Substation Testing & Maintenance
Testing & Commissioning
These procedures ensure that the substation performs according to design intent, OEM specifications, and applicable standards — including IEEE C57, IEEE 242 (Buff Book), NETA ATS/MTS, and NFPA 70E.
At Elliot Engineering, we understand that substation integrity is not maintained through partial inspection or statistical sampling — it demands 100% verification. Our engineers conduct comprehensive testing, commissioning, and maintenance programs to ensure that every conductor, relay, and circuit element operates within design tolerances and meets safety-critical parameters. This disciplined approach reduces the risk of failure, extends asset life, and ensures that each substation supports the continuity and resilience of the power grid.
Our team partners with utilities, OEMs, and industrial clients to eliminate uncertainty in both acceptance testing and commissioning phases. Whether commissioning a new substation, maintaining a legacy installation, or upgrading key assets, we provide precision testing rooted in engineering rigor, field experience, and standards compliance, ensuring operational readiness from day one.
What is Electrical Commissioning?
Think of electrical commissioning as the final “systems check” before your substation takes off. It’s the process of verifying that every piece of equipment and every control system works together exactly as designed. That means transformers are properly energized, breakers open and close when they’re supposed to, and protective relays trip in real fault scenarios instead of just on paper.
The goal? Safety, reliability, and compliance. Electrical commissioning reduces the risk of faults during initial energization, ensures your system meets industry standards, and provides peace of mind that your investment is ready for long-term performance. At Elliot Engineering, our commissioning team approaches every project with the precision of a lab test and the practicality of boots-on-the-ground fieldwork.
Substation Testing & Maintenance Services
Our engineers and technicians perform detailed checks on critical equipment following NETA and NFPA 70B standards, including:
- Circuit Breakers: SF6, Vacuum style, medium voltage, high voltage, circuit switchers, and reclosers
- Switchgear: Air insulated, GIS, low and medium voltages, AC or DC
- Transformers: Oil or dry-type, all voltages, padmounts, substation transformers, reactors, voltage regulators
- Protective Relay Testing: All types of protection relays, including SEL, Multilin, Siemens, Arcteq, Basler, and many others, including electromechanical relays
Why Choose Elliot Engineering?
Choosing the right partner for substation testing and commissioning means entrusting your infrastructure to engineers who understand the physics, standards, and field realities of high-voltage systems. Elliot Engineering stands out through a combination of precision, experience, and accountability.
- Standards-Driven Practice: Every procedure adheres to IEEE, NEC, NERC, NFPA 70E, NFPA 70B, NETA ATS/MTS, and OSHA safety protocols.
- Comprehensive Experience: Our engineers have executed projects across utilities, OEM facilities, heavy industry, and energy producers, ensuring adaptability across environments.
- Multidisciplinary Expertise: Our team combines electrical, protection, controls, and power systems engineering expertise, enabling a holistic view of system reliability.
- Proven Integration: As part of the Davis H. Elliot Company, we combine engineering discipline with the scalability of an EPC provider — from design to energization.
We bring a technical mindset to every project, ensuring that every relay curve, breaker mechanism, and control logic path is verified through documented, standards-based testing.
Substation Commissioning Expertise
Electrical commissioning is the process of validating that newly installed or modified equipment performs to OEM specifications and integrates seamlessly with protection and control schemes. This is distinct from maintenance testing, which verifies performance over time. At Elliot Engineering, our commissioning protocols are structured around NETA ATS acceptance testing and IEEE 1159 power quality verification standards.
Each commissioning project follows a traceable sequence that begins with Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT), progresses through Site Acceptance Testing (SAT), and concludes with a complete system functional verification. Our engineers execute insulation resistance, contact resistance, ratio checks, polarity check, power factor, and dielectric withstand tests on electrical equipment including transformers, breakers, and switchgear prior to energization. We then verify control logic, protective relay settings, SCADA integration, and grounding systems to ensure the substation can operate safely and autonomously within the power grid.
Because there is no six-sigma tolerance in power commissioning — only pass/fail — Elliot Engineering employs 100% inspection. Every wire, terminal, and protection circuit is verified against design schematics. Deviations from OEM spec are corrected before energization to mitigate catastrophic failure risk. Our commissioning engineers deliver final reports that include calibrated test data, as-found/as-left documentation, and compliance records aligned with IEEE, NERC, and NETA standards.
Why Protective Relay Testing Matters
Protective relays are the neural network of a substation. They provide the reflexes that isolate faults in milliseconds. A single relay malfunction can propagate a disturbance across an entire transmission line, leading to costly outages or equipment loss. To prevent such scenarios, Elliot Engineering performs relay testing in accordance with IEEE C37.90, IEC 60255, and NETA MTS guidelines.
Our engineers simulate real-world fault conditions to verify each relay’s tripping logic, time-current coordination, and communication with breakers and control systems. Whether the system includes SEL microprocessor-based relays or legacy electromechanical units, our testing confirms that each protective element responds accurately under defined parameters. This ensures that faults are isolated locally, equipment remains protected, and power delivery is uninterrupted.
Relay Testing Services
CIRCUIT BREAKER & SWITCH TESTING
TRANSFORMER TESTING
TRANSFORMER TESTING
SUBSTATION EQUIPMENT TESTING
COMMISSIONING SERVICES
Additional Services
Testing and commissioning often reveal latent risks and opportunities to enhance substation performance. To address these needs, Elliot Engineering offers a suite of complementary engineering and compliance services designed to ensure ongoing safety and efficiency throughout the operational lifecycle.
These include:
- Arc Flash Hazard Analysis & Labeling per NFPA 70E and IEEE 1584
- NERC Reliability Standard compliance audits
- Thermographic inspections and partial discharge testing for predictive maintenance
- Relay coordination and fault study updates to maintain selective protection integrity
- Lifecycle maintenance programs following NETA MTS and NFPA 70B periodic testing intervals
Our team also supports construction oversight, project scheduling, and data management through disciplined documentation practices that go beyond standard quality-management expectations.
More Services
FAQs: Substation Testing, Maintenance & Commissioning
What’s the difference between substation testing and commissioning?
Testing involves the verification of individual components — breakers, relays, transformers — against performance benchmarks such as NETA ATS or IEEE C57. Commissioning extends this by validating the wiring and performance of the integrated system under simulated operational conditions, ensuring full compliance and functionality prior to energization.
Why is protective relay testing important?
Relays are the system’s protective logic, responsible for fault detection and isolation. Testing confirms their accuracy, coordination, and compliance with IEEE C37.90 and IEC 60255, ensuring faults are cleared quickly, and protecting equipment, while isolating the effect on the power systems.
How long does the commissioning process take?
Commissioning timelines vary based on system complexity, voltage class, and equipment configuration. A small distribution substation may require several days, while large transmission or industrial substations can take multiple weeks. Elliot Engineering’s structured process ensures minimal downtime while maintaining full documentation and compliance.
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