SubstationU Course Catalog
Self-paced online courses for substation and protective relaying technicians. The series order is a recommendation; start wherever fits you.
Drawings and Documentation (DD)
Electrical Drawings and Schematics
The symbols and lines within an electrical drawing convey a language that everyone involved must understand to design, build, and troubleshoot electrical systems. In this course, we will describe…
Course detailsElectrical Safety (ES)
Lockout/Tagout and Energy Isolation
Most serious electrical injuries happen on equipment someone believed was off. This course explains how to make equipment truly safe to work on and how to keep it that way until the job is done.
Course detailsArc Flash: Hazards, Boundaries, Labels and Incident Energy
An arc flash can release more heat than the surface of the sun in a fraction of a second. This course helps you understand that hazard well enough to make good decisions in front of energized…
Course detailsNFPA 70E (2024 Edition): Electrical Safety in the Workplace
Electrical injuries are preventable, and NFPA 70E is the standard that spells out how. This self-paced course takes you through NFPA 70E (2024 edition) in plain language, so you understand not just…
Course detailsElectrical PPE: Selection, Inspection, Care and Testing
Personal protective equipment is the last thing standing between you and an electrical hazard, so it has to be the right gear, in good shape, and worn the right way. This course shows you how.
Course detailsConfined Space Entry for Electrical Workers
Vaults, manholes and other tight spaces can turn deadly quickly, and electrical work adds hazards of its own. This course prepares electrical workers to recognize those spaces and enter them safely.
Course detailsElectrical Contact Release
When a coworker is caught on an energized part, the people nearby have only seconds to act, and the wrong move can create a second victim. This course gives electrical workers, standby persons, and…
Course detailsElectrical Test Tech Apprenticeship (ETT)
Electrical Test Tech Apprenticeship - Year 1
Year One provides the foundation for safe and effective electrical testing work. Apprentices begin by learning the safety principles, hazard recognition, and work practices required to perform…
Course detailsElectrical Test Tech Apprenticeship: Year 3
Coming soonElectrical Test Tech Apprenticeship: Year 4
Coming soonGrounding and Ground Fault (GG)
Ground Fault Protection Systems
This course provides a general overview of inspection and test procedures for simple residual and zero-sequence ground fault protection systems.
Course detailsProtective Relaying (PR)
Protection Fundamentals and Device Numbers
This self-paced class covers why power systems need protection, the protection chain, zones of protection, performance attributes, fault types and fault-current estimation, and IEEE C37.2 device…
Course detailsInstrument Transformers: CTs and VTs
This self-paced class covers CT and VT ratio, polarity, burden, IEEE C57.13 accuracy classes, saturation, wye/delta/residual connections, VT connections and fusing, open-CT and shorted-VT hazards…
Course detailsRelay Technologies and Reading Relay Documentation
This self-paced class covers electromechanical, solid-state and microprocessor relays; targets, seal-in and self-test alarms; reading one-line, three-line, DC elementary and wiring diagrams; setting…
Course detailsOvercurrent Protection (50/51/50N/51N/51G) and Time-Current Curves
This self-paced class covers 50 and 51 elements, multiples of pickup, time dial, IEEE C37.112 inverse curves, 50N/51N and 50G/51G ground connections, and reading time-current curves, inrush points…
Course detailsIntroduction to Differential, Distance, Directional, Voltage and Frequency Protection
This self-paced class covers differential (87) with slope and harmonic restraint, distance (21) zones, directional (67/32), voltage (27/59/47/60) and frequency (81) protection, and what technicians…
Course detailsDC Control and Trip Circuits, Lockout (86) and Breaker Failure (50BF)
This self-paced class covers station DC systems, breaker trip and close circuits, 52a/52b, anti-pump, indicating lights, trip circuit supervision, 86 lockout and 50BF breaker failure, and DC…
Course detailsSafe Isolation for Relay Work
This self-paced class covers relay-work hazards, NFPA 70E job planning, the test switch isolation sequence, CT shorting, VT backfeed prevention, secondary injection safety, and restoration to…
Course detailsRelay Testing Basics: Acceptance and Maintenance
This self-paced class covers ATS versus MTS, ATS 7.9.1/7.9.2 inspections and electrical tests, secondary injection test sets and calibration, evaluating results, functional trip and in-service…
Course detailsIntro to Protective Relaying: Comprehensive Review
An optional 40-question review covering all eight Level 1 classes. You need 80% (32 of 40) to pass, and you can retake the quiz as many times as you need until you pass.
