Substation overview – without touching operational systems

A substation holds two types of data, with different purposes and different protection requirements. The distinction matters more as more systems are connected.

Operational data is used to monitor and control the substation in real time. This is the domain of SCADA, where the requirements for stability and availability are high for good reason.

Maintenance data describes the condition of the substation over time and is used to decide what needs attention, and when. It is used by more roles, such as asset managers, planners, field staff and contractors, and the outcome is usually a work order, not a switching operation.

The difference becomes clear through information classification, when risk is the starting point: what are the consequences if the information is disclosed, altered or unavailable? Operational data is the basis for real-time control, and the consequences can be immediate. Maintenance data is the basis for decisions over time. Both can be worth protecting, but different risks lead to different protection needs.

Connected control systems have recently attracted media attention, and it is reasonable to ask what at a substation can be reached from the outside. Every new user, data source and integration in a control system adds to what must be protected and managed. Keeping maintenance data outside limits the attack surface and helps keep SCADA more secure. Each system can do what it was built to do.

This is why Gomero Predict is built outside the control system. It is designed to read the condition of the substation, not to control it, and in its standard configuration it has no connection to control or protection systems. The condition data is collected and analysed in a separate environment, and it is up to each organisation how it is used: directly in Gomero Insights, or integrated into the maintenance system you already have, for example as work orders via API.

1. What is the system connected to at the substation?
2. In which direction does communication flow, and how is it authenticated?
3. What can be done remotely, by whom, and how is it logged?
4. How is data protected in transit and at rest?
5. What happens to operations if the supplier’s service becomes unavailable?

It is possible to share information onward to operational systems, and in some environments there may be reasons to do so. Sharing information is not the same as sharing control. Our recommendation is to keep them separate, so that the option exists but is not a requirement.

An electricity network can become more digital without its operational environment becoming more exposed, provided the line between operational data and maintenance data is drawn before the solutions are built.