Earthing Design and Modelling Guide for Renewable Energy Projects

Recently there has been an unprecedented number of generation projects as the world targets 100 % renewable energy sources. A key component to the safety of these new facilities is the properly designed earthing systems. The combination of new technologies and the fact these projects cover large areas often over difficult and varying terrain presents challenges. The cost of these earthing systems can reach millions of dollars hence a small percentage of over-design will result in significant extra cost. The same approaches for designing substation earthing systems cannot be applied to renewable projects. The modelling of the earthing systems will usually involve compromises, but accurate results are still achievable. This presentation will provide a guide to the earthing system modelling with references to relevant standards and real-world examples.

Speakers

Jayson Patrick

Jayson is the Technical Director at Electrotechnik, a company that develops leading electrical power system design and analysis software. Jayson has extensive experience working on large-scale power systems projects in high voltage design, testing/commissioning, and power system analysis roles along with two decades of experience in professional software development. 

Jayson has a master’s degree in electrical power engineering, and he leads a multi-disciplinary team of developers, cloud architects, UI designers, electrical power engineers, and Ph.D. researchers. Jayson’s role at Electrotechnik involves developing new software and complex algorithms for electrical power systems design, where he is using a combination of technologies, multiple programming languages, and agile development practices.