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EDWartens UK

Free course · Power systems

Substation Design: Layouts, Bus Schemes and Equipment

Design a 33/11 kV or 132/33 kV substation on paper: substation types, single-line diagrams and bus schemes, equipment ratings, fault levels, BIL and creepage, clearances in plan and section, busbar sizing, earthing and shielding, battery and charger sizing, control panels and SCADA signals, cables and lighting, civil interfaces, and energisation.

See the modules

Free to learn. Verifiable certificate £19 when you pass the final exam (optional, VAT included).

Level
Intermediate
Modules
14
Video
19 hours
Price
Free

Outcome

What you will be able to do

Classify substations and choose between AIS and GIS; draw single-line diagrams and choose a bus scheme with reasons; rate circuit breakers, disconnectors, CTs, VTs, surge arresters and power transformers; calculate bus fault levels; choose BIL and creepage; set out clearances in plan and section; size busbars for current, short-time withstand and force; estimate earth grid resistance and shield the yard with masts; size the battery, charger and auxiliary transformer; write a SCADA signal list and a cable schedule; size yard lighting; give the civil team their inputs; and plan testing and energisation.

  • Choose between AIS, GIS and hybrid substations for a site, and draw the single-line diagram
  • Compare single, sectionalised, main and transfer, double bus, breaker-and-a-half and ring schemes
  • Rate breakers, disconnectors, CTs, VTs, surge arresters and transformers from the fault level
  • Choose BIL and creepage, and set clearances and heights in plan and section
  • Size busbars for continuous current, short-time withstand and short-circuit force
  • Size the substation battery, charger and auxiliary transformer from a duty cycle
  • Write the SCADA signal list, cable schedule and civil inputs, and plan energisation

Software

A spreadsheet (LibreOffice Calc is free) for the calculations. A free 2D drafting tool such as LibreCAD or QElectroTech for the single-line diagram and layout; AutoCAD (free student licence) is useful but not required. Google Earth for site context.

Hardware

None.

Syllabus

14 modules

Each module has video lessons, notes and a short quiz. The final exam closes the course.

  1. 1Substation types: AIS, GIS, outdoor and indoor, by voltage3 lessons
  2. 2Single-line diagrams and bus schemes9 lessonsLab
  3. 3Switching equipment: circuit breakers and disconnectors, and how to rate them7 lessonsLab
  4. 4Instrument transformers, surge arresters and power transformers8 lessons
  5. 5Short-circuit levels and insulation coordination: BIL and creepage2 lessonsLab
  6. 6Electrical clearances and layout, in plan and section5 lessons
  7. 7Busbar and conductor sizing11 lessons
  8. 8Substation earthing (overview) and shielding against direct strokes3 lessons
  9. 9Auxiliary AC and DC systems: battery and charger sizing5 lessons
  10. 10Control and relay panels, and the SCADA interface4 lessons
  11. 11Cable trenches, cable schedules and yard lighting6 lessons
  12. 12Civil interfaces: foundations, fencing, drainage and fire walls4 lessons
  13. 13Testing, energisation and the design-review checklist3 lessons
  14. 14Final Assessment1 lesson

How it works

How this course works

  1. Watch the video lessonsOne module at a time, at your own pace.
  2. Take the module quizA short quiz at the end of each module shows what stuck.
  3. Keep your notesWrite in My notes beside each module and ask the trainer if you are stuck.
  4. Practise in the labOptionalTry a task from the module in the EDWartens Lab, in your browser.
  5. Sit the final examPass it once you have been through the modules.
  6. Certificate, if you want oneOptionalPaid, and only after you pass. Anyone can check it online.

EDWartens Lab

Practise this in the EDWartens Lab

Read the single line diagram, then isolate, lock and tag a motor bucket in the Lab's substation and MCC room.

Works alongside Substation Design: Layouts, Bus Schemes and Equipment. The Lab is substation and mcc practice in your browser: no install, no hardware, free to use. Sign in as a learner and it opens with your account.

Open the free lab See the Lab
Substation and MCC: Work a real switchroom.

Levels to try with this course

Optional. Skip it whenever you like: it never blocks your progress or your certificate.

Why practise in a lab

Technical work is judged on what you can do: wiring, commissioning, finding a fault. Doing a task yourself teaches more than watching it a second time, and a lab lets you try it safely before you meet real equipment. It does not replace working on real hardware.

  • Practise safely, so a mistake costs nothing.
  • The lab checks your work like a site test, so you know when it is right.
  • Free, in your browser, with nothing to install.

Certificate

An optional certificate when you pass

Learning is free. Pass the final exam and you can have a certificate for £19, including VAT, with a number employers can check online. It records that you completed a free online course; it is not a regulated qualification or a CPD certificate.

  • Your name, the course, its study time and your final exam score
  • A unique certificate number and a QR code to its verification page
  • Issued by Wartens Ltd; add it to your LinkedIn profile in one click
  • Pay now or after you pass: it is issued the moment you pass the final

How the certificate works

Sample certificate for Substation Design: Layouts, Bus Schemes and Equipment

Credits

Who made the lessons

The video lessons belong to their creators. EDWartens wrote the study plan, notes, quizzes and the final exam.

