Skip to content

Home / Guides / Testing and commissioning

Testing and commissioning

What each test is and which standard defines it, protection testing and commissioning, by equipment and voltage level.

Start here

Substation commissioning: stages and testsSubstation commissioning: stages, tests on primary equipment, protection, control and SAS, energization and the documents delivered at the end.Protective relay test plan: what it should coverWhat a protective relay test plan should cover: functions, logic, trips and communications, in what order and with what acceptance criteria (IEEE C37.233).

What each test is

BT, MT, AT, EATCold and hot commissioning: de-energized vs energizedWhat is tested in cold commissioning, with the power circuits de-energized, and what can only be checked hot: phasing, synchronism, directionality, load.BTElectrical testing of low-voltage three-phase motorsElectrical tests on a low-voltage three-phase motor: insulation resistance, winding resistance, surge test and no-load current, and what each one detects.MT, AT, EATFirst energization of a new substation: what to checkFirst energization of a new substation: preconditions, general sequence, no-load and on-load checks, and when the installation is declared in service.Primary vs secondary injection testing: differencesWhat primary injection verifies (CT, wiring, relay and breaker) versus secondary injection (relay and logic only), when each is used and their limits.Secondary injection relay test set: what it isWhat a secondary injection relay test set is, what it generates and measures, which types exist (including IEC 61850) and what to check when choosing one.MT, AT, EATSubstation commissioning: stages and testsSubstation commissioning: stages, tests on primary equipment, protection, control and SAS, energization and the documents delivered at the end.

Power transformers

MT, AT, EATPower transformer commissioning testsPower transformer commissioning tests: what is measured, why and in what order, and how the results compare with factory and maintenance tests.

Circuit breakers and switchgear

BTLow-voltage circuit breaker testing: ACB and MCCBTests on a low-voltage ACB or MCCB: LSIG trip unit by secondary or primary injection, mechanical operation, contact resistance and insulation resistance.

Protection testing

MT, AT, EATProtective relay commissioning: what is verifiedProtective relay commissioning: how it differs from acceptance and maintenance testing, and what is checked in hardware, functions, logic and tripping.Protective relay test plan: what it should coverWhat a protective relay test plan should cover: functions, logic, trips and communications, in what order and with what acceptance criteria (IEEE C37.233).

Before hiring

BT, MT, AT, EATCommissioning dossier: test reports and as-builtWhich documents commissioning must leave behind: test reports, FAT and SAT reports, loaded settings, verified signal lists and as-built drawings.BT, MT, ATCommissioning levels 1 to 5: what they areWhat commissioning levels 1 to 5 are, where they come from and how they map to FAT, SAT, system tests and integrated systems testing in substations.BT, MT, AT, EATPre-commissioning, commissioning and start-upWhat commissioning is, how it differs from pre-commissioning and start-up, which tests go in each stage and how the terms are used across industries.MT/AT/EATSAS specification: what the tender should requireWhat a substation automation system specification must define: architecture, availability, protocols, signals, cybersecurity, FAT and SAT, deliverables.

Need these tests in your substation or plant?We test primary equipment and protection on site in Colombia, or elsewhere on request.

Request a quote

Other sections

ProtectionEvery ANSI function, protection schemes and teleprotection, relays and reclosers by model, and coordination fundamentals.SubstationsSubstation types and bus arrangements, design, earthing, station service and compact substations.Automation and communicationsIEC 61850 and the other protocols, SCADA, substation networks and clocks, control, interlocking and logic.Faults and tripsWhat to do after a trip, an alarm or a device that does not operate: likely causes, how to confirm them from the records and how to fix them.Solar energyStandards and permits in Colombia, PV components, solar park design and storage, testing, switching and solar equipment by brand.IndustryWhat a plant needs: maintenance, motors, drives and standby generation, transformers, power quality, its substation and load growth.Standards and grid connectionGrid connection requirements, the technical standards and the electrical studies they call for.