Smart grid data analytics for digital protective relay event recordings

Information systems and intelligent smart grid data analytics will have a critical role in managing the massive amount of data becoming available in power system substations. Digital protective relays are multi-functional intelligent electronic devices based on microprocessors, which are being installed in substations throughout the power grid. New digital relays are replacing old-fashioned electro-mechanical or solid-state relays, and besides their protective function, they are coming equipped with monitoring capabilities. These monitoring capabilities are creating potential for better observability of power systems, redundancy in measurements, and improved decision-making process when operating the system. This article discusses the implementation requirements for a fully automated data analytics solution that provides data integration, fault analysis, and visualization based on the event data recorded by digital protective relays.