Posted on

Progress Report on the 2016-2018 Study of Protective Relays

This week the staff at Newton-Evans Research is in the midst of conducting pre-testing of our 2016 survey design with our panel of leading utility contributors. After reviewing the results and feedback from our panel, we will finalize the North American version of the survey and begin requesting participation from utilities, ISO/RTO organizations, industrial firms and rail transport organizations. The pre-testing process will then be undertaken with our international utility panel.

This periodic study was last undertaken in 2012, with guidance provided in the four volume set of reports for the P&C community through 2014. The report series has been relied upon by relay manufacturers, substation automation developers and control systems integrators around the world for more than three decades. The reports are referenced by standards organizations and the operational consulting community looks to the series for guidance on protection and control status, learning where the “real world” of utilities is today and understanding the technical drivers and operational trends that will impact utility and supplier planning over the next few years.

We are hoping to receive participation from more than 100 key electric utilities in this year’s study. Typically we do obtain cooperation from 100 or more utilities. It is more difficult to obtain high levels of cooperation today, with concerns about security and competitive activities. We are trying not to be intrusive in our questioning, so would-be participants can safely and securely provide information without having to be concerned with cyber security policy issues.

The richly illustrated Executive Summary from this new study will be about 40 pages in length and will enable participants to “benchmark” the findings relative to their own P&C activities and plans and compare with other utilities within their size range and utility type.

For interested parties, keep in mind that the pre-publication price offer for the four volume set of report is $5,500.00 through May, 2016. Once the study is published, the report series price will be $5,950.00.

A brochure with order form for the 2016-2018 series is available here.