Is there anything utilities regularly forget with substation maintenance?
McGuire: Smartly maintaining or improving the material condition of equipment requires analyses of budget, equipment availability and a utility’s individual repair/replace calculations, and this requires an investment of time and resources. For example, the maintenance requirements for a new piece of equipment should be determined well before the equipment is placed in service, including any budget implications of long-term maintenance needs. While gas-insulated switchgear (GIS) typically requires very infrequent maintenance, the maintenance when necessary may require costly OEM (original equipment manufacturer) replacement parts and contractors. Hicks: Nothing systematic, but occasionally critical data is left out of the RFQ (request for quote) that requires contractors to increase pricing risk due to insufficient data. Ledel: Most utility companies do a good job at performing routine maintenance on their substations. New substation installation provides an opportunity to conduct a co
