demand monitoring, fault detection and outage identification, dynamic line rating, power quality monitoring and improving safety to the crew working in a dynamic environment.• Supporting asset management functions, e.g., transformer load monitoring and management, distribution fault anticipation and network loss (both technical and non-technical losses) identification.

The choice of the sensing technology should try to accommodate the needs of both distribution and transmission automation applications as much as possible. In developing the business case for deploying a smart sensing system, the applications and functions of interest to a user (such as those listed above) should all be considered; the performance requirements and the impact of the sensing system on each application should be analyzed; the maturity and value of each application should be reviewed; and the ease of implementing each application should be examined.

Ultimately, a sensor system should be chosen that can cost-effectively support most high-value applications, with focus on the applications that provide value in the near-term and that are more risk tolerant. The require-ments for the sensor system performance can be staged over time so that the sensors support the first few value-added applications at a reasonable cost. More complicated applications may require more challenging sensor performance levels, and it is prudent to manage the risk by using time and experience gained during the deployment of the early applications.

Example: Optical Voltage & Current SensorsOptical voltage and current sensor systems can provide very attractive features – linearity and accuracy over a wide dynamic range, wide bandwidth, safer design and compact size – making them great candidates to enable a smart grid platform serving several applications concurrently. Even though optical sensors have been commercially used in the power industry for the past two decades, the adoption of this technology for wide-spread use is still in its infancy.

Today, optical CTs and VTs are being deployed in various pilot projects and specific high-value commer-cial applications (e.g., wide-dynamic range IPP metering and HVDC applications, as in [7], for example). Nevertheless, to capture full value from wide-scale investment and deployment of optical sensors, the user needs to develop a comprehensive business case and a systematic roadmap for deployment of the sensors and the applications enabled by them.

It is key to architect a smart grid system (infrastructure) to take full advantage of the benefits and capabilities of the optical sensors, while being able to manage the maturity and evolution of this technology in the coming years. In fact, exploiting the features and properties of optical sensors can cause, in the long run, a fundamental shift and improvement in power system design, architecture, implementation and cost. For example, the linearity of optical CTs and VTs can help streamline substation design such that CT "turns ratio" setting becomes a substation configuration and commissioning task (as opposed to a hardware manufacturing task). This will in turn result in a more cost-effective CT spare keeping policy, simpler and more cost-effective substation design management and planning, as well as avoiding construction delays and costs associated with the choice of a wrong CT ratio. To be more specific, the architecture of a smart grid infrastructure should take advantage of the following features – linearity & bandwidth, safety & isolation, modularity, compact size and digital electronics platform.

Even though the optical sensor technology offers very attractive features for systematic deployment in smart grids, utilities and users contemplat-ing using these sensors need to accommodate several practical factors in their deployment roadmap:• The optical sensor technology is relatively new for most utility practitioners. As such, training and familiarity of the staff should see appropriate priority, emphasis and time.• The roadmap for the deployment of optical sensors should also accommodate the technology maturity process and timelines. Simpler and less critical applications should be served first while device manufacturers, end-user practitioners and the industry as a whole, gains more experi-

Continued on page 7


Even though optical

sensors have been

commercially used in

the power industry for

the past two decades,

the adoption of this

technology for wide-

spread use is still in its

infancy.


ence with the technology and the products. Modularity and separation of the electronics from the optical sensing head is very important in order to allow product evolution, sensor and system upgrades and improved maintainability. The optical sensor-head is usually fairly simple, reliable and stable in design, whereas the electronics (and the associated software) will evolve further over time to fit application requirements (and communications technology).• The electronics require power supply. This requirement is not unique to optical sensors and is the same for any smart grid infrastructure that uses electronics and communications. Nonetheless, the power supply design and quality has significant impact on the overall system reliability and should get due attention during design and maintenance.

With proper choice of architecture, an optical voltage and current sensor platform can support the growing needs of a smarter grid over a long period of time. The roadmap for the deployment of smart grid applications and the enabling optical sensor systems can be summarized into three time frames:

Short-Term (1-3 years) Medium-Term (3-5 years) Long-Term (>5 years)Applications that represent high value, but are more tolerant of occasional data unavailability

Applications that require more reliable sensor performance and wider penetration of sensor installation

Critical transmission and generation protection applications

VVO, fault location, enhanced state estimation, various feeder monitoring functions, sychro- phasor based angle and frequency monitoring, post-mortem analysis, revenue metering and power quality functions

DMS and distribution automation applica-tions (e.g., FLISR), backup and high-latency protection functions (e.g., capacitor bank unbalance protection), latency-tolerant syn-chrophasor-based wide-area applications (e.g., congestion management, planned power system separation), dynamic model validation and bench-marking

