Case study · 2025–2026
Relay-panel equipment package for a municipal substation upgrade
Municipal electric utility (substation protection and SCADA). Scope: bid-specification review, component specification and cross-reference, engineered nameplate package, procurement and consolidated supply.
The challenge
A city-owned electric utility was upgrading the relay panels and SCADA at one of its substations. It put the relay panel equipment out for sealed public bid. The list was long and specific:
- rack-mount and panel-mount test switches;
- multi-deck knife-type rotary switches;
- shielded Cat6 surge protectors;
- fuse blocks and current-limiting fuses;
- a miniature circuit breaker;
- primed steel mounting plates and touch-up paint;
- a full set of engraved equipment nameplates to the utility's own standard.
Everything had to match the specification and arrive as one package.
What we did
- Worked the bid as an engineering job. Our project engineer and engineering administrator went through the specification line by line. They identified a compliant part and source for each item and submitted a sealed bid, which we won in 2025.
- Specified and sourced the hardware:
- 3-position rack-mount test switches in 19-inch 3RU panels, with a cover;
- 10-pole panel-mount test switches;
- 2-, 6- and 8-deck knife-type rotary switches;
- DIN-rail shielded Cat6 lightning surge protectors;
- Class R fuse blocks with time-delay and fast-acting RK1/RK5 fuses;
- a UL 1077 miniature breaker;
- 3/8-inch primed steel plates with matching gray paint.
- Engineered the nameplate package. We compiled the schedule and quantities for nearly 200 engraved lamicoid nameplates in five sizes from the utility's drawings, and we specified the material: 1/16-inch three-ply, matte black with a white core, fire-retardant and UL 94 V-0 rated, supplied with 3M VHB mounting tape. We released the final legends once the utility issued its fabrication drawings.
- Consolidated the order. Items from many manufacturers were received, checked and assembled into one order for the utility.
- Bid the follow-on round in 2026. We worked through clarifications with the utility's engineer, such as galvanized hardware sizing, a reusable splice option and terminal-block labeling. Then we submitted a second sealed bid, including ABB FT-1 test switches.
The result
The utility awarded us the 2025 package and, after competitive rebidding, the 2026 package as well. The 2026 order is being fulfilled this year.
What it shows: public-sector bid work, careful specification compliance for utility protection and SCADA components, engineered labeling packages, and one-stop sourcing across many manufacturers.