EnerNex Announces Educational Series Focusing on Utility Automation Systems and IEC 61850

KNOXVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--EnerNex, a leading provider of engineering and consulting services to the electric power industry, announced today dates for a series of webinars and face-to-face seminars focusing on automation systems utilized in the electric utility transmission and distribution domains.

The seminars will introduce attendees to the basics of utility data communications and then focus on the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 61850 standard, which addresses all current and future issues for the design, implementation and commissioning of utility automation systems.

The series will begin with a free, introductory one-hour webinar which will provide a basic technical overview of IEC 61850 and will discuss the benefits of each major aspect of the standard. It will help the attendee build a foundation to effectively present the benefits of the standards to stakeholders as well as address other aspects that need to be considered along with IEC 61850 moving forward.

Topics covered in the one-hour web session include:

The role of IEC 61850 in the Utility “Big Picture”
The relationship between IEC 61850 and DNP
Overview of the various IEC 61850 features
Things to consider moving forward
What IEC 61850 means to stakeholders

According to EnerNex Chairman and Chief Technology Officer Erich Gunther, the timing is right for this series: “Utility automation is a tremendous area of activity within the electric power sector and there is an increasing trend towards using integrated data communications systems. The IEC 61850 standard is one that we feel utilities will employ in the near and long term to ensure interoperability, reliability, and security. We have a team of instructors who are recognized experts on this topic and are excited to share our expertise with the industry.”

There are three dates available for the free introductory webinar. Click below to register for the date most convenient:

In addition to the one-hour webinars, EnerNex will also host a series of three-day seminars at their Knoxville, Tenn. headquarters. The seminars will focus on a more in-depth look at utility data communications, substation and distribution automation, cyber security, and the IEC 61850 standards. By participating in the three-day seminars, attendees will gain a basic working knowledge of the subjects, as well as be better positioned to identify the potential value that they represent for their respective companies.

The first three-day session is scheduled for August 30-September 1, 2011 and will cover the basics of utility automation systems including:

Substation and Distribution Automation Fundamentals
Utility Data Communication Fundamentals
Cyber Security Considerations for Utility Automation Systems

Following up on the foundation, the second three-day session is scheduled for September 27-29, 2011 and will be devoted to a comprehensive review of the IEC 61850 standards including:

Communication Methods including Client/Server, GOOSE, and SMV
The Modeling Process
Substation Configuration Language
Conformance and Testing
Cyber Security Features

The webinars and seminars will be taught by Erich Gunther, Ron Farquharson, Grant Gilchrist, Bruce Muschlitz, and Brian Smith. All have worked extensively with utility automation systems and have been involved with the development of the IEC 61850 standard since its beginnings.

The audience targeted for this educational series is utility professionals including: system integrators, substation design engineers, operations and maintenance engineers, substation protection and control engineers, asset management managers, utility decision makers, and regulators.

For more information on the series or on how to participate in the face-to-face seminars, please contact Carrie Parks.

Additional information on the webinars, including agenda and registration, can be found on the EnerNexweb site at http://www.enernex.com/presentations/61850Webinar.pdf.

About EnerNex

EnerNex, established in 2003, provides research, engineering and consulting services, for the electric power industry. EnerNex focuses on providing services around the development and application of new and emerging electric power technologies to engineer a cleaner, smarter energy system of the future. For more information on EnerNex, visit www.enernex.com.