About 61850 Insight: Who We Are and Why We Write
We launched 61850 Insight because we were tired of reading the same recycled standard summaries. As engineers who have spent years commissioning, testing and troubleshooting IEC 61850 systems on UK substations, we saw a clear gap: plenty of material explained what the standard says, but very little explained what it actually means when you are on site at 2am with a GOOSE message that will not publish. So we started this blog to write the content we wished existed when we began working with substation automation.
Our Mission: Making IEC 61850 Practical for UK Engineers
Our mission is simple: translate IEC 61850 from clause-and-annex theory into practical guidance that UK substation automation professionals can apply the same day. That means grounding every article in the realities of British transmission and distribution projects — the engineering assurance processes, the vendor ecosystems and the regulatory pressures that shape how digital substations actually get delivered.
We regularly reference live and recent work on the National Grid transmission network and SSEN Transmission projects in Scotland, because those programmes set the technical bar the rest of the UK follows. When we discuss process bus architectures or interoperability testing, we do so with those deployments in mind, not abstract textbook examples.
Why we focus on the UK market first
IEC 61850 is an international standard, but implementation is intensely local. UK utilities have their own specifications, testing regimes and safety cultures, and our editorial team writes for that context first before widening the lens to Europe.
Bridging the gap between standards and site work
We aim to close the distance between the standards documents and the commissioning engineer’s laptop — covering configuration files, test plans, wiring checks and the practical judgement calls that no annex ever covers.
What We Cover: From GOOSE Messaging to Digital Substations
Our editorial focus spans the full substation automation stack. We write about GOOSE messaging performance and testing, Sampled Values and process bus, digital substation architectures, and the integration of smart grid functions into conventional protection and control schemes. We also cover the vendor platforms UK utilities commonly deploy, including Siemens, ABB and GE Grid Solutions, comparing how each implements the standard in practice.
Core technical topics we prioritise
- GOOSE messaging: publish/subscribe behaviour, network design and failure modes
- Sampled Values and process bus: merging units, time synchronisation and latency budgets
- Digital substation architecture: station bus, process bus and redundancy strategies
- Smart grid integration: distributed energy resources, control interfaces and interoperability
- Testing and commissioning: configuration validation, FAT/SAT approaches and troubleshooting
European smart grid developments we track
Beyond the UK, we monitor European smart grid developments — cross-border interoperability initiatives, evolving substation automation profiles and the direction of travel in EU transmission planning — and report back on what those changes mean for British engineers.
How We Work: Opinionated, Informed, and Hands-On
We do not rehash manuals. Our editorial team tests configurations in the lab, attends UK industry events such as the Low Carbon Networks Fund conferences, and draws on first-hand commissioning experience. When we express an opinion — and we often do — it is grounded in something we have actually seen work, or fail, on a real project.
Our testing and validation process
Before we publish technical guidance, we build the scenario ourselves: configuring IEDs, generating GOOSE traffic, injecting Sampled Values and observing behaviour under fault and overload conditions. If a recommendation does not survive our own testing, it does not go on the site.
Editorial independence and transparency
We are independent and editorially neutral. Where we mention vendors such as Siemens, ABB or GE Grid Solutions, it is because they are relevant to the topic, not because of any commercial arrangement. We disclose the basis of our testing and flag clearly when an article is based on lab work versus field experience.
FAQ
Who is 61850 Insight written for?
We write for UK protection and control engineers, commissioning specialists, consultants and asset owners working with IEC 61850 in substation automation and smart grid projects.
Do you cover vendor-specific implementations?
Yes. We regularly discuss how platforms from Siemens, ABB and GE Grid Solutions implement IEC 61850, including configuration tools and common integration pitfalls.
How do you validate the technical guidance you publish?
Our editorial team reproduces scenarios in a test environment, from GOOSE messaging to Sampled Values, and only publishes recommendations that hold up under our own testing.
Can readers suggest topics?
Absolutely. We welcome feedback and topic suggestions from UK substation engineers — get in touch or subscribe to receive new articles as they are published.
We built 61850 Insight to be a practical, independent resource for the UK substation automation community, and we want it to keep improving. If you have a commissioning story, a technical question or a topic you would like us to cover, we would genuinely like to hear from you — subscribe to the blog or contact our editorial team directly.