Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories has released numerous enhancements for the SEL-2414 Transformer Monitor, further expanding its abilities to manage and protect critical substation assets.
As of July 2021, Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories’ OT SDN solution is certified on the U.S. DoDIN APL. The DoDIN APL (Department of Defense Information Network Approved Products List) is a consolidated list of network communications products and applications that are approved for use in DoD information networks and control systems. When a product makes this list, it is the result of rigorous and extensive testing, validation and certification to ensure that the solution meets the cybersecurity and interoperability standards for the Defense Information System Network and Federal Acquisition Regulation.
Fault location, isolation and service restoration (FLISR) solutions can have a big impact on distribution system reliability by automatically restoring power to customers and minimizing the size and duration of outages. Join us for a webinar on August 25, 2021, to learn how FLISR is applied to different distribution system setups using SEL recloser controls, communications devices, automation controllers and software.
Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories has added both Time-Domain Link (TiDL) technology and Sampled Values (SV) technology to the SEL-411L Advanced Line Differential Protection, Automation and Control System. As part of its normal functionality, the SEL-411L provides line current differential and distance protection for transmission lines. With these newest SEL-411L additions, SEL’s digital secondary system portfolio expands to include a line current differential solution for substation modernization efforts.
In a webinar on August 11, 2021, SEL engineers will discuss the concepts of trust and zero trust. They will explain how ICS and critical infrastructure networks can benefit from a modified zero-trust architecture and will explain how to strategically incorporate zero trust in an OT environment so it does not impact the availability of protection and control devices.
When it comes to industrial plants, commercial buildings, transportation hubs and multibuilding campuses, like manufacturing facilities and universities, take a system-focused approach to energy metering. Doing so will improve efficiency, increase uptime and decrease operating costs. Join us July 28, 2021, for a webinar about SEL campus metering systems, which are completely scalable and use the SEL-735 Power Quality and Revenue Meter as a foundation.
Adding more features to a basic feeder protection relay can make it more complex—but it doesn’t have to. Join us July 14, 2021, for a webinar about the new SEL-851 Feeder Protection Relay, which offers comprehensive protection and advanced communications in a simple, compact package. During the webinar, you will learn how the relay protects low- and medium-voltage feeders, improves system visibility, increases safety and easily integrates into systems. You will also see an in-depth demonstration of the new SEL Grid Configurator software, which helps you quickly create, manage and deploy device settings.
Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL) has introduced system-hardening solutions that improve the security of electric power protection and control systems.
Learn how wireless fault indication systems help improve system visibility, reduce outage durations and improve overall system reliability during our webinar on June 23, 2021. SEL experts will teach attendees about the SEL-FLT and SEL-FLR Fault and Load Transmitter and Receiver System, which quickly identifies faults and accurately monitors loads.
Governor Brad Little joins SEL at groundbreaking for 140,000-square-foot printed circuit board factory in Moscow, Idaho
Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories has released the new SEL-RP50 Fault Repeater, complementing and adding flexibility to the SEL-FT50 and SEL-FR12 Fault Transmitter and Receiver System. The system enhances distribution protection by helping relays make better tripping and reclosing decisions based on the location of a fault.
Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories has released the SEL-487B Bus Differential and Breaker Failure Relay with enhanced Time-Domain Link (TiDL) technology. TiDL is a protection-centered digital secondary system that replaces secondary system copper connections with fiber to decrease costs and increase safety. Its enhanced features include a purpose-built merging unit, data-sharing capabilities and modern configuration software.
Learn how to manage data and automate processes using SEL’s new user-friendly, modular operational technology (OT) application platform, SEL Blueframe. On May 26, 2021, SEL Product Manager Cailin Ventresco will share details about how Blueframe simplifies and centralizes user access permissions, security parameters and IED data management.
Learn how to enhance protection on your distribution system during this May 12, 2021, webinar, which will focus on the new SEL-RP50 Fault Repeater and highlight how it expands the capabilities of the SEL-FT50 and SEL-FR12 Fault Transmitter and Receiver System. During the webinar, you will hear about the new SEL-RP50 Fault Repeater; review several SEL-FT50, SEL-RP50, and SEL-FR12 applications; and see results from utility installations. You will also gain an understanding of how these devices work together with a utility’s existing recloser controls or protective relays to provide a simple, cost-effective solution for improved distribution protection.
SEL has released a new precise timing solution using the SEL ICON that is distributed via WAN to reduce the impact of localized GPS outages. This new approach is enabled through the ICON Enhanced Protected Line Module (EPLM), released March 12, which supports IEEE 1588 Precision Time Protocol (PTP) Telecom input for WAN-based time synchronization over packet-based transports.
Learn about advancements in remedial action schemes (RASs), which can help meet NERC PRC-012-2 requirements and integrate renewables like wind and solar into the transmission system.
Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories has released the SEL-487E Transformer Protection Relay with enhanced Time-Domain Link (TiDL) technology. TiDL is a protection-centered digital secondary system that replaces secondary system copper connections with fiber to decrease costs and increase safety. Its enhanced features include a purpose-built merging unit, data-sharing capabilities and modern configuration software.
Learn how to test an ultra-high-speed relay’s protection and fault-locating functions without a physical test set simply by using transient records and the built-in event playback function available in the SEL-T400L Time-Domain Line Protection and the SEL-T401L Ultra-High-Speed Line Relay.
Line monitoring is now available in the SEL-T400L Time-Domain Line Protection, further enhancing the ultra-high-speed relay’s capabilities. This new feature detects, locates, tabulates and alarms for recurring disturbances on the line, including low-energy events and faults. This helps utilities improve line maintenance efforts and costs and can reduce the number of line faults by identifying low-energy precursor events before they become faults.
