Tiza Group

Home / Testing and commissioning

Substation testing and commissioning

Everything tested before energization. We test transformers, breakers, CTs, VTs, switchgear and cables; we verify every protection by secondary injection and end-to-end testing; and we support energization with the test records your utility asks for. We use test sets from recognized manufacturers (OMICRON, Doble, Baur and others) and issue one test report per device.

Field testing and commissioning are done by our team in Colombia, or elsewhere on request.

Insulation power factor measurement on a power transformer with a CPC 100 and a CP TD1.
Insulation power factor measurement on a power transformer with a CPC 100 and a CP TD1.

What is included

Primary equipment

The real condition of transformers, breakers, CTs, VTs, switchgear and cables, compared with the factory data, the nameplate and the standard.

  • Turns ratio, vector group and winding resistance
  • Power factor, capacitance and insulation resistance
  • Excitation current and short-circuit impedance
  • Ratio, polarity and knee point of CTs and VTs
  • Contact resistance and breaker timing
  • Applied voltage tests on medium-voltage switchgear, RMUs and cables
  • Fault location on buried cables, so you dig only at the fault
  • Testing of medium-voltage motors
  • Thermography of panels and substations

Protection

Every relay, of any brand, tested against the approved settings: functions, logic, trips and signals.

  • Secondary injection for overcurrent, distance, differential, voltage and frequency functions
  • Reclosing, breaker failure and interlocking
  • Teleprotection and line differential, end to end
  • Real trips on the breaker
  • Signals and events all the way to SCADA

Commissioning

From the last cable to energization: a test plan, a coordinated sequence and every open item closed.

  • Test plan and energization sequence
  • FAT and SAT
  • Verification of interlocking and signals
  • Support during energization
  • Test records organized for the utility

Solar plants and BESS

Transformer stations, switchgear, cables, BESS and the interconnection protection that the grid operator requires.

  • Transformer, switchgear and station service of each transformer station
  • Point-of-interconnection protection and anti-islanding, to the local grid code
  • Transfer trip and real trip of the interconnection breaker
  • Electrical side of BESS: transformer, switchgear and protection
  • Plant signals to SCADA

What you receive

Drawings and calculationsComplete, reviewable documents for your project.
Technical reportFindings and recommendations.
Follow-upWe walk you through the results and answer questions after delivery.

Reference standards: IEEE C57.152, IEC 60076-1, IEC 61869-2, IEC 61869-3, IEC 62271-100, IEC 62271-200, IEC 60255, IEC 60255-151, IEC 60255-121, IEEE C37.2, IEC 61850, IEC 60076-11.

Specialties

Commissioning

Solar plant commissioning: transformer stations to the gridElectrical commissioning of grid-connected solar plants: transformer stations, MV collector network, step-up substation and 27/59, 81 and 81R protection.FAT and SAT for control, protection and comms panelsFAT and SAT for control, protection and communications panels: what is verified at the factory and on site, the test protocol and the deliverables.BESS commissioning: PCS, transformer, switchgear, protectionElectrical commissioning of battery energy storage systems: transformer, MV switchgear, interconnection protection, PCS on the grid and SCADA signals.

Protection testing

End-to-end testing of line protection: 87L and 85End-to-end testing of 87L line differential and 85 teleprotection schemes, with GPS-synchronized injection at both line ends.Protective relay secondary injection with Omicron CMC 356Protective relay testing by secondary injection: 21, 50/51, 67, 87 and 81 against the project settings, with a report per function. Field work worldwide.

Primary equipment testing

Power transformer testing for commissioning and diagnosisPower transformer testing with calibrated equipment: ratio, windings, insulation, short-circuit impedance and tan delta.Circuit breaker testing: timing, contacts and controlsCircuit breaker testing: operating times, contact resistance, minimum trip voltage and SF6. Substations and industry. Field work worldwide.Current and voltage transformer (CT and VT) testingCT and VT testing with calibrated equipment: ratio, polarity, excitation curve, knee point, burden and insulation.Infrared thermography of substations and switchgearInfrared thermography of substations, switchgear and panels: hot spots ranked by temperature rise (ΔT), a clear report and tests that confirm the cause.Medium voltage motor testingMedium voltage motor testing: insulation resistance and PI (IEEE 43), winding resistance, surge test, tan delta and partial discharge.Testing and commissioning of MV switchgear and RMUsTesting and commissioning of medium-voltage switchgear and RMUs: insulation, dielectric test, contacts, timing, interlocks and relay. Field work worldwide.

Test equipment

Need a test done? We do it for you: we recommend the right test and the right equipment for your case and include both in the quote. You get the test your case really needs, without paying for tests you do not.

Secondary injectionSets that inject current and voltage to test relays; one in frequent use is the OMICRON CMC 356.TransformersRatio, windings, excitation and insulation; in frequent use, the OMICRON CPC 100 with the CP TD1 for tan delta and the DIRANA for dielectric response.BreakersOperating times, contact resistance and mechanism.CablesInsulation tests and fault location on buried cables.InsulationInsulation resistance and polarization index on medium- and high-voltage equipment.ThermographyThermal cameras from the ground and by drone in photovoltaic fields.Power qualityNetwork analyzers for harmonics, unbalance, power factor and events.SF6 and oilAnalysis of the SF6 gas in breakers and of the dielectric oil in transformers.

Frequently asked questions

What do we receive when the tests are finished?

One test report per device with the measured values, the test conditions, the acceptance criteria and the result. If something does not comply, we tell you, with the observation and our recommendation.

Do you test only new equipment, or also equipment in service?

Both. We run commissioning tests on new equipment and diagnostic tests on equipment in operation, in substations and industrial plants. In both cases the equipment must be de-energized, isolated and grounded.

Do you do end-to-end tests on lines?

Yes. We coordinate the injection at both ends of the line to verify teleprotection and line differential protection, and we plan it with you and with the crew at the remote end.

Does the bay have to be taken out of service?

For secondary injection, the relay is isolated from the CTs, the VTs and the trip circuits through the test blocks. Real trips on the breaker are done with the bay locked out and tagged.

Are commissioning and putting into service the same thing?

In practice, yes. «Commissioning» covers the inspections, tests and verifications that prove the installation works as designed before it is handed over to operation. Some contracts separate pre-commissioning, without voltage, from commissioning with voltage; what defines the work is the scope written in the contract.

What test records do you deliver for the interconnection?

One report per device and per protection tested, with the measured values and the acceptance criteria, organized so you can submit them to the utility.

Do you work with the EPC contractor or directly with the owner?

With either. We fit into the construction schedule and coordinate the order of testing and energization.

Where do you do field testing?

In Colombia, or elsewhere on request. Abroad, your local crew can run the tests while we support them online, and we prepare the test plans and settings remotely.

Need it for your project?

Send us the single-line diagram, the equipment list and your target date, and we will reply with scope and schedule.

Request a quoteMessage us on WhatsApp

Field testing and commissioning are done by our team in Colombia, or elsewhere on request.

Or email us:
[email protected]

Other services

Remote relay configurationProtection, control and communications configuration, from scratch or on existing equipment, for the main brands, without sending anyone to the substation.Control, protection and communicationsConfiguration of bay controllers, protective relays, communications networks, gateways and time synchronization.Engineering design and studiesPrimary, secondary (P&C) and communications engineering; feasibility, interconnection and pre-commissioning studies, protection coordination and power quality. From our office, worldwide.
WhatsApp