Practical Application of IEC 61850 in U.S Substations Compared to Traditional Relay Protection

IEC61850 is a part of the International Electrotechnical Commission's (IEC) Technical Committee 57 (TC57) architecture for electric power systems. This paper highlights some practical applications of the improved technical capabilities, available under IEC 61850, over typical and legacy substation relay protection design. Improved digitalization of the substation can be leveraged into improved operational efficiencies and reduced construction time & material. This paper identifies some common applications and value-adding opportunities including better electrical protection, reduced wiring requirements, and improved expansion flexibility of a substation. In addition, specific use cases are highlighted where applying the standard is a practical option, such as “load shedding” and “breaker failure” schemes. The paper also includes general comparisons of design efficiency gains and reductions in capital costs and construction time.