SEL recently joined the Department of Energy (DOE) Cyber Testing for Resilient Industrial Control Systems (CyTRICS) program, which focuses on identifying vulnerabilities in the technology supply chain.
Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories has released SEL Blueframe — a new operational technology (OT) platform designed to run Blueframe-enabled applications and provide users with a reliable, secure web-based platform that simplifies the management of security vulnerability patches while easily integrating with their systems.
Learn about a new, resilient approach to time synchronization in substations using the SEL ICON for time distribution over WAN.
In November 2020, SEL engineers presented the first webinar in a two-part series about how SEL powerMAX power management solutions work. On February 24, 2021, the second webinar in the series will demonstrate how to prevent blackouts and keep critical processes running with the advanced high-speed protection and control technology in powerMAX.
Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories has begun rolling out its enhanced Time-Domain Link (TiDL) technology solution, which is a protection-centered digital secondary system that replaces copper with fiber to decrease costs and increase safety. It now features a purpose-built merging unit, data-sharing capabilities and modern configuration software.
SEL has released the SEL-3350 Automation Controller. This new addition to the automation controller family, designed to complement the SEL-3355 and SEL-3360 Automation Controllers, provides a lower price point and a smaller 1U form factor. The SEL-3350 is ideal for applications that require midlevel I/O and computation.
Supply chain security has been top-of-mind for a while now, but with the recent SolarWinds cyber attack, many organizations are becoming increasingly concerned about the security of their systems. SEL’s operational technology (OT) software-defined networking (SDN) offers a solution.
Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories is proud to announce the immediate release of the SEL-2411TM Temperature Monitor Digital Data Logger, designed specifically for use in the cold chain storage of COVID-19 vaccines.
Learn how to strengthen network security for operational technology (OT) applications with the new SEL Unified Threat Management (UTM) Firewall. On January 13, 2021, SEL engineers will provide an overview of the SEL UTM solution, which is customized to your exacting specifications by the SEL Engineering Services team.
In August 2020, SEL released the SEL-400G Advanced Generator Protection System with the new software tool SEL Grid Configurator. The relay now also supports acSELerator QuickSet SEL-5030 Software, providing another option for configuring, commissioning and managing devices.
SEL powerMAX prevents blackouts and keeps critical processes online using advanced protection and control technologies. On December 9, 2020, SEL engineers will present the first webinar in a two-part series about how SEL powerMAX works.
Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories has released the SEL Unified Threat Management (UTM) Firewall, a new security solution that is customized to your specifications by the SEL Engineering Services team. This firewall broadens SEL’s portfolio of cyber-defense solutions for critical operational technology (OT) networks. For utilities and industrial customers looking to build stronger security perimeters around their substations, SEL UTM provides advanced firewall and router capabilities.
Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories has released the SEL-700BT Motor Bus Transfer Relay, a purpose-built relay which offers comprehensive bus transfer and protection for critical process environments that require a continuous and reliable supply of electric power.
SEL time-domain relays offer more than ultra-high-speed line protection. On November 18, 2020, at 11:00 a.m. (Pacific Time), SEL engineers will look beyond the protection functions in the new SEL-T401L Ultra-High-Speed Line Relay to discuss its additional capabilities. Attendees will learn about high-fidelity transient recording, locating faults within one tower span with traveling-wave-based fault locating and continuous line monitoring for detecting incipient events.
Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories has released the SEL-RPM Redundant Power Module, a reliable and simple multisource module to power protection, monitoring and control equipment.
SEL has released the SEL-2742S Software-Defined Network Switch. With this release, utility and industrial network engineers have a choice of 19" rack mounting (with the SEL-2740S Software-Defined Network Switch) or DIN-rail or surface mounting (with the SEL-2742S) for their software-defined networking (SDN) switch hardware.
Three new protocols are now available for the SEL-849 Motor Management Relay: EtherNet/IP, the IEC 62439 Parallel Redundancy Protocol (PRP) and DNP3. With these additions, the multipurpose protection and control relay can more easily be applied in industrial and utility applications.
To reduce line clutter around their substations, North Carolina’s Clayton Public Power constructed their distribution system like many other utilities: underground cables carry power to overhead lines outside the substation, which then provide service to the utility’s customers. In order to rapidly restore power and provide consistent, high-quality service, their protection scheme was programmed to automatically reclose in order to clear momentary faults on the overhead lines.
SEL software-defined networking (SDN) is delivering real-world benefits for operational technology (OT) networks, such as substation LANs. SEL SDN has been shown to strengthen cybersecurity, improve network performance for IEC 61850-based protection systems and streamline data collection for NERC CIP compliance audits. On November 4 at 11:00 a.m. (Pacific Time), SEL engineers will share the results from utility deployments worldwide.
On October 27, 2020, Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL) is hosting the first-ever Fall Virtual Seminar, which will highlight the latest SEL solutions, features and technologies designed to help increase the efficiency, speed and simplicity of electric power systems.
Flagship Purdue Polytechnic High School center named to honor $4M gift from business leaders Ed and Beatriz Schweitzer
At 11:00 a.m. (Pacific Time) on October 21, 2020, SEL engineers will present a webinar that focuses on how facilities can improve power reliability by applying the new SEL-700BT Motor Bus Transfer Relay, which transfers critical loads from a primary source to an auxiliary feeder during faults or outages on the primary feeder.
Protection, robustness, maintainability and cybersecurity — these are four key factors to successfully modernizing your substation with a digital secondary system (DSS). On October 7, 2020, SEL engineers will present a webinar to discuss how these factors apply to SEL Time-Domain Link (TiDL) technology, one of SEL’s DSS solutions.
SEL encourages employee and community to remain diligent in the fight against COVID-19.