Course detailsProtection Philosophy, Zones of Protection and One-Line Review
This self-paced class covers protection philosophy (reliability, dependability, security, selectivity, speed), zone overlap and CT placement, primary and backup protection, and reading one-line and…
Course detailsSymmetrical Components and Fault Calculations for Relay Settings
This self-paced class covers per-unit systems, symmetrical components, sequence networks and connections, and worked calculations of three-phase, line-to-line and single line-to-ground fault currents…
Course detailsCT Performance: Saturation, Burden, Accuracy Classes, and VT/CCVT Issues
This self-paced class covers CT excitation and saturation, burden calculations, C-class accuracy ratings, DC offset and X/R effects, remanence, and VT and CCVT performance issues for protection, plus…
Course detailsOvercurrent Coordination: Phase and Ground (50/51/50N/51N), Fuses, Reclosers and CTI
This self-paced class covers IEEE inverse-time curve equations, a step-by-step overcurrent settings method, CTI calculation, ground overcurrent, and coordination with fuses, reclosers and…
Course detailsTransformer Protection: 87T Differential, Harmonic Restraint, REF and Backup
This self-paced class covers 87T percent differential TAP calculation, phase and zero-sequence compensation, slope and minimum pickup, harmonic restraint, REF, 24 V/Hz and transformer backup…
Course detailsBus, Motor and Generator Protection
This self-paced class covers high- and low-impedance bus differential, motor protection settings, and generator protection functions with worked 59N, 32 and 46 calculations, plus a field walkthrough…
Course detailsLine Protection: Distance (21) Reach Settings, Pilot Schemes, Reclosing (79) and Synch Check (25)
This self-paced class covers distance relay secondary impedance and zone reach calculations, k0 compensation, infeed, pilot schemes (DCB, POTT, PUTT, DCUB, DTT, 87L), reclosing dead time and 25…
Course detailsRelay Testing and Commissioning: Secondary Injection, End-to-End Testing, IEC 61850 and Event Analysis
This self-paced class covers secondary injection calculations for overcurrent, distance and differential elements, scheme and end-to-end tests, IEC 61850 GOOSE and Sampled Values testing, and…
Course detailsIntermediate Protective Relaying: Comprehensive Review
An optional 40-question review covering all eight Level 2 classes. You need 80% (32 of 40) to pass, and you can retake the quiz as many times as you need until you pass.
Course detailsRelay Test Planning: Reading Settings Files, Logic and Building a Test Plan
This self-paced class covers turning a settings file into a test scope, reading programmable logic and trip matrices, choosing test methods (steady state, ramp, pulse, state sequence), acceptance…
Course detailsAdvanced Transformer Differential Testing (87T)
This self-paced class covers 87T testing on modern relays: vector groups and compensation, TAP and mismatch, slope and minimum pickup tests, harmonic restraint, and finding common differential…
Course detailsDistance Protection Testing: Characteristics, Load Encroachment and Power Swing
This self-paced class covers distance protection testing: mho and quadrilateral characteristics, ground-zone compensation (k0), search and shot tests, zone timers, load encroachment, power-swing…
Course detailsCommunications-Assisted Schemes and End-to-End Testing
This self-paced class covers communications-assisted schemes (POTT, DCB, DCUB, DTT), weak-infeed echo and current reversal guard, channels and delay, line current differential (87L), and…
Course detailsIEC 61850 for Test Technicians: GOOSE, Sampled Values and Test Modes
This self-paced class covers IEC 61850 for test technicians: station and process bus, SCL files, GOOSE verification, test and simulation modes for virtual isolation, Sampled Values, merging units and…
Course detailsBus, Breaker Failure and Generator Protection Testing
This self-paced class covers bus differential (low- and high-impedance, check zone), zone selection and stability, breaker failure (50BF), and generator elements 59N, third harmonic, 40, 32, 46 and…
Course detailsEvent and COMTRADE Analysis: Fault Records, Oscillography and Misoperations
This self-paced class covers event reports, SER and COMTRADE files, reading oscillography, identifying fault types, deciding correct operation or misoperation, playback testing and writing a…
Course detailsInstrument Transformer Performance in the Field and Commissioning Documentation
This self-paced class covers CT excitation and saturation, ratio, polarity, burden and insulation tests, CCVT and VT issues, primary injection and in-service phasor checks, and the commissioning…
Course detailsAdvanced Protective Relaying: Comprehensive Review
An optional 40-question review covering all eight Level 3 classes, including a short "commissioning a new line terminal" scenario set. You need 80% (32 of 40) to pass, and you can retake the quiz as…
Course detailsProtection Design Review and Coordination Studies: The Field Perspective
This self-paced class covers how protection engineers build coordination studies, what a field reviewer should check in a study, coordination time intervals, infeed and outfeed effects, and how to…
Course detailsRelay Setting Verification and Settings Audits