Mainstream protection functions, low-latency wide-area applications (e.g., real-time control)

Advanced high-performance voltage and current sensor systems are an essential part of an intelligent grid. They can provide significant value in realizing advanced grid functionalities. To capture maximum value, an organization needs to plan for systematic deployment of the sensor systems within an intelligent architecture to satisfy its specific needs over time. In developing a technology deployment roadmap, various elements includ-ing capturing value from the inherent characteristics of the sensors should be balanced against product maturity and staff familiarity requirements. Naturally, high-value/ less critical applications should be served first while more mission-critical applications go through pilot trials and refinements over time before mainstream deployment.Optical sensors represent a promising measurement platform to systematically deploy and exploit smart grid applications. They can serve the entire electric power system including generation, transmission and distribution, resulting in lower overall cost of staff training and familiarity. Com-pact size, flexibility and modularity of an optical sensor system can simplify the support of the technology evolution process while maintaining a high level of safety and maintainability. Ultimately, an optical sensor deployment roadmap should be planned to capture strong value for the utility in the near future, while accommodating new technology adoption challenges. Systematic deployment of multi-function voltage and current sensor systems is essential for extracting value from a smart grid infrastructure in the near- and medium-term through enabling enhanced power system monitoring, operation and automation.

References[1] IEC 60044-8, Instrument transformers – Part 8: Electronic current transformers, 2002.[2] CAN/CSA-C60044-8:07, Instrument transformers – Part 8: Electronic current transformers, March 2007.[3] IEEE Std. C57.13, IEEE Standard Requirements for Instrument Transformers, 2008.[4] IEEE Std. 1601, IEEE Trial-Use Standards for Optical AC Current and Voltage Sensing Systems.[5] D. Novosel, V. Madani, B. Bhargava, K. Vu, and J. Cole, "Dawn of the Grid Synchronization" (IEEE Power and Energy Magazine, Vol. 6, Issue 1, Jan. - Feb. 2008, pages 49-60).[6] W. Luan, "Low Cost Feeder Monitoring Solution in Support of Utility Operations," (CIGRE Canada Conference on Power Systems, Oct. 17-19, 2010, Vancou-ver, BC, paper 136).[7] F. Rahmatian, "DC and Wideband Applications of Optical Voltage and Current Sensors in Electric Power Transmission Systems," (CIGRE General Session 42, Aug. 24-29, 2008, paper A3-301).[8] D. F. Peelo, F. Rahmatian, M. Nagpal, and D. Sydor, "Real-time Monitoring and Capture of Power System Transients," (CIGRE General Session 44, Aug. 26-31, 2012, paper B3-101).



This article summarizes the first chapter of Electricity Transmission, Distribution and Storage, published this month by Woodhead Pub-lishing, London. The first chapter, written by Quanta Technology's Lee Willis, provides an overview of the "power system of the future."

A confluence of three technological development trends is creating a new type of power system that will differ noticeably from the traditional public utility power system. The three technological trends that are driving this evolution are:

Trend 1: The Improving Cost Effectiveness of Distributed ResourcesThe term distributed resources refers to portions of power system where the electric energy is produced by machinery or systems that are distributed throughout the service area, rather than concentrated in a few large central station generating plants. Examples are: • Low head hydro • Solar thermal generation • Wind energy • Ocean thermal, wave • Micro-turbines and tidal power • Small diesel • Photo-voltaicThese distributed generating sources are, on average, closer to the energy consumers than is central station generation. They may be less efficient in some important ways than central station plants, but their location near the customer gives them an inherent locational efficiency advantage. The usefulness and popularity of distributed resources rests on the economic, service quality, social and market advantages that being closer to the energy consumption gives them. Distributed resources also include non-generating options that can be dispatched much like generation, such as demand response, or load control, in which certain loads can be switched off for a time to keep system resources and demand in balance. From the standpoint of achieving generation/load balance dispatchable load control, wheth-er directly (appliances and equipment are shut down) or indirectly applied (voltage on a feeder is reduced slightly lowering the load of connected loads) can help control the ratio of generation-to-load to provide additional reliability or efficiency, or both.

Trend 2: Effective & Economically Justifiable Energy StorageFor decades, it has been possible to store alternating current energy overnight or for a longer period of time using lead-acid/rectifier-inverter sets, compressed air storage or pumped hydro power plants. Into the late 20th century, all three technologies improved in efficiency and performance/price. However, these energy storage methods typically did not always have good economic performance on a small scale (distributed) basis. And the technology for battery systems and other small energy storage devices like flywheels, etc., even into the early 1990s, just did not have a positive business case for widespread use.

