Utilities – Electric, Gas & Water
The Energy and Utilities sector is in constant flux as the hunt for additional sources of power is balanced by environmental concerns. In addition, rapidly changing market dynamics, deregulation and cyber-asset protection requirements are forcing Utilities to consider new solutions to emerging issues.
As power utility and distribution companies move towards satisfying their NERC CIP requirements, demand for secure serial to Ethernet equipment in substations will be required. These devices must conform to the demanding environment conditions found in these locations such as Electric & Magnetic Fields, Electrostatic Discharge, Conducted High Frequency Electrical Transients, High Energy Power Surges and Ground Potential Rise during ground faults.
Specific environmental specification standards have been adopted for these environments. IEC 61850-3 sets the standard for reliability of communication networks and systems in substations. IEEE 1613 defines standards for the design of communication network equipment to be used in substations and industrial sites such as; IEEE C37.90.1 ( surge withstand and fast transient voltages ) and IEEE C37.90.2 ( radiated frequency immunity ).
Perle’s IOLAN Electric Utility Terminal Servers are designed to meet the harsh environments associated with power substations. With high and low voltage AC/DC power supplies and meeting emission, immunity and safety approvals associated with substation IT equipment, IOLAN’s are ideal for connecting any serial based equipment including protective relays to Ethernet. Industrial Temperature Media Converters are integrated in many large Utilities to extend copper infrastructures over Fiber. Perle has been recognized around the world for its reliable ‘plug and play’ device networking hardware. Here are a few examples in the Utility sector.
Burns Industries use Perle Ethernet Extenders to facilitate efficient delivery of heating oil
Heating oil delivery company saves time and money when they stop sending delivery trucks out on long journeys to rural customers whose tanks were still more than half full.

US Department of Energy use Perle Terminal Servers to meet NERC CIP Compliance
IOLAN Electric Utility Terminal Servers remotely manage the Phasor Measurement Units using a remote RADIUS authentication and authorization server.

Stockton East Water District chooses Perle for Fiber to Ethernet upgrade
Perle Media Converters connect a remote server room, over 2000 feet of multimode fiber, back to a main server room 1000Base-T Switch to improve network redundancy and reliability.

National Electrical Grid implements monitoring and control over shared Telecommunications Networks.
Perle Terminal Servers provide network connectivity and advanced security for 60 remotely managed stations

Other clients in the Utilities Industry:




Compliance
Using Serial to Ethernet
Oil and Gas Utilities Market Opportunities
Closed Captioning Provider Improves Dial-Out Capacity with a Perle Terminal Server
Access Control for Personnel Entrances
Using Fiber Media Converters
Avoiding common mistakes in fiber-optic network deployment
Calculating and Understanding Optical Power Budgets
Managing Large-Scale Media Converter Deployments
Media conversion can unlock the potential of Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs)
Media Converters in Campus Networks
Media Converters offer flexible expansion in Horizontal Networks
Media Converters offer major benefits during Backhaul Network fiber-optic upgrades
Quality of Service: Defining it and identifying its impact on high-priority applications
Using AAA Security for Media Converter Management
Using I/O Device Servers
Digital and Analog I/O Devices
Ethernet I/O Event Notification to a TCP/IP Application
Using Power over Ethernet
PoE in Remote Management of Telecommunications and IT Equipment
A Background on Power Over Ethernet ( PoE & PoE+ )
Benefits of using PoE Power Management Controllers in Power Sourcing Equipment
Power Reach Installation Planning for PoE Ethernet Extenders
Powered Device (PD) Reset Feature for PoE Ethernet Extenders