Solutions

Generation

Generation solutions from SEL help increase power system resiliency.

Our Approach

We help protect, control, and monitor critical infrastructure starting at the generation source.
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Our Solutions

Products and systems that work together to securely and reliably integrate into new or existing plant control systems.
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Our Services

Strengthen your defenses and streamline maintenance and compliance.
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Our Support

We support everything from traditional generation sources to renewables to full microgrid control systems.
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Our Approach

Generation is the beginning of everything in the electrical world. It is where mechanical energy gets converted to electrical energy through a complex system of prime movers, generators, transformers, inverters, sensors, and more. Without generation there is no transmission, distribution, or industrials.Fundamentally, we need to generate electric power to meet the demand the moment it’s needed. That energy conversion starts at the generation source. The addition of renewables, retirement of traditional generation sources, and the sheer expanse of increasing power demands create a need for more reliable, efficient, and simple generation solutions.

Building Blocks of Generation Protection

As the starting point of the power grid, generation systems require a strong foundation built on protection. Properly protecting generators requires a wide variety of protection functions as they may suffer different faults and other abnormal operating conditions. Generation system protection needs to be reliable, which implies being both dependable and secure. Dependability means detecting any abnormality (such as faults or other abnormal conditions) which could damage the generator, exciter, prime mover, or auxiliary system when something goes wrong. The protection system must disconnect the generation unit before it suffers any damage.Security means allowing the generator to stay online during any conditions that don’t compromise its normal operation—like external faults with CT saturation, for example. Protection system security increases the generation continuity of service.The faster your protection system responds the faster you protect your people and equipment. Through protection innovations like advanced stator ground fault detection and universal differential elements, we're now able to get ahead of a fault and identify it faster than previously ever thought possible.From our knowledge base

Improved Resiliency With Systems Monitoring

System monitoring builds greater generation system awareness and uses communications protocols to integrate the monitoring provided by the various generator devices—like relays, controllers, voltage regulator, speed governor, etc.—into one wholistic system. Monitoring allows generation systems to be more resilient by reducing the reaction time to failures and reducing wasted capacity without making the power system unstable or vulnerable. It does this by collecting synchrophasors, fault and disturbance records, and historical trends, etc., and communicating that information to foster proactive decision-making. In the case of an outage, improved situational awareness tools enable you to reroute power and systematically triage what loads are important and which aren’t—all faster than previously possible. All of this is where our mission comes in. By controlling a generation system more precisely and communicating data to better inform decision making, the generation system becomes safer, more reliable, and more economical. From our knowledge base

Maintaining Simplicity in a Complex World

With system complexities increasing—whether that be from integrating renewable energy sources, cybersecurity threats or fears, or the general demand for more energy—simplicity is key to keeping your generation system safe, well-protected, and stable.At SEL, the multifunctionality and flexibility of our products allow for simpler solutions. This flexibility enables your generation system to do exactly what you need and nothing you don’t. The flexibility of having a singular product that can serve multiple functions. The flexibility to perform updates in the field without the fear of being vulnerable to a cybersecurity attack.Our generation solutions provide simplicity, flexibility, and robustness through the programming ease of being able to configure a product to your exacting specifications; the lifetime support of our application engineers who can help with selecting the right product, element, or settings; and our Engineering Services division, who can design, build, test, and commission a complete generation protection system to suit your specific needs. Read more about the benefits that back our products and solutions.
Generation Protection

Our generator protection solutions provide complete primary and backup protection from all types of faults.

Generation Control

SEL automation solutions integrate with relays, SCADA, and plant controls.

Engineering Services

We provide turnkey solutions and services that help our customers protect and control generation systems across the globe.

Our Solutions

SEL continues to innovate in the space of generation. We were the first to reimplement analog protection functions into digital relays, and then added in new features—like auto synchronization—to reduce cost and complexity of installation. We also added a loss-of-field element based on the generator capability curve in our generator protection relays, allowing the user to set multiple zones to prevent generator damage. We have designed new protection approaches that allow for redundant stator protection.Our solutions are designed to protect the pieces you already have in place and add in more elements as your needs grow.

Protection

Power system stability is key to a successful generation solution. You’re not just protecting the generator, you’re making sure that generator protection response doesn’t negatively impact the power grid while also meeting NERC PRC requirements. If the protection isn’t reliable, then you risk the loss of a generator, or worse, a widespread blackout. You can’t prevent a fault from happening, but when equipped with the tools to respond quickly, you minimize damage and ultimately keep the power on for everyone.Our generation protection solutions provide both primary and backup protection for generators, transformers, and bus bars, as well as motors, feeders, and other equipment through technologies and features such as advanced stator and rotor fault protection, innovative protection against abnormal operating conditions, and autosynchronization.Employing these SEL protection solutions helps customers enhance generation system performance and health and increase availability while avoiding potential equipment damage or failure. They also provide safe power system interconnections with renewable energy sources.From our knowledge base

Control, Automation, and Monitoring

Control, automation, and monitoring solutions from SEL work together to support individual generation unit operation as well as complete generating stations.