In power system protection, every millisecond counts. Faster fault clearing improves public and utility personnel safety, widens transient stability margins, limits equipment wear, improves power quality and confines property damage. Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories has released the SEL-T401L Ultra-High-Speed Line Relay, which combines the field-proven traveling-wave-based and incremental-quantity-based technologies pioneered in the SEL-T400L Time-Domain Line Protection with a complete suite of phasor-based protection functions that you expect in a line protection system.
For utilities looking for ways to mitigate wildfire risk due to downed conductors, SEL can help. High-impedance fault (HIF) detection is a key technology for detecting downed conductors, a critical component of a complete wildfire risk mitigation program.
For utilities faced with converging information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) networks, there are many challenges to consider. These challenges include performance for protection applications, security, demarcation of responsibilities and more. On August 26, 2020, SEL engineers will present a webinar that describes how SEL ICON virtual synchronous networking (VSN) helps utilities address convergence challenges.
Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories has released Flow Auditor, the first application in the new SEL-5057 SDN Application Suite. Flow Auditor streamlines data collection for NERC CIP compliance reporting.
Advanced protection, monitoring and communications are critical when it comes to safeguarding the substantial investments made in generating facilities. The new SEL-400G Advanced Generator Protection System offers primary and backup protection for generators of all sizes and types, including hydro, pumped-storage hydro, steam turbine and combustion gas turbine generators.
When Enel-Codensa—one of Colombia’s leading electric utilities—encountered a major obstacle to upgrading their hydroelectric facility’s busbar protection scheme, they decided to partner with SEL to find a solution. SEL’s proposal featured Time-Domain Link (TiDL) technology, which would not only solve Enel-Codensa’s problem but also improve the safety, security, and efficiency of their substation.
Power system complexity continues to increase as nonlinear devices, such as variable-frequency drives, power supplies, and inverters, are added. However, increased visibility of the real-time power system status while in the field can make work simpler for operators, technicians, and engineers alike. The SEL-735 Power Quality and Revenue Meter will soon be available with a color touchscreen display, improving real-time system visibility.
Advanced protection, monitoring and communications are a critical part of protecting the substantial investments made in generating facilities. These capabilities allow facility operators to detect faults earlier, limit generator damage and return to service faster.
A new SEL white paper provides insights into capacitor bank management and control. It describes the function of capacitor banks in the distribution system and identifies common methods for controlling capacitor banks, including their benefits and challenges.
The Tohono O’odham Utility Authority (TOUA) is a small utility nestled in the heart of the Sonoran Desert in the Southwest U.S. They were one of the first to add the SEL-T400L Time-Domain Line Protection to their transmission line system with contacts ready to trip.
Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories has released the SEL-734W Capacitor Bank Control and SEL-8340 Wireless Current Sensor solution, offering utilities a safer, simpler, and more cost-effective way to improve distribution power quality and efficiency.
Dr. Ed Schweitzer's letter to the community.
New enhancements for the SEL-751, SEL-710-5, SEL-700G, and SEL-787-2/-3/-4 protective relays are now available. These enhancements save power system operators time by simplifying testing, allowing remote access, and offering additional onscreen controls.
SEL University will host a new session of WBT 103: Transmission Pilot Protection Application of Power Line Carrier—the popular web-based training (WBT). WBT 103 teaches students how to apply power line carrier (PLC) communications in transmission pilot schemes. Some of the topics include coupling the PLC channel to the transmission line, recognizing how frequency affects the channel, calculating the channel’s performance, and mitigating performance issues.
DC control power can fail for a number of reasons—battery failures, dc control system faults, battery charger failures, testing or maintenance errors—leaving critical equipment without power. If a fault occurs when protection equipment are not energized, even a minor event can lead to damaged equipment, costly repairs and harm to personnel. Redundancy can help prevent a single point of failure in control power systems and help you avoid these outcomes.
SEL University is releasing an online version of their popular PROT 401: Protecting Power Systems for Engineers course, ePROT 401.
More than a dozen papers accepted by the International Conference on Developments in Power System Protection (DPSP) and the annual Power and Energy Automation Conference (PEAC) are now published on the technical papers webpage.
Senior Product Sales Manager Richard Kirby and Lead Product Engineer Greg Smelich will provide insights into the analysis of traveling-wave events, discuss the operation of time-domain protection, and explain how to perform traveling-wave-based fault locating.
SEL response to COVID-19
The deadline was daunting. To avoid an energy shortfall, Elia—Belgium’s transmission operator—and SEL’s Engineering Services had only ten months to design, build, and test a special protection system (SPS) to manage the Elia power system and integrate new offshore wind turbines.
The R&D 100 Awards Conference has recognized SEL’s Tactical Microgrid Standard (TMS) Open Architecture as one of 2019’s most inventive and inspired technologies.
An SEL webinar on March 11 introduced new solutions to automate data collection for NERC CIP-007-6 R1 reporting.
Clean water is vital to community health. As communities grow, so does the challenge of obtaining enough water to meet increased demand since nutrient loading and groundwater withdrawal have damaged aquifers.
For years, utilities have relied on traditional time- and temperature-based capacitor bank switching. However, it has accuracy limitations and is difficult and expensive to upgrade to modern line post current sensors. A new webinar presented by SEL engineers Ben Rowland and Shane Reeves shares how utilities can now easily upgrade their system to more accurate current-based capacitor bank control.
acSELerator QuickSet SEL-5030 Software has been the standard configuration tool for SEL power system devices for almost 20 years. In 2020, SEL will begin rolling out SEL Grid Configurator, QuickSet’s replacement. In a January 15 webinar, Engineering Managers Michael Rourke and Tyler Dusek share a preview of Grid Configurator.
Personnel who depend on accurate real-time power system condition information will soon have even more control at their fingertips with the SEL-735 Power Quality and Revenue Meter’s new color touchscreen display option. The capacitive 5-inch, 800 × 480 color touchscreen simplifies metering power, from commissioning through daily management, and it is available now for preorder.