The only exception to this rule was the widespread adoption of very small lead-acid and carbon-zinc based UPS as back up for critical loads and energy needs. The use of such very distributed systems skyrocketed in the last quarter of the 20th century. Two key points to their success are illuminating as to the larger issues of energy storage:• The growth in use of appliances and business equipment that depend on continuity of service, such as digital devices and robotic machinery. Overall, the value of reliability and continuity of service is increasing.• The duty cycle of UPS devices is typically fewer than ten times a decade. The unit's purpose is to stand-by with available power, not provide it on a routine basis. As such, UPS batteries do not fatigue or wear out due to daily cycling, as do most types of batteries, because they are rarely cycled deeply.

In the last decade of the 20th century and into the 21st, energy storage technologies, including super- and ultra-capacitors, battery and chemical mixture systems, and mechanical storage (flywheels, etc.), improved in terms of energy density, power density, charge- discharge cycle lifetime and control. Positive business cases could be made more often for energy storage in a wider range of customer and customer-site applications.

The Power System of the Future will be a Cantankerous Combination of Old & New TechnologiesBy H. Lee Willis, PhDSenior Vice President, Executive Advisor

Continued on page 9


Trend 3: "Smart" SystemsSmart systems and smart grid have almost as many definitions and interpretations as there are people in the power industry. It's not much of an exaggeration to say that "smart grid" is always defined as the use of the latest technology or idea in a way that maximizes the business case for the purchase of those products and services. But there are two general areas of improved capability that combine to make smart equipment smart, and that lead to smart grids, whatever they may be:

Equipment-to-equipment communication Largely due to improved bandwidth-cost-performance of digital communications, individual and small units of a power system can communicate in near real-time with both a central system if needed, and more importantly, with other nearby equipment. An end-of-feeder power monitor can inform the utility’s Distribution Management Sys-tem (DMS) whenever it senses no power. A recloser on one circuit can know the status (open/closed) and loading of a another on a nearby circuit, etc.

Sensors and monitoring equipment The range of characteristics in a power system that can be measured and tracked has improved, a good example being phasor measurement units, or PMUs. Almost across the board, the cost of remote sensing of equipment status and power has been greatly improved, as has the frequency of how often readings can be or are taken. These two technology trends have led to substantial improvement in the control and performance of traditional power systems. In traditional power systems, there were many units of equipment that were automatic. Reclosers and sectionalizers per-formed rather complicated switching actions. Capacitor banks could be built with switches to turn them on or off depending on voltage, power factor or loading. Voltage regulators and line-drop compensa-tors varied voltage according to their programming. Such automatic equipment was taking action based on conditions (temperature, time of day, voltage) it measured at its location.But "smart" equipment can take action based on what other equip-ment sees. Groups of equipment can be programmed to work together to behave in a similarly automatic manner. Potentially, this smart capability permits an isolated portion of the power system to be autonomous in some sense, at least for periods of time and/or under certain conditions, such as an outage of equipment upstream. When combined with enough distributed resources of the types discussed earlier, this makes independent microgrid possible. Microgrids are the "next new thing" in the power industry, a topic of much current discussion, more than a little of which is probably hope, even hype, rather than proven fact.

It's More Likely to Be "Hybrid" MicrogridsGlamorous as the microgrid may be, no one is going to build more than a few pilot systems unless they provide an advantage in some way. When would an electric utility build such a microgrid? Obvi-ously, whenever the microgrid was the most economical solution to providing a group of customers with the needed level of electric service. There will be such situations in the future where utilities build microgrids for this reason. But the power system of the future is much more likely to be a hybrid, with some elements of microgrids used throughout what is, in essence, an evolution of their traditional power system. The existing equipment and facilities are in place and in many cases are paid for (i.e., old enough to be fully depreciated and amortized, but still not so old as to be worn out). That system may

not be what the utility would build if given the chance to start with a clean slate, but it's there, and it works for the most part. Utilities will use existing systems to the maximum extent they can, which in many cases will mean renewing and continuing them long into the future. But microgrids will be a very attractive resource to consider any time a portion of the grid or the system in a neighborhood needs to be replaced, upgraded or augmented as to peak demand or reliability. In many cases, utilities are likely to build a microgrid to aug-ment their system capability in an area of the system that is seeing load growth or other changes, especially if it is the lowest cost option. But while doing this, utilities will use the existing portion of their traditional

system to the utmost possible. The result will be a hybrid microgrid in a small area of their system, a combination; an interesting system from many standpoints, not the least of which is this:The hybrid microgrid is a local portion of the utility power system that needs the combined capabilities of both traditional and local distribu-tion resources in order to accomplish its mission. The traditional sys-tem equipment alone cannot serve the local demand adequately at all times. Similarly, the microgrid cannot. It will require the coordinat-ed, cooperative operation of both to do the job well. Control will need to be "smart" and more capable than ever to accomplish success.