Automatic Generator Control

  • Optimize unit loading within a plant or across a fleet—thereby reducing fuel use and increasing revenue—through automatic generation control and high-accuracy metering.
  • Increase response speed and reduce operation complexity through remedial action schemes, runback systems, and fast tripping. Automatically and safely shut down generation during an unexpected loss of load with generation-shedding schemes.
  • Return assets to normal operation faster and more reliably—while using less equipment—with automatic synchronization systems for individual generators, power plants, and even islanded systems.

Asset Monitoring and Predictive Maintenance

  • Streamline operation of multiple generators and plants by looking at the available data for a fleet of generators, and then use that data to optimally dispatch the running generator.
  • Collect, automate, and store event report data and perform root-cause analysis and predictive maintenance based on information collected.
  • Expand the life of system assets by using comprehensive relay data and asset monitoring to provide critical information on generator, prime mover, transformer, and breaker operating conditions. Historical trends can then be analyzed to inform available remaining life as the system is currently running. This information can serve for operating adjustments and maintenance tasks.
From our knowledge base

Access Control, SCADA, and Communication

Digital communications are rapidly replacing hard-wired connections across the power system, and generation plants are leaders in this area. To support these advancements, generation solutions from SEL apply international standards protocols like IEC 61850 for automation, integration, and reporting; DNP3 and Modbus, which help utilities transport data from a relay to a centralized system like SCADA or a local substation HMI; and all standard time sync protocols—like SNTP and PTP—to provide accurate time stamping for all your data. With increasing connections, maintaining cybersecurity is paramount. SEL solutions incorporate layered cyber defenses to help keep your system secure. These defenses use security features that support the specific purpose of each part of the system, such as role-based access controls and hardened engineering access and HMI controls.Increased capabilities of plant control systems also mean the ability to remotely operate and dispatch generation plants has grown. Key to this is reliable, secure, and high-speed communications across long distances. SEL provides complete communication solutions to connect relays, controls, and SCADA systems and provide reliable communication channels for the monitoring and remote operation of generation assets.From our knowledge base

Renewables and Distributed Generation

In addition to traditional power generation sources like thermal and hydro, SEL partners in the operation of renewable resources, including solar and wind installations. Our renewable resource solutions provide dual-feeder protection in a multiple wind generator network application; the coordination of the solar plant and its intertie; and fast island detection to ensure the protection of the distributed generation source.We also offer microgrid control solutions that help optimize the resiliency and cost of any generation source. These control systems are designed to reduce capital expenditure, simplify integration and commissioning, and improve overall system resilience. They respond quickly and accurately to the rapidly changing power system dynamics of microgrids—fast, intelligent load shedding and inertial compensation ensure that generation sources perform well under all operational conditions.Learn more about our microgrid control solutions.
Steam/Thermal

Protect and synchronize generators and their connection to the transmission grid. Steam/thermal plants have some of the largest generators in the power system and require comprehensive protection.

Combined Cycle

Reliable solutions to protect and control gas turbines and power plant systems. These units often operate during peak periods, requiring frequent starts and stops that may have unique protection requirements during starting.

Hydro

Upgrade your protection system and implement automation and control schemes to improve efficiency, reliability, and safety. Hydro generators can vary greatly in size. Small hydro units may share a common bus which complicates the application of ground fault protection.

Wind

Monitor and coordinate wind turbine networks, maximize efficiency of output, and integrate generation with the utility grid.

Solar

Track and control solar installations and safely interconnect them with the utility grid.

Industrial Generators and Electrical Plant Balance

Protect your generation assets and increase the reliability, safety, and efficiency of your plant’s power system with an SEL solution.

Microgrids

Optimize the resiliency and cost of any generation source or energy storage solution. Our microgrid control systems are designed to reduce capital expenditure, simplify integration and commissioning, and improve overall system resilience.

Nuclear

Modernize and upgrade the systems that protect and control nuclear power generation with advanced digital relays qualified for safety-related applications.

Our Services

SEL is your partner in implementing generation solutions and tailoring them to your system priorities and requirements. We support new and existing plants as well as the integration of renewables and microgrids.

Consulting Services

Industry-leading expertise on electric power system dynamics, protection, automation, and control.
Capabilities range from design-stage consulting and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing to delivering turnkey power management systems. SEL employs hundreds of power system engineers around the globe who have designed complex power systems in industries such as mining, data centers, and oil and gas.