SEL University has released its 2020 course schedule for locations in the United States and Canada. The list of comprehensive, classroom-based courses range from fundamental power system protection, control, and monitoring principles to hands-on SEL product application and testing.
In a December 11 webinar, SEL Director of Security Frank Harrill and Senior Engineer William Edwards share strategies, processes, and best practices for supply chain security.
The 2020 SEL Catalog is now available. In addition to providing an overview of SEL’s most popular products and solutions, the catalog also provides example applications, feature comparisons, product functions, prices, and information about the latest SEL technology.
A new SEL webinar shares how a utility successfully implemented a converged information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) network for their power system communications.
System engineer Mark Stambaugh has been working hard volunteering his time in a remote Nepalese village. His goal? Pilot a new way of implementing hydroelectricity for remote villages in Nepal and other developing countries. His design addresses reasons why hydroelectric plants typically fail in Nepal and reduces the time and money needed to replicate those plants. The system also allows the village residents to maintain it themselves.
How'd he do it? With the help of SEL technology. Our team donated seven SEL products to bring safe, reliable power into the village. Check out this video for the full story!
SEL has published a new book comprised of technical papers on synchronous generator protection, control, and monitoring. The book, Synchronous Generator Protection and Control—A Collection of Technical Papers Representing Modern Solutions, discusses strategies for dealing with scenarios that threaten the secure, reliable operation of power-generating stations.
A new SEL webinar available now teaches power industry personnel how to generate graphics-rich energy and power quality reports based on granular-level data gathered from SEL-735 Power Quality and Revenue Meters.
SEL hosts annual Wellness and Education Expo
Free admission, free flu shots, door prizes, interactive workshops, and more!
SEL Engineering Services recently installed a microgrid control system at Montclair State University that is estimated to save the New Jersey college over $4 million per year. The system, which runs in tandem with the university’s 5.4 MW heating, cooling, and power production plant, is designed to reduce emissions and ensure energy-efficient delivery of steam for heating, chilled water for air conditioning, and natural gas for electricity.
Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories and the industrial cybersecurity company Dragos are teaming up to present a webinar that provides insight into protecting the critical infrastructure that helps commerce and communities function. To secure operational systems, electric utilities must quickly identify vulnerabilities, build cyber defense, detect threats, and quickly recover.
A newly published white paper coauthored by SEL and G&W Electric engineers explores how power distribution protection technologies can reduce wildfire risk.
Making electric power safer, more reliable, and more economical can often involve upgrades to the power system. In a new white paper, SEL Engineering Services Director Peter Allen discusses the benefits of relay replacement and how they outweigh the initial capital investment.
A newly published white paper from SEL, SDN Advantages for Ethernet-Based Control, describes the use of software-defined networking (SDN) technology at Itaipu Dam, one of the world’s largest hydroelectric facilities.
SEL is rated one of the top overall relay manufacturers internationally in a new protective relay market report published by Newton-Evans.
According to a recently released report by the Newton-Evans Research Company, SEL is North America’s favorite protective relay manufacturer. When it comes to technology, price, service and support, ease of use, and cybersecurity, utilities across Canada and the United States rank SEL best-in-class above 14 major competitors, ranging from ABB and Beckwith to Siemens and General Electric.
On Wednesday, June 12, at 11 a.m. PDT, SEL will host “Microgrid System Design, Control, and Modeling Challenges and Solutions.” During this webinar, we will share our experiences with designing, installing, and testing microgrid control systems.
On May 2, 2019, SEL engineers Ariana Hargrave, Michael Thompson, and Brad Heilman were presented the Walt Elmore Best Paper Award by the organizers of the Protective Relaying Conference at Georgia Tech University. Their technical paper, Beyond the Knee Point: A Practical Guide to CT Saturation, was one of 42 papers in competition. This is the second straight year that Hargrave, who presented the paper, has authored a Walt Elmore award-winning paper.
The danger of an arc-flash event occurring in an electric power system is very real. Ignoring options for arc-flash mitigation can lead to hundreds of thousands of dollars in equipment damage, injuries, and even death; preparation is vital.
The working partnership between SEL and industrial cybersecurity leader Dragos, Inc. helps electric utilities counter digital attacks on critical infrastructure. The efforts of that partnership were recently recognized with the award for Best SCADA Security Solution at the 23rd annual SC Awards gala in San Francisco.
Distributed energy resources (DERs) and microgrids are growing rapidly, and utilities and power producers need simple, safe, reliable, and affordable methods to connect these resources to the main grid. To meet this need, SEL has added point of common coupling (PCC) capabilities to the SEL-651R Advanced Recloser Control.
Telecommunications carriers are rapidly phasing out the leased analog services that utilities rely on for protection schemes. Moreover, most digital alternatives to analog cannot provide the guaranteed low latency and synchronous performance that protection applications require. A new SEL case study shows how Consumers Energy, a Michigan-based electric utility, used SEL ICON virtual synchronous networking (VSN) technology to migrate from leased analog circuits to digital circuits with no loss in protection scheme performance.
SEL has released several important enhancements to the SEL-FT50 Fault Transmitter, making the SEL-FT50 and SEL-FR12 Fault Transmitter and Receiver System even more accurate in detecting faults, more power-efficient, and easier to install.
SEL recently released enhancements to the SEL software-defined networking (SDN) solution that make it simpler than ever for utilities to design substation communications networks.
Noel Schulz has been named the Edmund O. Schweitzer III Chair in Power Apparatus and Systems at Washington State University
The Santa Fe New Mexican newspaper recently featured Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM) and SEL’s first-of-its-kind transmission system modernization project.
Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc. today released the SEL-FLT and SEL-FLR Fault and Load Transmitter and Receiver System. The system allows utilities to detect and respond to faults quickly, making distributions systems more reliable.
SEL recently released a new cellular router that helps utilities securely use public cellular networks for communication with remote equipment and devices. This new router allows utilities to upgrade from older 3G technology and extend communications to previously unreachable areas of their power systems.
Thirteen new IEEE PES “Schweitzer Meritorious Scholars” Chosen
SEL’s lineup of IEC 61850-9-2 Sampled Values (SV) protective relays has expanded, allowing substation designers to apply an interoperable network-based digital secondary system (DSS) solution that reduces copper, saves money, and increases safety.
The University of St. Thomas (UST) in St. Paul, Minnesota, is constructing an innovative microgrid research and testing facility with the help of technology from Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL). The new facility will provide a flexible and configurable platform for third parties to test microgrid controls and software and help advance the field of alternative energy solutions.
An ongoing process improvement campaign in SEL manufacturing factories is helping SEL ship custom-made products within days of receiving orders. For many popular SEL products, this lead time is just five days.
SEL has published a new book on power system cybersecurity. Sensible Cybersecurity for Power Systems is a collection of 28 technical papers by industry experts that offers an overview of challenges, opportunities, and solutions for modern power system cybersecurity.
SEL has released a new book that explains the latest innovations in using traveling waves and instantaneous incremental quantities for ultra-high-speed line protection and fault locating. The book is a compilation of 15 technical papers on applying time-domain technology.
Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL) is partnering with Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM), the state’s largest electricity provider, to be the first to protect high-voltage 345 kV transmission lines using time-domain technology. The SEL-T400L Time-Domain Line Protection is enabling the utility to achieve operating speeds and accuracy impossible through conventional means.
David Shadle, the grid optimization editor for T&D World, recently called out SEL in his story on designing simple digital substations. He describes how SEL’s “sharp group of authors” impressed him with a technical paper presented at Texas A&M’s 70th Annual Conference for Protective Relay Engineers.
Operating a relay should be as easy as operating a smartphone, and now it is. SEL has added an optional 5-inch, 800 x 480 color touchscreen display to the SEL-700G, SEL-710-5, and SEL-787-2/-3/-4 relays.
SEL released the first software-defined networking (SDN) solution specifically designed for electric utility substations in 2016. Now, operators at real-world installations are realizing the benefits of this new wired Ethernet technology.
A new article in PAC World magazine written by SEL engineers describes how to reap the benefits of high-speed, wireless fault transmitter and receiver systems.
SEL has named Tony Lee the Chief Research and Development Officer.
With advanced recloser controls, distribution protection engineers can solve challenges that have historically been considered acceptable anomalies. By addressing these challenges, utilities can improve grid performance and predictability.
A mainboard and firmware update in the SEL-735 Power Quality and Revenue Meter increases device memory, enables digitally signed firmware, and more.
SEL has launched a new tool to make choosing the right industrial computer easier than ever: the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Calculator. This intuitive, web-based tool lets you compare the true costs of industrial computers over their entire lifecycles and demonstrates how much can be saved by investing in reliable equipment up front.
The town of Clayton, North Carolina, recently installed the SEL-FT50 and SEL-FR12 Fault Transmitter and Receiver System to improve their power system protection by blocking reclosing for underground faults. The system will minimize power outages for the town’s residents and protect expensive equipment from damage.
Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL) will give $2 million to fund Lewis-Clark State College’s new Career & Technical Education (CTE) Center to be built in the Lewiston Orchards. SEL Founder and President Ed Schweitzer and his wife, Beatriz, will also donate $1 million to the project.
The SEL-2730M Managed 24-Port Ethernet Switch and the SEL-2740S Software-Defined Network Switch have received KEMA Type Test Certificates after evaluation by KEMA Laboratories. The certificates validate conformance to IEC 61850-3 environmental standards and IEC 61850-90-4 Ethernet networking performance standards.
Ordering through the SEL website is even easier with the introduction of new features to improve the online ordering experience.
SEL released new firmware for the SEL-3620 and SEL-3622 Security Gateways on June 8. This release (Version R206) enhances the AAA (authentication, authorization, and accounting) proxy feature set and proxy performance. These customer-requested enhancements make the SEL-3622 and SEL-3620 more flexible and easy to use.
As telecom carriers focus increasingly on digital services and phase out analog leased line services, many utilities face escalating fees for analog services or compromised performance for protection circuits when migrating to digital leased lines. SEL’s newest webinar, “WAN Case Study—Addressing Analog Leased Line Obsolescence,” details how one public utility, Consumers Energy, confronted these challenges and implemented an innovative solution based on the SEL ICON.
SEL has redesigned several multimode serial fiber-optic transceiver models to meet new CE requirements and make them easier to install and use.
Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories has named Leith Sorenson vice president of Manufacturing.
Dr. Héctor J. Altuve, an SEL Distinguished Engineer and the Dean of SEL University, has been published in the newest edition of the McGraw-Hill Standard Handbook for Electrical Engineers. This industry-standard reference provides “up-to-date coverage of every facet of electric power in a single volume” and includes input from over 100 internationally recognized power system experts.
SEL recently worked with Pend Oreille Public Utility District (PUD), an electric and water utility in Northeast Washington State, to upgrade an aging communications system with a simple and affordable solution.
Two SEL authors were awarded the 2017 Best Paper Award at this year’s Georgia Tech Protective Relaying Conference for their paper "A Current Story – When Primary Met Secondary." SEL engineers Swagata Das and Ariana Hargrave wrote the paper with Genardo Corpuz of Lower Colorado River Authority.
A pioneering fault-detection application by John Oliveira of Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro earned top honors in the SEL Engineer Design Challenge.
