NETA’s Corporate Alliance Partners (CAPs) are a group of industry-leading companies that have joined forces with NETA to work together toward a common aim: improving quality, safety, and electrical system reliability.
Our continuing CAP Spotlight series highlights some of their individual successes as NETA World interviews MVA President Scott Reed.
NW: What do people think when they hear of MVA?
Reed: Quite simply, MVA is synonymous with transformer services. Our leadership team has over 100 years analyzing, interpreting, and servicing transformers. When customers call MVA with questions regarding an oil result, they are speaking with someone intimately familiar with transformers and helping them developing maintenance solutions. MVA’s team consists of engineers, chemists, and field experts specializing in transformers. The greatest value MVA brings to its customers is servicing them with solutions. It is why we work closely with many NETA members — our commitment is to quality control, oil results turnaround time, and helping them problem-solve transformer issues. We are proud to be a Corporate Alliance Partner with NETA because our services align nicely with the needs of NETA’s members.
NW: What recent company achievement or milestone are you particularly proud of?
Reed: The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office recently notified me that the XQOhm app I developed for transformer sampling was granted approval. This is a game changer. One of the biggest issues for service companies is paperwork errors when sampling transformers. In addition to being time-consuming filling out forms for every transformer, it is very common to transpose or misread numbers and letters, such as 5 being read as S, or outright lose the paperwork. As a result, the customer wastes time resampling the transformer or deciphering which transformer was tested. When serial numbers are illegible or wrong, new assets get created and historical trending is lost. After working with transformers for 25 years, I founded MVA in 2014 with a goal to simplify the sampling experience. Using XQOhm, the technician can take a picture of the nameplate to retrieve the serial number and order the tests. Service companies are busy, and XQOhm brings tremendous value by improving efficiencies in several ways: First, the technician saves time on site by eliminating tedious paperwork; second, managers do not have to contact our lab looking for historical results because of paperwork errors.Everybody benefits.
NW: What is something NETA World readers don’t know about MVA?
Reed: MVA is comprised of several companies. Most NETA members are familiar with MVA Diagnostics for our oil testing laboratory services but are unaware of our complementary field services division — MVA Services. My role as Chairman of the IEEE Transformer Insulating Fluids Subcommittee, which governs all transformer fluid applications, gives me the opportunity to provide IEEE updates to NETA World readers, bringing visibility to MVA Diagnostics. I have also presented and served on the Transformer Panel at the PowerTest conference. So while MVA Diagnostics focuses on analyzing and interpreting oil samples, MVA Services focuses on solutions to transformer problems. Whether it is oil processing and hot oil reclamation, LTC repairs and replacements, or component upgrades, MVA Services is uniquely positioned to help our NETA customers present solutions to their clients after receiving their oil test results. In addition to serving as the Chairman of the Insulating Fluids Subcommittee, I also serve as Chairman for the IEEE Guide, The Installation and Maintenance of Liquid Filled Power Transformers. Therefore, MVA is a well-rounded partner to help our customers solve problems.
NW: What change do you see on the horizon that will have a positive impact on your work?
Reed: I believe the Infrastructure Investment and Job Act (ILJA), otherwise known as the infrastructure bill, which was signed into law November 15, 2021, will provide a tremendous boost to our industry. With $65 billion allocated towards the electric grid and renewable energy, the amount of electrical testing that will be demanded from NETA testing companies from new construction will be substantial, and MVA is ideally positioned to assist with vacuum filling services as well as oil testing. While it will take time for the construction work to materialize, the follow-up work to maintain the infrastructure will be even more demanding in the years beyond the installation phase.
NW: What challenges do you see going forward for the industry?
Reed: The electric power grid will continue to integrate technology into the operating platform of service companies. Whether it is the electrical testing NETA testing companies perform, or those companies that provide oil testing services, it will be necessary to embrace technology to continue to operate efficiently and effectively. In the oil testing space, MVA is already a step ahead. Obtaining the patent for XQOhm is just one example of how we have embraced technology. For MVA, technology is not an obstacle; it is an opportunity for us to simplify our customers’ experiences, and we look forward to continuing to expand our services for our fellow NETA members.