Consumer Control & Free Retail Markets Will Play a RoleThe wholesale power market is deregulated in many parts of the world; the retail power market, only in some areas. One promise of smart technology is that it will permit customized and user-specified choices, or the quality/quantity/timing/price combination that each energy consumer wants. At present, there is not overwhelming evidence that a viable societal and market retail mechanism that satisfies consumers, regulators, utilities and political considerations has been found, but there is an expectation that in the future, energy consumers will have more choice about and more control over their own energy supply than controlling only its usage.

Power System of the Future — Continued from page 8

Continued on page 10

The power system

of the future is

much more likely

to be a hybrid... in

essence, an evolu-

tion of traditional

power systems.


Aging Infrastructures, Particularly in Urban Core AreasOver the next three decades, many utilities will have to renew their systems, as large portions of equipment installed five to eight decades ago wear out. This situation is likely to become an urgent problem in the central portions of many large American and European cities. In such metropolitan cores, most T&D facilities are often much more than half a century old, peak demands continue to grow, reliability needs are extreme, and urban crowding means that expanded substation sites, new ROW, or even more and wider underground cable duct space are practically impossible to find. The combination of aged equipment and facilities with such restrictions on expansion often leaves no viable options for traditional power system expansion, while the continued growth of demand and reliability of simply replacing equipment in kind will not meet future needs. How-ever, distributed resources can’t do the job alone, either. The load densities and reliability needs of electric consumers in metropolitan areas are often far beyond levels that local distributed and renewable resources and smart technologies can provide. Distributed resources can help, but cannot carry the entire load. Thus, over the next few decades, as aging power systems are renewed and updated, utilities will not renew aged systems in those same decades-old designs, but neither will they scrap them on a wholesale basis to replace them with DER-powered microgrids. It is much more likely that savvy utilities will opportunistically use both approaches, picking elements of proven traditional design and new technologies where it makes the most sense, locally and tailored to each situation, combining them in a hybrid mix. The "power system of the future" will gradually emerge as a smarter, hybrid combination of traditional elements and modern microgrid/DER technology, a com-bination engineered at each location as the need arises to be most effectively solve the utilities’ problems in each and every locality. Most utilities will have a master plan and an overall strategy, but they will vary their approach in each location and with each project as eco-nomics, local needs and timing dictate. The industry is likely to see a few areas that are pure microgrid, a few that resemble nothing as much as the type of system built in the mid-20th century, but in most cases a mixture on a very local basis.

It is this locally-targeted and tailored combination that is both technically interesting and that can be expected to create challenges when viewed as an entire utility system. Traditional radial-feeder distribution design, whatever its flaws, had a beautifully simple virtue – power flowed downhill. Design and build it correctly and then load and operate it as designed and the system basically takes care of its own operation. The owner has little to do other than balance load at the top of the system. Microgrids also manage their own capabilities; their "smarts" provide them with the means to sense and operate equipment so that users and owners can, to some extent, "set it and forget it." Whether one looks at this from the system-identification and con-trol-bandwidth/sufficiency standpoint as electrical engineers learn in university, or from a practical operator's "how do I make it work" standpoint, there are gaps in the industry's knowledge and capabil-ities to make this work. For example, one popular type of micro-tur-bine's control system will not work in combination with a very popular type of utility automation system being rolled out at some utility. This is not an issue of mismatch of protocols for data exchange, etc., but a fundamental theoretical issue – the combined micro-turbine utility service control system is unstable (control theory says the system's equations have poles in the right half of the plane). This particular problem was discovered the hard way, when a mid-sized utility installed several such turbines at a plant on a system that was just modernized. A solution was found, but there will very likely be many more examples like this one. At Quanta Technology, we're not worried about this as a barrier to long-term success. Time and technology will identify and solve these problems. Actually, it's an interesting problem that looks to be a lot of fun, as well as one that will be very valuable once solved. The industry can help this along by anticipating that hybrid systems, not "pure microgrids", will be the mainstay of future utility operation and begin to build for that. Utilities need to begin looking at what it will take, both to engineer both "fish” and "fowl" to co-exist and co-oper-ate well, to build DMS and control systems than can understand the capabilities of the other, and work seamlessly toward the same goals. I’m looking forward to working on that.

