Testing & Commissioning
Protection You Can Trust When It Matters Most
Proper testing and commissioning ensures confidence that your protection schemes will perform exactly as designed when called upon.
Gridco's testing and commissioning team brings nearly 70 years of combined protection and control expertise, spanning concept and design through commissioning, testing and operational troubleshooting. Our personnel include engineers and technicians with over 25 years of relay testing experience who have managed utility protection programs, served as field application engineers for leading equipment vendors, participated in IEEE PSRC standards working groups and reviewed fault events for utilities nationwide.
We've invested in specialized testing equipment to deliver comprehensive relay testing services alongside our substation construction and engineering capabilities, offering utilities a single source for design, build, test and commission.
Our Testing & Commissioning Capabilities:
- Individual relay testing to meet NERC requirements or custom maintenance programs
- Protection scheme testing and commissioning: complete system verification including relays, control wiring, logic sequences and communication protocols
- New equipment acceptance testing and system integration
- Commissioned substation startups: end-to-end validation of protection, control and SCADA systems
- Event analysis and simulation: relay and fault recorder data review, root cause identification and corrective action recommendations
- NERC compliance support and event reporting
- Installed base testing schedules and preventive maintenance programs
- Legacy electromechanical relay testing through modern microprocessor-based protection
- IEC-61850 communication scheme testing and troubleshooting
Gridco’s Utility-Minded Approach
Gridco understands protection from every angle: design intent, operational reality and regulatory requirements. Our experience includes managing installed base testing schedules, developing custom test plans and troubleshooting operational issues across diverse utility systems. We don't just test components, we commission complete protection schemes, verifying that systems operate as intended, and only when intended, before they go live.
What Sets Us Apart
- Personnel with utility protection program management experience and 25+ years in relay testing
- Engineers who have reviewed fault events and managed compliance programs for utilities
- Proven capability across all technologies, voltage classes and equipment manufacturers
- Best practices drawn from North American utility standards and IEEE participation
- Equipment fleet maintained specifically for relay testing and commissioning work
- Event playback and simulation to validate fixes before returning equipment to service
- Seamless integration with Gridco substation construction and engineering services
- Clear documentation, transparent communication and proactive issue resolution
Why Partner with Gridco
Many utilities face the challenge of maintaining specialized testing capabilities in-house, expensive equipment, limited utilization and the need for highly trained personnel. Gridco offers an alternative: experienced teams with modern testing equipment, ready to deploy for scheduled maintenance programs, new construction commissioning or emergency troubleshooting. Our utility DNA means we understand your operational constraints, regulatory requirements and the critical importance of protection system reliability.
When undesired operations occur, quick resolution is critical. Gridco's testing and commissioning services give utilities confidence that protection systems will perform when it matters most.
