Moving existing substations to the digital age will require careful analysis and sound strategies. THE SUBSTATION IS THE CRITICAL LINK BETWEEN TRANSMISSION, DISTRIBUTION AND CUSTOMERS. This link must be robust and reliable. In the digital age, however, a robust substation is a strength and a weakness. Technological development is accelerating so fast that it almost seems to be planned obsolescence. Although substations are built to last, utilities cannot just lock the gate and walk away. Once a substation becomes part of the grid, it will be modified and improved. Visit an older substation, and it is a sure bet old and new technologies are working in concert with multigenerational devices sharing the same control building. Last century's electromechanical relays will be sitting next to today's ultramodern digital microprocessors, and they all have to function collectively and perfectly. Engineers and technicians from utilities and manufacturers have been working together to adapt each generation with the next.
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