Power System of the Future — Continued from page 9


Applied Research & Development Solutions for Industry’s Complex ChallengesBy Muhidin (Dino) LelicDirector, Applied R&D and Executive Advisor

Quanta Technology has been a very active participant in all aspects of smart grid technology development and implementation, syncrophasor testing, evolution of DMS/EMS/OMS, smart meters, field automation, real-time control schemes and numerous others. During these activities we have realized that, to meet future industry challenges, additional R&D efforts are needed to both develop new technologies and make the existing technologies more reliable and robust.

The Applied Research & Development group was formed earlier this year in response to the growing needs of an increasingly complex power system grid. In order to provide more value to our customers, we have realized that it is important to be more aggressive in the pursuit and development of partnerships on longer-term projects.

Applied R&D ObjectivesThe primary goals for Quanta Technology's Applied R&D group are to help clients define research, identify opportunities and secure and execute R&D projects, supply staff support and supplementation, provide project management and perform technical tasks.

One of the roles of the group is to provide leadership, guidance and assistance in the evaluation of patent applicable inventions that have potential commercial, competitive and strategic value. It is well known that Quanta Technology experts have generated a rich IP portfolio and will continue to do so. In this way, we have been able to provide more value to our clients.

The most recent examples of new IP are patent applications in real- time voltage stability monitoring and synchrophasor simulation. The synchrophasor simulator has been proven an invaluable tool for testing of synchrophasor applications for some of our customers during execu-tion of their smart grid projects.

Another area of expertise is the identification and development of methods, tools and applications that could be further developed into a sustainable product. In this case, we would analyze and potentially pursue business opportunities to commercialize applicable inventions with external organizations, particularly to integrate our applications into their products.

Providing Solutions to the Future Power GridIn the next few decades, the power grid will face a number of complex challenges and Quanta Technology will be present to assist with provid-ing real and impactful solutions to our clients worldwide.

Incorporation of renewable generationRenewables other than hydropower accounted for only 4.2% of U.S. generation in 2010, but a number of states have set very ambitious re-quirements to increase this. For instance in California, renewables other than small hydro plants will be required to account for 33% of electricity supply by 2020. Additionally, solar and wind power produce output that

varies over time and is not easily predictable. These power sources are also located far from the major load centers, for which long transmission lines have to be built. It poses not only increased cost, but also problems such as voltage stability. System modification, at some cost, will be necessary to handle the variability if reliability is to be maintained.

Distributed generation and microgrids The increase in distributed generation and microgrids will pose new challenges for the design and operation of distribution systems. More distributed generation means potential problems for substations since the power flow can change direction from substations into the transmis-sion grid. If the system is not designed to handle such reverse power flow, high-voltage power swings will be induced which can be detrimental to system components. Also, the penetration of electric vehicles and oth-er changes in electricity demand may increase ration of peak-to-average demand and, therefore decrease capacity utilization that consequently will raise electricity rates.

New and innovative technologies These will need to be developed and adopted, as they can improve operator knowledge about the state of the transmission system and thus, make possible more efficient and reliable operation. One of such innovative technology is Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs), providing streams of frequent, time-stamped data about transmission system con-ditions that operators can use to anticipate contingencies, reduce the risk of wide-area blackouts, enhance system efficiency and improve system models. Of course, with these new technologies comes the issues of large amounts of data being exchanged over communication lines which raises the important issue of standardization, cyber security and privacy related to data exchange, storage and retrieval.

To make effective use of new technologies, it is inevitable that the electric power industry should fund increased research and development in several key areas, including computational tools for system operation, new methods for wide-area transmission planning, procedures to ad-dress cyber attacks, and new models of consumer response to real-time pricing.

The U.S. electric utility industry has, historically, used a very small percentage of its revenues to fund R&D; instead it has been relying on its suppliers for bringing new innovative technologies. Some utilities have participated in collaborative research through Electric Power Research Institute, but recently they have been shifting away from longer-term collaborative research and moved toward a shorter-term internal propri-etary efforts. This is pronounced even more in case of investor-owned utilities.

For more information regarding Quanta Technology's Applied R&D projects and capabilities, please contact Dino Lelic at (919) 334-3082 or via email at [email protected].


Quanta Technology has recently developed Result Oriented Asset Management (QT-ROAMSM), an asset renewal program used to maintain targeted levels of T&D performance. The program has been successfully used to justify projects with stakeholder and regulatory agencies, support regional plan-ning processes and forecast operational performance to better time maintenance activities.

• QT-ROAM involves analyzing historical outages, inspection reports and maintenance data/records/guidelines to assess potential degra-dation of transmission and distribution system reliability.

• It provides a forward-looking, statistical model of asset maintenance activities which is used to forecast future performance.

• The program creates a forecast sufficient to identify candidates for rebuild, maintenance or further inspection.