The SEL-FT50 and SEL-FR12 Fault Transmitter and Receiver System uses wireless technology that must be certified by each country’s communications regulatory agency. With the recent certification in the European Union, SEL has added 28 certified countries for a total of 36.
Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories has named David Costello their Chief Sales & Customer Service Officer. Costello steps into the newly created position to guide the company’s S&CS organization worldwide, with a special focus on quality, service and customer relationships.
A new video shows how SEL helped Central Hudson Gas and Electric, a utility in New York State that serves 300,000 electricity customers, harden their Danskammer substation so that it can survive storms with limited or no damage.
Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL) announces plans to build a 100,000-square-foot facility for electric power research in the Purdue Discovery Park District designed to support up to 300 new high-tech jobs.
Many modern power system applications require timing that is synchronized to less than a single microsecond. Synchronizing with this accuracy was previously impossible over an Ethernet network, but now it can be done with Precision Time Protocol (PTP).
The SEL-2740S Software-Defined Network Switch improves cybersecurity, network performance, and traffic management in the substation LAN. And now, the SEL-2740S supports Precision Time Protocol (PTP), defined by the IEEE 1588 standard.
In the just-released 2018 Navigant Research report on microgrid controller vendor performance, SEL led a field of 15 prominent companies with a composite score of 84.3 on a 0–100 scale.
ANSI, the organization that sets the North American revenue metering standards, recently updated their standards to include a new accuracy class that requires higher metering accuracy and better performance, even under challenging nonsinusoidal system conditions. The SEL-735 exceeds these new, tougher requirements.
To help compliance and management teams learn how to effectively navigate and implement North American electrical security regulations (including NERC CIP), SEL University is offering the course SEC 203: Electric Security Regulations for North America. It is region-independent and includes reliability standard audit worksheets (RSAWs), data requests and audit best practices.
SEL’s newest webinar, “Chomping CAIDI With the Right Fault Indication System,” introduces the SEL-FLT and SEL-FLR Fault and Load Transmitter and Receiver System.
POWERGRID International magazine has published an article by SEL authors that highlights the importance of implementing protection-class fault indicator systems in existing distribution protection systems to improve response times, increase system visibility, extend equipment life and reduce fault durations.
With nonsinusoidal loads and sources becoming more common in modern electrical power systems, reliable and accurate energy metering is more important than ever. SEL metering experts presented a webinar on metering under all power system conditions on March 28.
Regulatory agencies in Peru, Australia, and New Zealand have recently certified the SEL-FT50 and SEL-FR12 Fault Transmitter and Receiver System.
SEL and Dragos, trusted names in digital power system products and cybersecurity, have jointly developed a solution that provides continuous monitoring, threat intelligence and active cyber defense for industrial control systems.
The SEL Engineer Design Challenge tasks entrants with creating power system designs that use the SEL-FT50 and SEL-FR12 Fault Transmitter and Receiver System in new, innovative ways.
An article describing how SEL engineers partnered with Southern California Edison engineers to resolve a high-voltage transmission issue on a hybrid overhead/underground line in Chino Hills, Calif., was published in the latest issue of PAC World magazine.
A new video featuring SEL and Ciena networking experts describes how they partnered to address the challenge of converging IT and OT networks while maintaining the network performance requirements of OT power system applications.
SEL’s controller chosen from five competitors following a 21-week competitive procurement program.
Industrial Ethernet Book (IEB) has published the white paper Purpose-Engineered, Active-Defense Cybersecurity for Industrial Control Systems” authored by Rhett Smith of SEL and Roger Hill of Veracity Industrial Networks.
A Burns and McDonnell test report has confirmed that SEL ICON virtual SONET network (VSN) technology delivers strong network performance. The test results show that with this technology, network operators can now migrate to a converged information technology (IT)/operational technology (OT) network without sacrificing the performance and reliability of their critical protection circuits.
Powercor, the largest electricity distributor in the Australian state of Victoria, is using the SEL-451 Protection, Automation, and Bay Control System to manage a new earth fault management system recently put into service. The purpose of this system is to minimize phase-to-ground fault current to prevent deadly bushfires.
Time-domain and traveling-wave technologies are delivering dramatic reductions in transmission relay operating times.
Partnership ensures reliability and performance of critical OT protection circuits over an MPLS core network.
SEL hosts annual Education and Wellness Expo, Thursday, September 28.
Create a robust, flexible, and interoperable IEC 61850-9-2 protection system that saves copper, money, time, and lives.
Employees at Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories in Pullman are churning out disaster relief power restoration products in a tenth of typical production time and getting them out the door to Texas in 48 hours or less
Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories donates $150k to American Red Cross, discounts products for customers affected by Harvey
U.S. Energy Association presented SEL with the 2016 Project of the Year award for its work in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Simple, out-of-the-box configuration enables installation and use in new and retrofit applications
SEL's creativity and uncommon take on hiring, training and retention shine in Forbes article.
Cooperative effort will broaden OT and IT service and technology offerings for applications across critical infrastructure industries
SEL opens a Regional Integration Center in Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
Learn how to apply SEL SDN technology to engineer a better network with SELU hands-on training
Trip in milliseconds, speed up restoration, and improve safety on distribution feeders.
Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories has purchased a 28,000 sq. ft. building in Spokane Valley, Washington.
LC Valley business representatives tout the need for building new Lewiston High School.
Pullman kids from all over the region got to learn about electric power systems and high-tech manufacturing at SEL's GREAT Day.
Use knowledge gained to implement more secure industrial control systems.
New Ethernet communications technology aims to keep systems operational under cyberattack.
Improve underground reliability and speed up restoration in harsh subsurface environments
Discovering she wanted to be an electrical engineer was a jolt to Jackie Peer's system; she now strives to lure more women and men to join her field.
