October 11, 2022

With smart grid equipment being installed across our service territory, the initial plan for training employees on this new technology was to bring them to a central location. However, the Smart Grid Programs group later determined that a better solution was to bring the training to the employees.

“We knew there was a need to provide regular training on the new smart grid devices to various employees, including distribution system operators (DSOs), distribution field workers – line and substation – engineers and others,” said Jeff Raszka, distribution program manager, EmT Emerging Technologies. “We needed a one-stop shop that allowed participants to see the equipment in person and allowed us to show them how it works and how to operate it safely.”

Enter the Smart Grid Training Trailer, a state-of-the-art demonstration device that is a complete electrical circuit on wheels. It is modeled off the Live Wire Electrical Safety trailers that employees are using to provide training to first responders across our service territory. In fact, the smart grid trailer was built by the same metal fabrication company in Columbus, Ohio.

The approximately 20-foot-long trailer is designed to simulate an actual smart grid distribution circuit and is comprised of the following five sections (from front to back):

1. Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) Equipment Cabinet – the SCADA system continuously monitors a circuit, gathering and processing data from the various electrical components and sending signals to remote control equipment.
2. Switch Capacitor Bank – maintains desired system voltage levels and increases the electrical circuit’s efficiency.
3. SCADA Line Recloser – provides the ability to monitor, coordinate and operate distribution components in a real-time mode from remote locations.
4. Substation Recloser with SCADA – an electronic control circuit breaker that helps to restore service more quickly using remote switching capability.
5. SCADA Controlled Voltage Regulator – contains integrated communications interfaces, multiple computer protocols, a battery backup system and power supply.

“Every task we perform remotely in the field can be demonstrated with this equipment,” continued Jeff.

“The trailer also has a computer and monitor to simulate what DSOs see when they are restoring outages at one of the company’s distribution control centers.”

According to Mark Vallo, manager, Smart Grid Performance & Support, the trailer will provide a more efficient and convenient way to make sure employees are receiving required training on the equipment. “We expect the trailer will allow participants to complete training in a couple of hours – rather than a couple of days,” he said. “We don’t want employees to have to take time away from their jobs and their families to travel. The Smart Grid Training Trailer allows us to eliminate this barrier to success.”

Right now, there is one trailer slated to provide training to DSOs, distribution field workers and engineers who work with the equipment in our Ohio operating area. Training sessions are expected to start in CEI’s service territory in October.

“If the sessions go well in Ohio, we believe that additional trailers could be built to train employees in different parts of our FirstEnergy Utilities service territory,” Jeff added.

The Smart Grid Training Trailer was developed through a partnership with Smart Grid Programs, Emerging Technologies and Workforce Development.

Mark emphasized that the most important goals of the initiative are reducing exposure to injury and familiarizing employees with the new equipment so they feel safe operating it. “The trailer allows us to demonstrate the correlation between what DSOs do at their computers and what happens to equipment in the field,” he explained. “This will provide a clearer understanding for field workers on how smart grid devices interact with distribution line equipment and what steps must be taken before any devices they are working on can be manipulated.