Grid Automation
Actalent delivers a full range of grid automation and telecommunication services for electric utilities and their commercial carrier partners.
Whether it's grid modernization, increasing grid resiliency and/or obtaining real-time operational data, we support a multitude of client programs. This includes everything from new construction for both wired and wireless technologies to legacy asset replacement involving generation, transmission and distribution.
Actalent provides customized grid automation solutions designed to meet your operational and procurement needs.
Our grid automation team, composed of diverse technical talent with proven experience, combines a wealth of utilities industry knowledge and expertise with the application of modern telecom technology and protocols.
Who We Are
Actalent’s grid automation team offers diverse, multidisciplinary engineering consulting services in telecom, transmission and distribution. The breadth and depth of our expertise allows us to integrate and implement technology while seamlessly bridging assets across your various functional boundaries.
Our team is composed of:
- Certified Networking Professionals: CCNA, CCNP, CompTIA, AWS, ITIL and others
- Professional Engineers — Civil and Electrical
- PMI PMP Certified Project Managers
Problems We've Solved in Grid Automation
We developed the following grid automation solutions for our clients in support of modernizing the electric grid, bridging technology implementation and upgrading infrastructure:
- Transmission telecom modernization planning to replace aging equipment, implement diverse connectivity to 138 kV stations, and reduce costs by moving from leased circuits and cellular connections.
- Rural broadband project planning involving scope of work, time and cost estimates, strategy, feasibility studies, as well as conceptual, functional, and detailed deliverables. Projects ranged from 200-400 miles and $10-60 million.
- Telecom network engineering and design work for utility service centers and crew offices. We engineered and designed LAN network, WAN circuitry and connectivity, power for equipment, and grounding. Ordered and configured equipment. Determined connectivity needs and identified best carrier option.
- Mountain top tower project with terrain challenges requiring civil, tower structure, electrical and telecom deliverables. Telecom design provided 800Mhz and microwave network coverage.
- Fiber installations involving route evaluation to identify potential issues, creation of issue-for-construction design packages, materials specifications and permitting services.
- Station-to-station fiber engineering and design (underground and aerial) to enable improved security and monitoring.
- Post-construction visual inspection of aerial fiber route. Project required recruiting and training inspectors experienced in fiber deployments, pole construction and inspection practices. Actalent worked with the client to develop the necessary forms for tracking routes, recording issues, and reporting issues and status.
- Projects in urban, suburban and rural environments.
Our Expertise
- Network studies and feasibility: network architecture, diversity strategy, equipment, end-of-life evaluation, projected cost, etc.
- Cost analysis and comparison
- Forecasting: network plan, budgetary plan, deployment strategy, asset renewal, bandwidth, etc.
- Scoping, estimating and scheduling
- Overhead and underground fiber design services
- Fiber route planning and detailed design
- Route assessment/constructability analysis
- Permitting and Right-of-Way (ROW)
- Pole loading analysis (PoleForeman®/ikeGPS®, PLS CADD®, SPIDAcalc®, etc.)
- Network design, development, testing, installation, commissioning and support
- Inbuilding and service center telecom networks
- Device configuration and commissioning, scripts creation and device testing/audits
- Vulnerability analysis
- SCADA interfaces and implementation
- Field area networks (DA, AMI, SmartGrid)
- Ethernet/DWDM/optical networks
- ICON/SONET networks
- Rural broadband/middle mile design
- Radio/mobile broadband networks
- Microwave networks
- Microwave pole/tower and ancillary equipment
- Tower sites and facilities (new or upgraded)
- Site layout and design
- Fiber construction management and engineering support
- Fiber construction inspection
- Asset inspection/verification and condition assessment (and improvement recommendations)
- Post construction verification
- Project life cycle development and management
- Scoping, estimating and scheduling of capital projects
- Budget and cost management
- Coordination and management of various stakeholders, vendors and subvendors from concept to commission
- Portfolio and resource management
- Outage planning
- Electric utilities capital projects and programs
Industries We Support with Grid Automation Solutions
Utilities
and Construction
Delivery Centers
Our engineering centers support the important work of utility companies across North America.
Engineering Industry Standards
We utilize industry standards that include, but are not limited to:
- Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
- Telecom Industry Association Standards (TIA)/American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
- The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE/ASCE 7)
- International CADD
- National Electric Code (NEC)
- National Electric Safety Code (NESC)
- National Electric Reliability Council (NERC)
Contact Us
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