This self-paced class covers auditing relay settings against issued revisions, as-found and as-left records, checking logic and output mapping, settings compare tools, and managing the settings…
Course detailsLine Current Differential and Advanced Line Protection Subtleties
This self-paced class covers line current differential principles, the alpha plane, channel timing and asymmetry, charging current, tapped and series-compensated lines, and other line protection…
Course detailsAdvanced Transformer and Generator Protection Analysis
This self-paced class covers sympathetic inrush, overexcitation, restricted earth fault, autotransformers and phase shifters, 100% stator ground, inadvertent energisation, loss of field, and…
Course detailsSpecial Protection Schemes (SPS/RAS), Synchrophasors and High-Speed Protection
This self-paced class covers remedial action schemes (RAS), arming and redundancy, synchrophasors and PMUs, time synchronisation, wide-area monitoring, and high-speed travelling-wave and…
Course detailsMisoperation Investigation and Root Cause Analysis (NERC PRC-004 Concepts)
This self-paced class covers classifying misoperations, preserving evidence and building a timeline, five whys and fishbone root cause methods, common causes, human performance tools, and corrective…
Course detailsMaintenance Programs (PRC-005 Concepts), Commissioning Strategy and Leading Test Teams
This self-paced class covers time-, performance- and condition-based maintenance, protection system components and evidence, what self-monitoring covers, staged commissioning, leading test teams, and…
Course detailsCybersecurity, Firmware and Settings Management, and Test Automation
This self-paced class covers protection cybersecurity, secure relay access and logging, firmware updates, settings version control, automated test plans, and controlling laptops and removable media…
Course detailsExpert Protective Relaying: Comprehensive Review
An optional 40-question review covering all eight Level 4 classes, including a short "investigating a line misoperation" scenario set. You need 80% (32 of 40) to pass, and you can retake the quiz as…
Course detailsSubstation Equipment (SE)
Switchgear Testing and Maintenance
This course provides a comprehensive overview of the inspection, testing, and maintenance techniques used on switchgear and switchboard assemblies, and their associated components.
Course detailsSystem Studies and Power Systems (SP)
Power Distribution System Arrangements
The best distribution system is one that will, cost-effectively and safely, supply adequate electric service to both present and future probable loads. This course examines selection of a system…
Course detailsElectrical Power System Studies
This course provides a comprehensive overview of the most common power system studies and the differences between them.
Course detailsTest Equipment (TE)
Test Equipment Fundamentals, Safety and Basic Meters
This self-paced class covers calibration and inspection, CAT ratings, the digital multimeter, true-RMS clamp meters, proving units and live-dead-live, medium-voltage detectors and phasing testers…
Course detailsInsulation Resistance Testers (Megohmmeters)
This self-paced class covers insulation resistance testing: the principle, test voltage selection, connections and the guard terminal, PI and DAR, temperature correction, discharge, and…
Course detailsHigh-Potential, VLF, Tan Delta and Partial Discharge Testing
This self-paced class covers DC hipot, VLF, tan delta and partial discharge testing of cables and apparatus, the cable test kit, test sequence, safety and reporting, plus a field walkthrough and a…
Course detailsLow-Resistance, Winding Resistance and Torque Tools
This self-paced class covers four-wire (Kelvin) measurement, DLRO use, reversal averaging, transformer winding resistance, torque tools and calibration, and thermography follow-up, plus a field…
Course detailsTransformer and CT Test Equipment
This self-paced class covers transformer turns ratio, power factor and capacitance (UST/GST), excitation and leakage reactance, SFRA, CT testing, variacs and the transformer test kit, plus a field…
Course detailsCircuit Breaker and Trip Unit Test Equipment
This self-paced class covers circuit breaker primary injection, time-current curves, secondary injection of trip units, settings, ground fault and neutral protection, motor-circuit logic and breaker…
Course detailsRelay Test Sets, Grounding and Power Quality Instruments
This self-paced class covers relay test sets, fall-of-potential ground testing, clamp-on ground testers, and power quality analyzers and terms, plus a field walkthrough and a composite case study. It…
Course detailsThermography, Batteries, Renewables and Specialty Instruments
This self-paced class covers infrared thermography and delta-T, battery testing, solar and EV equipment checks, other instruments, and a capstone, plus a field walkthrough and a composite case study.…
Course detailsTest Equipment Comprehensive Review
A review of the whole Introduction to Electrical Test Equipment series: meters and safety, insulation testers, high-potential, VLF and partial-discharge equipment, low-resistance and torque tools…
Course detailsTest Equipment: Types and Applications
It is the responsibility of a test technician to know which piece of test equipment to use for the task at hand and also to understand the limitations of the test equipment they are using. In this…
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