SUBNET Solutions Inc., a software solutions provider for electrical utilities, is taking part in the Electric Power Research Institute's (EPRI) secure-remote-access project, which has a goal of creating a more intelligent and secure grid.
"The EPRI secure-remote-access project provides us with the unique opportunity to take feedback from over 20 major North American utilities and evolve our products," says Travis Jaffray, technical product manager for SUBNET.
SUBNET is working with 22 North American utilities in North America on secure remote substation access. In its research, EPRI takes into consideration the North American Electric Reliability Corp.'s critical infrastructure protection requirements in addition to utilities' agenda. The institute works with vendors to provide feedback and develop solutions that meet the needs of the power grid.
EPRI's labs are located in North Carolina, Massachusetts and Tennessee, each of which tests multi-vendor devices from Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories Inc., GE, ABB, Alstom and other companies.
SUBNET's SubSTATION Server was installed in each of the three locations, allowing EPRI to collect data from various substation devices that use different protocols, such as 61850, DNP and Modbus.
SUBNET's PowerSYSTEM center was installed at the lab's Tennessee facility, providing researchers with remote engineering access to substation devices installed in North Carolina and Massachusetts.
