Most utilities in the United States are required to comply with North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) regulations. Some of these regulations require utilities to develop performance-based, condition-based, or time-based maintenance programs, and the execution of these programs is what opens a window of opportunity for testing companies to offer services oriented to help utilities achieve their maintenance testing needs. …
NETA Corporate Alliance Partners (CAPs) are industry-leading companies that have joined forces with NETA to work together toward a common aim: improving quality, safety, and electrical system reliability. In this ongoing NETA World series, we focus on the thought leadership behind these successful companies. This issue’s CAP Spotlight features an interview with Brian Bianchi, Director of Sales and Marketing at …
Megohm or insulation resistance tests validate the insulating properties of electrical conductors. A conductor with good insulation will have high insulation resistance — often measured in giga-ohms (GΩ). A conductor with bad insulation will have lower insulation resistance, which can create a pathway for excessive leakage current. No insulation is perfect, but the goal of the test is to quantify …
Substations play a crucial role in the power system. Acting as the backbone of the grid, they are responsible for essential tasks including monitoring, controlling, and protecting power flow.[1] Over the years, the electrical industry has continuously worked to enhance and improve substation technologies, leading to the development of digital substations that integrate advanced communication and automation systems. These innovations …
Everyone has heard stale jokes about not reading instructions until it becomes a last resort. With many electrical test instruments, experience or general familiarity can at least get you started. But with ground testing, taking the new instrument out of the box and trying to figure out how to run the test will get you nowhere. There is nothing intuitive …
Working on or around electrical equipment can expose workers to significant hazards. NFPA 70E,® Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace® is an electrical safety standard written specifically to keep workers safe from these hazards. As NETA Certified Technicians, it is critical that we understand the information within this standard and apply it to our work activities. Editor’s note: 70E® and Standard …
Protection from hazards always begins with paying attention to the 6 Ps: Proper Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance. One of the most important tools for planning a job correctly and thoroughly includes using a pre-job briefing, more commonly called a PJB. In some industries such as construction, this may be known as a tailgate or tailboard; in others, it is …
Modern numerical transformer protection relays have powerful logic to prevent unwanted tripping on phase differential during CT saturation for external faults. This article analyzes this logic for a typical application. To demonstrate these protection features, we will simulate the low-side fault current for an out-of-zone fault using the IEEE PSRC CT Saturation Calculator. Note that this type of exercise is …
No good electrical testing field story starts with “everything went perfectly.” Inevitably, things do not go according to plan. Breakers of all types, makes, and models are the source of great stories and hard lessons learned under pressure to get a circuit back in service. The purpose of this article is to share common issues that fall into a few …
This will be the third time since 2011 that we have discussed inadvertent contact with overhead electrical lines. Once in 2011, again in 2017, and now once again in 2025. Why do we talk about the same subject three times every five years or so? Simply put, we aren’t making enough progress (in my opinion) on this particular electrical hazard. …