New substations must be tested before going live to verify proper operation of relays and power protection. Operators can test their new facilities in one of two ways: use the existing power grid or deploy load banks. Using the grid to commission a substation facility can lead to many issues, including an inability to precisely control critical voltage, current and load parameters. You also have little control over scheduling a power grid test.

With the right Electrical Solutions partner on the job, load banks can be used in place of the power grid for utility commissioning, helping to speed-up the commissioning process, improve testing accuracy, allow greater scheduling control and create an opportunity for lowering overall commissioning costs.