• QT-ROAM allows for stakeholder participation in the selection of operational objectives and associated metrics.

• The approach is modular. All or portions of the QT-ROAM process can be deployed to provide meaningful results.

• QT-ROAM is designed as an integrated offering from Quanta Services, but can be performed using internal resources.

QT-ROAM results can be used to support a variety of client objectives, including forecasting future operational performance for specific assets, estimating future maintenance activity for resource planning, developing insights into the effectiveness of PM programs, and supporting O&M and capital budgeting.

Result Oriented Asset Management Program

For further information contact: Lee Willis, Le Xu or Don Morrow at (919) 334-3000.

Case Study:Quanta Technology recently used QT-ROAMSM with a client that had concerns about very old, light duty steel towers in rural portions of their system that had a degradation in performance. It was difficult to justify tower replacement since overall system performance had improved. The client wanted an asset manage-ment assessment that was: Rigorous Able to withstand stakeholder & regulatory scrutiny Supported the regional planning process Based upon available asset information, maintenance records, inspection findings, and operational history Provided a forecast of operational performance so maintenance action would be taken before performance fell below expectations

Based upon the analysis performed, the recommendations included:• Rebuilding six 138 kV lines between 2017 to 2022• Repairing towers on three 138 kV lines starting in 2014• Replacing wood poles on four 138 kV lines• Performing additional inspections on two 138 kV lines

The client was pleased with the results and is strongly consid-ering deploying the methodology on other parts of its system in the future.


QT-GOAT Generator Siting AlgorithmQuanta Technology utilizes a grid optimization algorithm to establish the most efficient geographical locations to construct new gas fired generat-ing plants. This GIS-based analytical approach is referred to as the Grid Optimization Analysis Technique – or GOAT, for short.

How it WorksThe optimization algorithm conducts a detailed review of an area (big or small) by dividing the area into an equal sized GIS-based grid and then sequentially steps through each node on the grid to determine:

• Distance from node to the nearest electric and gas facilities.

• Pertinent restrictions and associated costs of the location (node) in reference to federal, state and local regulations regarding items like: – Air quality and emissions – Wildlife and fauna, endangered species – Zoning limitations – Noise pollution – Water quality – Health and safety

• Size of the facility that can be supported at that location (or, converse- ly, the infrastructure required to support a facility of a prescribed size). This defines two levels of analysis – one being use what we have in place and the other being the expand to fit our needs scenario.

• Overall cost by considering the regulatory requirements, cost of the electric interconnection, cost of the gas interconnection, cost of land and any other costs that are associated with the construction and operation of a gas generating plant at that specific location. In general, there is often more than one answer per node depending on the topology of the area in question.

The results of the study yield a listing of locations that are most suitable for new generation, itemizing each location in order of significance, along with projected costs and other impacts, as well as graphical output in GIS mapping overlay format. An example of graphical output is shown below, where dashed lines represent major gas pipelines, red and green solid lines and black boxes represent major transmission facilities, and optimum areas are shown in red (most optimum) to yellow to green and

lastly to blue (least optimum). This sample graphic is done at the state level, but can be zoomed in or out to any level of detail since it is GIS- based.

It is very important to note that, due to the structure of the optimization software, costing variables can be easily added making this tool usable in virtually any location and with other infrastructures, such as wind power.Design Criteria & Data NeedsThe QT-GOAT algorithm uses the following data:• GIS-based definitions for major transmission and substation facilities.• GIS definitions for gas pipeline infrastructure.• Cost and operational data for new transmission and new gas pipeline construction.• Related geographic and geotechnical data for topology in area of interest (i.e., altitude, soil conditions including substrate, etc.).• Restricted area definitions, such as for National Park and Wildlife areas, military bases, zoning limitations, noise, etc.• Operating characteristics/spec for the units that are expected to be installed.

Results of the analysis can be split out in detail between gas and electric requirements so that individual shortcomings in one infrastructure could be addressed with new facilities. For example, an existing location may have strong electric scores but poor gas scores for expansion so this could be a candidate for a gas pipeline upgrade.

Because of the flexibility of this algorithm, we can talk in terms of a short-term and a long-term study where the first examines the use of existing facilities and the second considers more extensive build-out options.

Customization OptionsBecause Quanta Technology is the author of this algorithm, we have the ability to customize it to achieve client goals. For example, there may be a desire to consider gas-wind co-generation sites or storage as an expansion offset. These types of modifications can be readily accommo-dated. For more information regarding Quanta Technology's generator siting capabilities, please contact Len Januzik, Senior Director, at (919) 334-3066 or via email at [email protected].


