Description

Utility substations form an integral part of the entire grid network. They will play a vital role in the smart grids of tomorrow.

With growing complexity in the grid, energy companies are recognizing the importance of digital transformation. Additional challenges include substation projects coming under increasing cost and time pressure, investors demanding improved asset utilization, and regulators mandating better power quality and grid resilience. Substation automation is the act of automating and controlling all the equipment within a substation. Over time, substations have evolved with the usage of more advanced and intelligent sensors. Digital substation, an advanced stage of substation evolution, is all about getting IEC 61850 to the field equipment, eliminating the cabling between the primary equipment and secondary systems and replacing it with Ethernet cables. A digital substation differentiates itself from a conventional substation based on communication architecture. In general, a digital substation will leverage digital technology for measurement, protection and control of transmission and distribution assets within a substation. In contrast to a conventional substation, it will use optical fibre cables (OFCs) instead of copper wirings. The rising popularity of digital substations is driven by multiple factors including reduced cost and space requirements, increased reliability, and ease of integration.

This research provides an market overview and market analysis of key opportunities with the digital substation sector.