Upgrade, Repair & Extend

Managing the life cycle of an installed base is one of the biggest challenges facing utilities today. An upgraded system uses improved technology for less risk and better sustainability and provides you with the following benefits:

• Reduced risks by improving cybersecurity resilience
• Better asset reliability and availability
• Improved operations and workforce management
• Secure investments due to keeping systems and assets up to date
• More sustainability, as you upgrade and retrofit only what is needed
• Reduced environmental footprint by leveraging new technologies.
• Readiness for future integration of new technologies like renewable energy generation and storage

Complete substation automation life cycle support
Leverage our expertise to ensure you get the most from your Hitachi Energy products and systems. Hitachi Energy’s upgrade and retrofit strategy covers the whole range of substation automation systems (SAS), from the communication level through the local SAS to the control and protection intelligent electronic devices (IEDs). Specifically, we cover the following aspects:

• Server and computer upgrades, including OS
• Upgrade of MicroSCADA SYS600 or RTU560
• Upgrade to IEC 61850 communication
• Hardware and software upgrades for IEDs and communication devices
• Redesign of the substation panels
• Site activities, such as dismantling existing devices and mounting new devices, including commissioning activities

Our experts at your service
At Hitachi Energy, we have staff who do these projects every week. Our team can start with a comprehensive assessment of your existing assets and software. We’ll map out a plan to help you know what can be done and what it can deliver. When it is time for upgrades or other work, the Hitachi Energy team will help with technology selection, engineering, and installation. We’ll also help you with testing and commissioning.

We understand the challenge of keeping the grid up and running.
Our upgrades and retrofits are designed to help you meet the changing conditions of the grid. Among the areas of support we deliver, you’ll find upgrades for increased visibility and asset monitoring capabilities so you can implement proactive maintenance to extend asset lifespans. Also, when commissioning an upgrade or retrofit project, outages are a primary concern for utilities. Waiting until the end to replace a complete SAS system will increase downtime. Instead, a more gradual approach of incrementally upgrading components as required by their life cycles allows the downtime to be diluted over time. This enables you to avoid a significant outage period, and you can better plan necessary outages into your annual revision schedule. 

Security, standards, and sustainability
We also deliver all our services in compliance with appropriate standards and regulations. Our team’s support will help you with cybersecurity, reliability, and regulatory compliance. When it’s time to retire an asset, we offer end-of-life services that help you do so cost-effectively and responsibly. We provide services that lower environmental impact through decommissioning, resale, disposal, replacement, and recycling.

• Unparalleled expertise with your system: Hitachi Energy ensures that you’ll have expert guidance from professionals who have decades of experience working on equipment just like yours.
• Better ROI from your assets: Upgrades, repairs, and extensions can save you money and time, plus they’ll be completed with less disruption and downtime for substation devices.
• More effective systems: Assets and systems that are outdated can impact the efficiency of your entire system. Repair or upgrade your products to improve performance.
• Enhanced reliability: Failure rates rise as assets and systems age. Upgrades and retrofits can help you keep your customers’ lights on.
• Customized engagements: Have Hitachi Energy handle the entire project or pick only the services you want to be managed.
• A full lifecycle view of your equipment: At Hitachi Energy, we’re with you from engineering through end-of-life on any grid automation asset or system.