Made in the USA, the new SEL-3360E Compact Industrial Computer from SEL features the Intel® Core™ i7 processor, a –40° to +60°C operating range, no vents and no moving parts.
Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories vice president of Global Factories announces retirement.
SEL featured on the Employee-Owned S Corporations of America (ESCA) blog.
DoD shortlists SEL-3031 Serial Radio Transceiver for military applications.
SEL to host annual Education & Wellness Expo with Free glucose, cholesterol and fitness screening and more!
IEC 61850 MMS File Services now available from SEL. Real-Time Automation Controllers (RTACs) expand versatility with support for new IEC 61850 communications capabilities.
The SEL-T400L Time-Domain Line Protection trips securely in as fast as 1 millisecond to protect critical lines.
SEL has successfully completed onsite testing of its new software-defined networking (SDN) technology at the Ameren Illinois Technology Applications Center (TAC) in Champaign, Illinois, using their smart grid testbed.
SEL acquires Sienco Energy Partners, an engineering and integration firm based in Bogota, Colombia.
SEL is North America’s preferred relay supplier according to the recently released Newton-Evans study “Worldwide Study of the Protective Relay Marketplace in Electric Utilities: 2016–2018.” In the survey, 84 percent of electric utilities chose SEL as their favorite protective relay provider.
Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories made Fortune’s list of the 100 Best Workplaces for Millennials and the 20 Best Workplaces for Baby Boomers.
Onsite clinics create a healthier workplace.
Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories is expanding its footprint and capabilities in Brazil. The company recently opened a 50,000 sq. ft. regional integration center in the Techno Park business park in Campinas, São Paulo.
Julian Alzate selected to participate in the newly formed U.S. Mexico Energy Business Council.
Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories started in founder Ed Schweitzer's basement. Now it employs more than 4,300 people, with plans to hire 850 more, and sells products around the world.
Article for Textron's Journey website illustrates how SEL uses business aviation to continue to operate and grow from their rural location in Pullman, Washington.
Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories is one of the thousands of small and medium-sized manufacturers committed to providing employees with top-of-the-line health care.
SEL to construct two new buildings, adding over 200,000 additional square feet of space. The new facilities will enable SEL to hire more than 850 additional employee owners in Pullman over the next several years.
PULLMAN, Wash. — A new microgrid control solution from Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc. (SEL) marks the latest of University of California, San Diego’s ongoing improvements to its campus electrical utility system. The recently installed high-speed islanding detection and load shedding system integrates SEL intelligent controls and adaptive wide-area protection technology with the campus’ onsite generation, load and energy storage.
SEL makes Fortune’s list of the 15 Best Workplaces in Manufacturing and Production for the second year in a row.
Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories President Edmund O. Schweitzer, III, offered perspectives on employee ownership during a panel discussion on retirement security at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce that took place in Washington, D.C. last week.
The SEL-2240 Axion complies with IEEE Synchrophasor Measurement Test Suite Specification requirements and receives the first IEEE phasor measurement unit (PMU) certification in the world.
PULLMAN, Washington – Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories is expanding its presence in Saudi Arabia with the opening of an office in Jeddah. The new location will serve customers in the western half of the country. SEL also has offices in Khobar and Riyadh.
PULLMAN, Wash. — Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc. (SEL) today announced a new release of its ACSELERATOR Meter Reports SEL-5630 Software. This latest version includes support for dynamic viewing tools, faster database interrogation and offline demonstrations.
Florida Keys utility improves operational efficiency to offset decrease in revenue
Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL), a manufacturer of sophisticated equipment for utilities and other power systems, is looking to hire scores of electrical engineers right now.
PULLMAN, Washington—Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories has begun construction on a new roadway into the Port of Whitman County. The road, which is located on SEL property, runs parallel to NE Hopkins Court beginning at NE Terre View and ending at NE Hickman Court.
Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories plans to open a medical clinic for employees at its Lewiston plant, modeled after a successful clinic the company operates at its Pullman, Wash. headquarters.
PULLMAN, Wash.—Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories places the focus on self-improvement at the annual Education and Wellness Expo. The event takes place from 11:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 7, at the SEL Event Center, 1825 Schweitzer Drive. Admission is free.
It took years of planning, some finessing in Congress and millions of dollars in donations, but this bustling college town finally has enough money to replace the small, outdated runway at its airport.
PULLMAN, Wash. — Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories is donating $1 million to help fund the Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport Runway Realignment expansion. SEL Founder Ed Schweitzer and his wife Beatriz will also donate $1 million to the project.
Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc. (SEL) has donated $2 million to the University of Idaho College of Engineering to create an endowed chair position in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
Industrial computer applications and specifications have evolved significantly over the last 30 years. The first industrial computers provided human-machine interface (HMI) support and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) for automated machinery within factories.
Learn cyber attack mitigation techniques and intrusion detection methods that can help protect your control system devices and network.
MELBOURNE, Australia- Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories is celebrating the 15th anniversary of opening its first office in Australia. The Melbourne office opened its doors in August 2000 to provide sales and technical support to customers in the region.
PULLMAN, Wash. — After seven years of renting office space in the Treasure Valley, Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories is putting down deeper roots in Boise, Idaho, with the purchase of an office building on the Boise Research Center Campus. The company, which invents, designs and manufactures systems that protect power grids around the world, purchased the 16,940-square-foot facility located at 12754 West Lasalle Street in June.
PULLMAN, Wash. —Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc. (SEL) today announced that the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) has certified SEL as a third-party engineering firm and the SEL RTAC as a Remote Intelligent Gateway (RIG) for direct telemetry of participating generators and loads within the CAISO balancing authority area.
Visiting the doctor is about to get easier and more affordable for Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories’ LC Valley employees. The company announced today that it will open an on-site health clinic in their Lewiston facility this February.
