December 3, 2025

SPECIAL ISSUE: DIGITALISATION

Substation Cathedrals and the Bazaar

 

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Dear Readers,

The energy transition is frequently framed as a challenge of capacity: a race to deploy “more copper and more steel”. Yet, as the latest edition of Switchgear Magazine explores, a more effective path lies in the rapid digitalisation of hardware.

We have moved beyond high-level roadmaps to the complex task of integration. Our networks are currently data-rich but intelligence-poor, leaving vast reservoirs of critical operational data stranded. This edition confronts the structural risk embedded in this lack of transparency.

Proprietary Risk and Grid Stability

One aspect explored in this issue is the proprietary “Cathedral” model of substation design versus “openness”. Legacy switchgear development was slow and centralised. But the historical momentum of technical progress is now nudging core infrastructure toward open access and decentralised architecture.

Measurement, protection, and controls have relied on “black boxes”, but more sophisticated controls are required to manage modern-day volatility, in part due to Inverter Based Resources. Consequently, the industry has in some cases pivoted toward the “Bazaar”: a decentralised marketplace of ideas like that which birthed the Linux kernel. Power distribution can be hardened by opening control code to more eyes, and at lower cost.

Operational Proof Points and the Next Phase

The December 2025 issue provides concrete evidence that this shift is already occurring:

  • Secondary Systems: We detail how projects like SEAPATH are defining reference designs for protection and automation on Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) servers, fundamentally decoupling software from proprietary hardware.

  • Virtual Hardware: Acknowledging the impossibility of open-sourcing a 400 kV breaker, we showcase how CIGRE Working Groups are creating generic “virtual” breaker designs that serve as open benchmarks for simulation, accelerating R&D across the industry.

  • Regulatory Pressure: Analysis of SF6 and PFAS regulations imposes strict, non-negotiable deadlines on asset replacement, demanding new rigour in digital procurement and specification strategies.

In this hybrid landscape, “validation becomes the currency of trust”. This issue details the journey beyond the “brownfield barrier” and the convergence of HV expertise with coding and data science.

Read the full issue to understand why the walls of the proprietary cathedral are becoming permeable.