Latin AmericaIn August, Quanta Technology was awarded a contract with Empresa Eléctrica de Quito in Ecuador regarding SCADA/DMS/OMS/MWM consulting. Empresa Eléctrica de Quito is undertaking a series of initiatives in order to improve planning operational practices of dis-tribution systems in order provide a service that meets the quality requirements defined by the regulatory bodies of Ecuador as well as international benchmarks. Empresas de Quito selected Quanta Technology as their Owners Engineering to guide them in the implementation process of this undertaking. Edwin Liu, Ivette Sanchez and Hans Candia traveled to Ecuador to launch this exciting project.

In conjunction with the Centro Sur Automation Distribution Planning Project, several Centro Sur staff members traveled from Ecuador to Raleigh to collaborate with the Quanta team from September 17 to 26. During this time, Quanta and Centro Sur staff discussed distribution automation initiatives, such as FLISR (Fault Location, Isolation and Service Restoration).As a result of their recent work with XM in Colombia, Solveig Ward and David Elizondo both were invited to give a technical pre-sentation, as well as

keynote speech at the COSMER CIER 2013 international conference for operators. David Elizondo presented "Defense Systems to Address Major Contingencies in Power Sys-tems" and "Planning Future Flexible Energy Systems." Solveig Ward presented Quanta Technology's work with XM on the project "Defense Plans for the National Interconnect-ed Power System of Colombia." As a result of the very well received presentations, XM invited Quanta Technology staff to meet with their regulator, CREG, to talk about future plans.

XM, USTDA and Quanta Technology also officially finalized the contract for support of XM's adoption of smart grid technologies. Quanta will support the design of XM's Wide- Area Measurement System (WAMS) as well as create a roadmap for its implementation.

INTERNATIONAL SPOTLIGHT

Far EastSarawak Energy Berhad (SEB), in Malaysia, awarded Quanta Technology a contract to conduct RTDS simulations related to protec-tion for four of their 275 kV transmission lines. These simulations, which are going to be performed at the SEB RTDS Lab in Kuching, are expected late this year after preparatory work such as model building, relay settings and actual wiring of the hardware, is complet-ed. SEB and Quanta Technology have both started preliminary work and look forward

to getting results, which will enhance the dependability and security of the SEB protection system.

Sarawak Energy Berhad also awarded two teaching opportunities. Ed Khan (pictured right) traveled to Malaysia in August and September to teach five-day courses on Relay Protection. These courses were very well attended and had attendees from various groups, such as SCADA, project execution group, PIC and others.

Quanta Technology has been working with USTDA to set up trade missions by hosting companies here in the U.S. from Southeast Asia. The goals of these missions are to help identify opportunities in which Quanta Tech-nology can collaboratively work with these international organizations. The Quanta team has also been pursuing several opportunities in specifically Thailand and Malaysia regard-ing smart grid applications.

Quanta Technology local Ecuadorian legal representative, David Estrda (left) with Hilda Ríos, a lawyer for Empresa Eléctrica de Quito after hav- ing signed a new contract.

Continued on page 15

David Elizondo presenting at the COSMER CIER 2013 international conference for Operators.

(L-R) David Elizondo, Solveig Ward, Dino Lelic and Boza Avramovic pictured during their visit with XM to kickoff this new Synchrophasor Roadmap Project.


INTERNATIONAL SPOTLIGHT — CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14

India, Africa & Middle East Quanta Technology recently won a project involving the Energy Sector Capacity Build-ing Project in Amman, Jordan with USAID. Quanta will design a utilities incentive mechanism to promote energy efficiency and capacity building in the energy sector. The project has four primary technical components: • Development and implementation of

regulations that enable utility-supported energy efficiency programs.

• Capacity building and institutional strengthening for key public sector institutions.

• Creation of an energy services associa-tion and support to its members.

• Response mechanism for energy sector needs and opportunities on a demand-driven basis.

Quanta staff will travel to Jordan to spend several weeks working with the client in 2013 and continue this work into 2014.Quanta Technology also worked together with a Quanta sister company in an opportu-nity to study phase unbalances in a 400 kV power transmission system in Dubai, and continues to explore opportunities in these regions.

Europe Quanta Technology has recently had the opportunity to participate and present at several conferences throughout Europe. In August, Quanta Technology president, Damir Novosel, presented at the IREP Bulk Power System Dynamics and Control Symposium in Greece on "Balancing Technology and Sys-tem Reliability – Methodology for Deploying Advanced Technology."

In September, Damir Novosel was also the featured speaker at an IEEE-PES Chapter meeting in Istanbul, Turkey, as well as a IEEE-PES meeting in Macedonia where he met with leading utilities and industries. In October, Quanta Europe Managing Direc-tor, Bas Kruimer was invited to present and chair a session at the IEEE-ISGT conference on "WAMS Application Principles (Wide-Area Measurement Systems)."