Washington State University announced today that Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL) contributed $100,000 to the Dr. Elson S. Floyd Medical Education Founders Fund to honor the memory of a valued friend and community leader.
PULLMAN, Wash.–After nearly 17 years, Ron Schwartz, senior vice president at Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, will retire at the end of June. Schwartz joined SEL in 1998 and has served in leadership positions in several divisions, including Quality, Research and Development, Marketing and Manufacturing.
PULLMAN, Wash. — Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories will begin a project to pave the road on the southeast side of the Stanley E. Zocholl building on its Pullman campus the week of June 22.
PULLMAN, Wash. — Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc. (SEL) today announced the release of its new line of microgrid control system solutions. The microgrid control system builds on the proven design and capabilities of SEL’s powerMAX Power Management and Control System and makes use of SEL’s decades of experience in power system protection and control.
Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories is expanding its facilities at the Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport.
PULLMAN, Wash. — Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc. (SEL) today announced a new addition to the SEL wired communications product line. Designed to cut the rack-mount space in half, the SEL ICON cube chassis offers the same functionality as the full-sized, 19-inch ICON chassis, but with a smaller footprint. Its reduced size allows wide-area communications to be brought to locations that are space-constrained, such as pad mounts, repeater sites and oil/gas platforms.
At Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, the airplanes work for everyone.
PULLMAN, Wash. — Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc. (SEL) today announced the SEL-3360S Compact Industrial Computer. Designed for extreme environments and small spaces, the SEL-3360S features powerful Intel Core i7 dual- and quad-core processors. To ensure the highest reliability, SEL’s newest industrial computer supports two solid-state 2.5" SATA drives and RAID configurations and uses single-level cell NAND flash. Up to 16 GB of error-correcting code RAM provides ample memory for demanding applications.
KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa.—Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories’ King of Prussia team discussed the benefits of being a 100 percent employee-owned company with Rep. Patrick Meehan (R-PA) during his visit to their Pennsylvania office Monday.
PULLMAN, Wash. — Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc. (SEL) has added support for the Precision Time Protocol (PTP) to the SEL-2488 Satellite-Synchronized Network Clock. In just one clock, users can now synchronize end devices with submicrosecond accuracy using demodulated IRIG-B and/or PTP. The SEL-2488 can meet all the timing needs of industrial and utility applications.
PULLMAN, Wash. — Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc. (SEL) recently added synchrophasors to its popular SEL-735 Power Quality and Revenue Meter. With synchrophasors, users can now collect real-time measurements of electrical quantities from every SEL-735 Meter across their system. They can use synchrophasor data to perform wide-area control, validate system models, determine stability margins, maximize stable system loading, detect islanding, record system-wide disturbances and visualize dynamic system responses.
PULLMAN, Wash. — Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc. (SEL) today announced the release of the SEL-3555 Real-Time Automation Controller (RTAC), the fastest and most powerful product in the RTAC family. The SEL-3555 provides an Intel Core i7 2.5 GHz dual-core or 2.1 GHz quad-core processor, making it ideal for the most demanding substation automation projects, and includes an integrated video port and a human-machine interface (HMI) for localized viewing and control.
Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories' newly constructed facility is offering employees a mix of services that can't be found just anywhere on the Palouse.
Peoria, Ill., without Caterpillar (CAT)? Benton Harbor, Mich., without Whirlpool (WHR)? Columbus, Ind., without Cummins Engine (CMI)?
One of America’s under-appreciated relationships is the one between smaller cities and bigger companies, an often-happy exchange of quality-of-life for the combination of well-paying and skilled jobs, economic growth and stability, and corporate generosity to support cultural and educational institutions.
PULLMAN, Wash. — Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc. (SEL) today announced the addition of bit-based, serial-to-Ethernet conversion capabilities to its security gateway and port server family. This new capability allows utility infrastructure owners and operators to migrate from analog leased lines to new Ethernet-based communications circuits without requiring the replacement of existing SCADA communications front ends (CFEs), remote terminal units (RTUs) and intelligent electronic devices (IEDs).
PULLMAN, Wash. — Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc. (SEL) recently released the new 87L-over-Ethernet feature in its SEL-411L Advanced Line Differential Protection, Automation, and Control System. The SEL-411L now supports data exchange over a dedicated Ethernet network to provide line current differential (87L) protection for transmission lines with as many as four terminals.
PULLMAN, Wash. — Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc. (SEL) has introduced a comprehensive, centralized control system that monitors, controls and protects low-voltage motor control systems. Scalable to any size motor control center (MCC), motorMAX is a turnkey system that ships to customers fully configured, tested and ready for immediate assembly into MCCs.
PULLMAN, Wash.—Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories will host local eighth‐graders who have been selected to attend a day of learning about the electric power system, high‐tech manufacturing and careers in engineering. “Getting Ready for Engineering and Technology (GREAT) Day” will take place Feb. 26 from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the SEL manufacturing facility, located at 2440 NE Hopkins Court in Pullman.
PULLMAN, Wash. — Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc. (SEL) today announced three new additions to the popular SEL-787 family of differential protection relays, providing low-cost, versatile transformer differential protection for an expanded range of applications.
PULLMAN, Wash.—Great Place to Work's Great Rated! has chosen Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc., as one of the "People's Picks: 15 Great Workplaces in Manufacturing & Production."
PULLMAN, Wash. — Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc., has been selected as a supplier for India’s largest power company, NTPC Limited, with its fast bus transfer system featuring the SEL-451 Protection, Automation, and Bay Control System. The SEL solution was chosen after a rigorous approval process that included a number of SEL’s competitors.
On February 9, 2016, Dr. Ed Schweitzer presented to an audience of more than 140 local business leaders at the Pullman Chamber of Commerce monthly luncheon. During the 30-minute talk, he discussed the importance of free enterprise and pursuing opportunity.