Substations of the Future – IEC 61850

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The IEEE Vehicular Technology Society (VTS) Philadelphia Chapter is holding a technical meeting.  The topic is Substations of the Future – IEC 61850.  Our speaker is Alexandre Piatniczka, Sales Solution Architect at Schneider Electric.

This presentation, "Substations of the Future – IEC 61850," provides a comprehensive introduction to the IEC 61850 standard and its transformative impact on substation protection, control, and automation. It begins by tracing the evolution of substation technology—from electromechanical relays and basic RTUs to advanced Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs) and distributed architectures—highlighting the increasing role of digital communication and automation in modern substations.

The core of the seminar focuses on the IEC 61850 standard, detailing its structure, key sections, and the system modeling approach based on physical devices, logical devices, logical nodes, and data objects. Attendees will gain insight into the three principal communication mechanisms defined by IEC 61850 (MMS, GOOSE, and Sampled Values), as well as the four main Ethernet network topologies (Star, Dual Star, Ring, and RSTP) used in contemporary substation designs.

The presentation also addresses the benefits of IEC 61850, including enhanced interoperability, faster peer-to-peer communication, reduced wiring complexity, improved engineering efficiency, and robust cybersecurity practices. Real-world examples and case studies illustrate Schneider Electric’s approach to IEC61850-based solutions, emphasizing value engineering, total cost of ownership, and the importance of standardized configuration languages and tools.

By the end of the session, participants will be equipped to explain the advantages of IEC 61850, identify its main components, and understand its application in designing future-ready, secure, and efficient substations.

There is no charge for meeting attendance, only for PDH certificates.

Attendees may apply for 1.0 PDH provided through the IEEE Certificates Program, accepted in all states.  Member cost is $7.00 and non-member cost is $10.00 (USD) via vTools.  Credit card payments are processed through PayPal.  Checks will be accepted.   Complete online evaluation after lecture at https://r2.ieee.org/philadelphia-vts/forms/

Payment must be received and evaluation form must be completed within three days to receive PDH certificate.

IEEE VTS Philadelphia Chapter Officers:

Chapter Chair:  Brandon S. Swartley, P.E., STV Incorporated, brandon.swartley@ieee.org
Secretary and Treasurer:  Robert Fisher, P.E., WSP, rbfisher@ieee.org

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• Introductions
• Presentation
• Questions and Open Discussion

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