IEEE Power & Energy Magazine - July/August 2019 - 22

types of electrical equipment in an offshore environment. A strong case can be
made for condition-based maintenance
to reduce the lifecycle costs of the asset.
Another key consideration is the final
decommissioning of assets after end of
life. This is not a typical consideration
for onshore substations where life extensions are typically less expensive than
complete replacement or decommissioning. Offshore projects, however, are typically required to remove all assets that
have been installed. We can be sure that
there will be development of new practices for OSSs leading to innovative solutions in the next decade to come.
The "In My View" column provides
a perspective on how current technologies will shape the future development
of substations. The author describes
substations as the main components of
electric grids and reflects on the critical
role electricity plays in keeping the engines of economies going and growing.
He also reflects on the need to alleviate
energy poverty, an area where substa-

tions play an important role alongside
the DERs. He studies the improvements
in computing power that have enabled
the rise of microprocessor-based relaying and have led to improved protection
systems, which exhibit better reliability,
selectivity, speed, cost, and simplicity.
These improvements have also led to
the growth of software platforms that are
slowly replacing the need for large physical equipment by utilizing what is currently considered nonconventional equipment. This is anticipated to reduce overall
substation sizes and have a positive environmental impact. Azar also talks about
the rise of AI and its potential to create
self-managing and self-healing substations, which give rise to more efficient,
reliable, and safe systems. In addition,
the author investigates how virtual reality
technologies can further improve the substation design. The vision of a substation
being a Wall Street trading floor for electricity of the future is the most graphic
description of the potential changes we
will see in the industry in the near future.

The future looks interesting for substations utilizing new technologies, showing
better aesthetics and sustainability, and
providing increased ability to integrate
DERs. The development of substation innovations will provide opportunities for
professional growth in the electric power
industry for years to come, especially as
we learn to gather, understand, and improve how we manage and use data that
will be available from the substations. I
look forward to further discussions of
substations of the future at IEEE Power
& Energy's 2019 General Meeting.
This issue contributes to the discussion of state-of-the-art innovation in
substations and the future path that it can
possibly take. I would like to thank the
authors for their time and dedication and
the articles provided, which shed light on
innovations happening around the world.
And a special thanks to the IEEE publications staff and Editor-in-Chief Michael
Henderson for all of the assistance rendered to a novice guest editor.
p&e

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IEEE Power & Energy Magazine - July/August 2019

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