Applications of IEC 61850 in Europe and all over

The year 2011 started with some questions I received from an employee of a big distribution company:

1. How is the implementation of IEC 61850 here in Europe especially in German Utility Company?
2. Are there lots of substation using this IEC 61850?
3. Are there lots of success stories from utility companies around the world using this IEC 61850? 
4. Will the standard IEC 61850 do lots of revisions (editions) again in the years to come?

Here is my answer [slightly revised]:

I am happy to assist you in the domain of a very new standard composed of some quite "old" standards. The various components of IEC 61850 are:

• Ethernet -> some 30 years old
• TCP/IP   -> some 30 years old
• MMS      -> some 25 years old
• XML       -> some 15 years old
• Information Modeling -> some 25 years old

The crucial new thing is, that we have composed a comprehensive standard with many different aspects ... building a SYSTEM. This is more than a new communication protocol ...

Ok, here are my answers to your specific questions:

1. How is the implementation of IEC 61850 here in Europe especially in German Utility Company?

<KHS>
IEC 61850 is used in many utilities and many production sites like power plants, petrochemical plants, factories, ... usually turnkey substation automation systems from one vendor.
There is no question to use it or not - if there is a question then it is this issue: How to specify what utilities want and how to use the standards (in some details).
</KHS>

2. Are there lots of substation using this IEC 61850?

<KHS>
Yes, the figures I have: more than 3000 worldwide.
I have a list of SICAM PAS-projects with IEC 61850. They list 433 projects with IEC 61850 (updated October 2010).
</KHS>

3. Are there lots of success stories from utility companies around the world using this IEC 61850? 

<KHS>
Yes. Most stories are very positive. There are mainly issues with the question: What do utilities expect??!?
Utilities have to get more deeply involved in the specification of the requirements. Or they may get something they did not expect ... too much or too less ...
I have been invited many times to help utility engineers to understand what their company has ordered and what was commissioned. Often the engineers have no clue what they got - even after the substation automation systems were in operation!!
IEC 61850 is not IEC 61850 !!
In order to get what your utility want, your utility has to understand the big impact of IEC 61850 on almost everything !!! Then the people have to tell the vendor/system integrator what they want AND what they DO NOT what!!
This requires well educated utility experts ... that is usually the problem.
</KHS>

4. Will the standard IEC 61850 do lots of revisions (editions) again in the years to come?

<KHS>
No! There is little impact from new documents to be expected - the base technology is very stable, tested and in operation.
</KHS>

I highly recommend to you and your utility to receive education - this is the most crucial issue today!

The recent Newton-Evans study figured out:

"Utility manpower shortages continue to negatively impact the ability of technology supplier companies to engage utilities for other than short-term requirements. However, third party engineering and integration service firms have recently made significant strides in winning substation automation-related business, from planning to design to construction and installation."

Click HERE for the news report on the study.

This is exactly what I have learned for years: There is a lack of smart people to deal with the future technologies in power systems. So, we have to wait until the next generation of engineers arrives: people that will use what is advanced and available and that can be downloaded from the Web ... like the IEC 61850 Windows DLL evaluation Kit to get first results within hours ...

Click HERE for the IEC 61850 Windows DLL.
Click HERE for some discussion on the education of utility experts.