  • Gaurav J - TheElectricalGuy

    the Substation and Switchgear lessons: what a substation is for, classification of substations, AIS versus GIS, reading single-line diagrams, the 33/11 kV and 132/33 kV SLDs, bus bar arrangements, the bus coupler, live and dead tank breakers, auto-reclosing duty, disconnector parameters, short-time and peak currents, CT parameters, the five vital clearances, AIS versus GIS selection, substation grounding and how it is tested, why control circuits use DC, the MV switchgear control compartment, switchgear monitoring, high-voltage testing of MV switchgear, and the equipment quick revision used before the final

  • CMTEQ

    the Substation Components series: power transformers, tap changers, circuit breakers, busbars, lightning arresters, disconnectors and earth switches, CTs and VTs, neutral earthing resistors, the objectives of protection, and the 132 kV switchyard single-line diagram

  • Electrical Thunderbolt

    busbar sizing and selection to IEC, ANSI and IEEE (parts 1 to 9) and busbar sag calculation, voltage transformer sizing and selection, substation earthing design to IEEE 80 (part 1), and substation cable sizing and selection (parts 1 to 5)

  • DC Engineering

    the Substation Configurations lessons on radial, ring bus and breaker-and-a-half arrangements

  • ELECTRICAL TECHNOLOGY and INDUSTRIAL PRACTICE

    the Substation design series lessons on the specification of a substation, facilities and basic layout guidelines, and auxiliary power

  • Commonwealth Associates, Inc

    insulation coordination explained: protecting substation assets from surges and lightning

  • Dr. David Lubkeman

    the Power System Transients lecture on an insulation and surge arrester example

  • stephen brooks

    substation clearances, and substation cable trays (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghjm_VEclmU)

  • George Flew

    substation lightning protection with the IEEE 998 rolling sphere method

  • Electrical Superintendent

    substation battery chargers: charger functions and components, and the typical DC control system layout (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AayQVHAan2Q)

  • Circuit Masterclass

    a step-by-step VRLA battery sizing calculation for a substation, and the bay control unit in a substation (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fntEEPo0mg)

  • Sacademicus

    an introduction of the substation to civil and structural engineers

  • Annai Teresa Ec

    the design procedure for substation equipment foundations

  • BESA Research

    transformer fire wall requirements and fire protection solutions

  • SA Power Networks

    how a substation is built from scratch, as a time-lapse of the civil and electrical works

  • Keentel Engineering

    transformer commissioning and its testing guide

Questions

About this course

Who is this substation design course for?
Electrical engineering graduates, junior design engineers in distribution companies, utilities, EPC contractors and consultancies, and site engineers moving into design. It suits engineers applying for substation design roles at utilities, EPC contractors and consultancies, where 33/11 kV and 132/33 kV substations are built every year.
What do I need to know before starting?
Three-phase power and basic per-unit quantities. Fault calculation, insulation levels and the standards the course uses are explained where they are needed. No design software or site experience is required.
Do I need AutoCAD or ETAP?
No. The calculations are done by hand or in a free spreadsheet, and the single-line diagram, plan and section can be drawn in a free tool such as LibreCAD or QElectroTech. AutoCAD with a free student licence is useful if you have it. Detailed system studies in software are covered by the EDWartens ETAP Power System Analysis course.
Which standards does the course follow?
IEC first: IEC 61936-1 for clearances and fire separation, IEC 60071 for insulation levels, IEC 60815 for creepage, IEC 62271 for switchgear ratings and IEC 60865 for short-circuit forces, with IEEE 80, IEEE 998 and IEEE 485 for earthing, shielding and batteries. Notes point out where national utility practice differs, with India's CEA and CBIP rules and Gulf utilities as worked examples. UK network connections follow the ENA Engineering Recommendations and your network operator's specifications. The course paraphrases the standards; check the edition your utility uses.
How is this different from the IEC 61850 Substation Automation course?
This course designs the substation itself: scheme, equipment, layout, busbars, earthing, DC system and civil interfaces. The IEC 61850 Substation Automation course covers the communication and automation system inside it. Take this one first and the 61850 course next if you will engineer substation automation.
How long does the course take?
About 19 hours of video lessons, notes and practice, taken at your own pace; the videos alone are about 13 hours. The optional project, a 33/11 kV, 2 x 10 MVA substation design, takes about 16 hours more.
Is the course free, and what certificate do I get?
Every module, the notes, the project and the final assessment are free. If you pass the 15-question final at 60 percent you can get an EDWartens Certificate of Completion, with a number anyone can verify on our site. It is a certificate of completion, not a licence, a utility approval or a professional engineering credential.
What jobs does it lead to?
Substation design engineer and electrical design engineer roles with distribution companies, transmission utilities, EPC contractors and consultancies, and site and testing engineer roles on substation projects. Employers will still expect experience with their own standards and drawing practice, which this course prepares you to learn quickly.

The Professional Module is five live days of Siemens PLC, HMI and SCADA with an instructor, then a resume session and a CPD certificate.

See the Professional Module