Quanta Technology also participated in European Utility Week in Amsterdam, Grid Analytics & Big Data in London, and Power Quality & Micro-Synchrophasors in Brussels and Delft.

The Quanta Technology Europe team is currently supporting service provider Joulz in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, as Lead Engineers and Project Manager on substa-tion refurbishment projects for secondary installations. The project entails replacing substation automation systems and upgrad-ing the protection systems with cable differ-ential protections in a number of distribution substations, as well as performing short circuit withstand assessments on two 150kV substations.Quanta Technology has also been exploring new opportunities with network companies in The Netherlands, UK and Portugal regarding: • Dynamic network modeling.• PowerFactory training & scripts.• Live work tools and methodology.• IEC 61850 substation automation architecture and design standardization.• Integration of renewable energy sources on island grids and microgrids.• Applying phasor measurements to monitor and increase stable interconnection transfer capability and for wide-area voltage control.• Applying the CAPE software tool for automated protection sensitivity analysis in different load/generation scenarios.

Ed Khan holding a class discussion during one of his Relay Protection Courses in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.


WELCOME OUR NE W PEOPLE:

RECENT & UPCOMING CONFERENCES

Quanta Technology, LLC, headquartered in Raleigh, NC with of-fices in Boston, MA; Chicago, IL; Oakland, CA; Toronto, Ontario in Canada and a European office in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, is the expertise-based, independent consulting arm of Quanta Services. We provide business and technical expertise to energy utilities and the utility industry for deploying holistic and practical solutions that result in improved performance. Quanta Technol-ogy has grown to a client base of nearly 100 companies with an exceptional staff, many of whom are foremost industry experts for serving client needs.

Quanta Services, Inc., headquartered in Houston, TX, (NYSE: PWR), member of the S&P 500, with 2012 revenue of $5.9 billion, is the largest specialty engineering constructor in North America, serving energy companies and communication utilities, according to McGraw Hill's ECN. More information is available at www.quantaservices.com.

ABOUT QUANTA TECHNOLOGY

Want to Receive Our Newsletter? Quanta Technology's e-News online newsletter is published four times per year, in both electronic and printed form, and in special editions for important industry events. If you would like to receive your copy, please contact Lisa Williams at (919) 334-3071 or [email protected].

Visit us at www.quanta-technology.com

January 28-30 DistribuTECH Conference & Exhibition (San Antonio, TX)

January 12-16 IEEE PES Joint Technical Committee Meeting (New Orleans, LA) November 12-15 CEATI Protection & Control Task Force Workshop (Ontario, Canada) November 12-14 PowerGen International Conference & Expo (Orlando, FL)

Douglas Proudfoot, MBA, Vice President, Advisory Services, has more than 20 years of utility experience. During the course of his career, he has held a wide range of technical and managerial positions in South Africa and the United States in the fields of power automation and medium voltage distribution equipment and solutions.Prior to joining Quanta Technology, Douglas worked for Siemens Industry in the Medium Voltage Products and Solutions group in roles including Manager of Engineering and Project Management, Business Segment Manager and Director of the Global Industries and EPC business unit.Mr. Proudfoot has over ten papers published and/or presented at industry conferences including, DistribuTECH, IEEE T&D, Western Power Delivery Automation, Beijing International Conference on PT&D Technology, NRECA Conference, Int-PEC conference in New Zealand, Carilec Conference, IAS IEEE Conference, Latin America Power Conference, Energy Council of New England, America Power Conference and the Canadian Electricity Association Conference. Topics dealt with Substa-tion Automation, Substation Integration, IT technologies for substations, the IEC 61850 protocol, amongst others. He is also a Past Member of the coordination committee for the Western Power Delivery Automation Conference. Douglas received his BSEE and MBA from the University of Pretoria, South Africa.

2013 Quanta Technology Award of Excellence WinnersOutstanding Entrepreneur • Saman Alaeddini, Senior Engineer, Protection & ControlsSaman received this award for his outstanding efforts in building and promoting a new business for Quanta Technology based on CAPE software for Wide-Area Protection review tools.

Exceptional Dedication • Solveig Ward, Principal Advisor, Automation & TestingSolveig received this award for her dedication and hard work associated with insuring the success of a number of projects, thus enhancing Quanta Technology's reputation with its customers.

Creativity Award • Shaunda Perry, Project Process Analyst, Proposal & Project Support Shaunda (pictured right) received this award for her creativity and initiative which lead to a significant enhancement of our project management processes and tools which is a major step forward in improv-ing our project management capabilities.

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