Protection Services

All forms of electric power system modeling and studies.
These services include load-flow, short-circuit, and stability studies for equipment sizing, scheme design, protection coordination, and arc-flash protection. Our teams also provide HIL testing for both protection and control systems.

Synchronization Systems

Both custom and pre-engineered synchronization systems.
These systems automatically reduce voltage differences, phase angles, and slip before automatically closing a circuit breaker. The systems send control set points to any number of generators or inverters, and an SEL relay at each point of coupling automatically closes the circuit breaker once acceptable voltage differences, phase angles, and slip are detected.

Automation and SCADA Systems

We design, develop, test, and deploy complete SCADA systems to monitor and control.
Our engineers can work with legacy equipment, provide new SEL equipment, or integrate both to create an economical, high-quality system.

Select from multiple designs for asset optimization, load shedding, load restoration, outage management, predictive maintenance, access control, cybersecurity, and more.

Arc-Flash Studies

SEL modeling experts perform complete fault studies to determine incident energy levels and design solutions.

NERC PRC Compliance

We offer compliance assessments and can recommend and help implement the exact changes needed to bring your system into NERC compliance.

Software-Defined Networking (SDN)

SEL SDN delivers high performance and reliability, simplifies network management, and enhances cybersecurity.

Our Support

We believe you should never have to worry about whether your protection and control systems will be working when you need them most. SEL products are designed and manufactured for the world’s most challenging environments, exceeding all industry standards for temperature, shock, and electric stress, which has led to one of the highest MTBF ratings in the industry.However, sometimes the unexpected happens. That’s why you always have access to SEL engineers—and every device we manufacture comes with a ten-year warranty and no-cost technical support.
After your systems are commissioned, our application engineers provide technical support for SEL products at no cost.As long as your SEL products remain in service, you have access to direct technical support from SEL engineers—not just a handful of customer-facing product engineers, but a large corps of application engineers who are intimately familiar with the way our devices are deployed and the functions they typically perform in the field.No matter how often you need to call or how long your SEL products have been in service, our customer service and technical support professionals are ready to help.Customer support staff and application engineers are stationed in regional offices across North America and around the world.Find your local office 
SEL offers complete cybersecurity support for every solution, system, and product we provide.We also practice secure supply chain management and help our customers comply with applicable supply chain and cybersecurity standards.

Security Bulletins and Updates

We thoroughly review and test the code in our products, which allows us greater control over their quality, security, and functionality. Security-related software and firmware updates are provided for the entire service life of every SEL device and are distributed directly to our customers via secure file transfer.End users of SEL products can sign up to receive email notifications of security vulnerabilities, including information on how to mitigate their risks.

Cybersecurity Services and Support

From system assessment and baselining to cyber-defense solution development and ongoing system management, our full suite of cybersecurity services can help strengthen your defenses and streamline the demands of maintenance and compliance.Cyber services support contracts can include incident response, audits, system hardening, patch/update management, and more.Contact SEL Cyber Services 
SEL meets your workforce training and continuing-education needs through seminars, conference and tradeshow presentations, and SEL University courses.SEL University courses and many of our seminars provide professional development hours (PDHs) for maintaining Professional Engineering (P.E.) licenses. Courses and seminars can be delivered in various formats, including in-person seminars, self-paced online learning, virtual classrooms, and live and recorded webinars.We can also work with you to develop training that is customized to the specific needs of your workforce.Training and education offerings:
Warranty and Technical Support

Read SEL product warranty information, see how to return a product, or contact technical support.

Security Notifications and Updates

Stay informed on cyber vulnerabilities and keep your SEL products up to date.

System and Product Certifications

SEL systems, processes, and products are certified to internationally recognized standards.

Cybersecurity Solutions

From assessment to cyber-defense solutions, our full suite of security services can help strengthen defenses and streamline maintenance and compliance.

SEL University

Training and education for power system engineers, technicians, and managers.

Customer Highlights

Microgrid Solution Plays Big On Campus
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Belgium Integrates Offshore Wind Power into European Grid
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Related Content

Technical Papers

Podcasts

Questions? Contact Us!

If you have any questions about SEL products, services, solutions, or support, please contact us. Our service and support professionals are ready to provide the answers you need.

Unbeatable Support

SEL support teams are stationed in regional offices around the world and staffed with application engineers who are experts in our products and in power system applications.

Technical support for SEL-manufactured devices is always complimentary. No matter how often you need to call or how long your SEL products have been in service, you’ll reach an SEL expert who can provide the service and support you need.

Our cybersecurity team is always ready with the information and resources needed to keep your OT networks and critical systems secure and working effectively. Cyber services support contracts can include incident response, audits, system hardening, and more, depending on your anticipated needs.

More about SEL warranty and support