The six-month roll-out involved equipping EDF Energy’s substations with Sarian MR4110 wireless routers and Remotemanager software to configure and manage all of the units. This allows the company to diagnose and remedy problems without having to dispatch an engineer every time an issue occurs. 

The company is now using the routers to link its legacy monitoring system to a wireless internet protocol (IP) network. Performance information is sent initially via EDF Energy Networks’ VSAT satellite network. However, if there is a network problem or if the primary connection becomes unavailable, the routers detect the issue and switch to a GPRS mobile network connection.

Being the largest electricity distribution network owner in the UK, maintaining and managing its substations was previously labour-intensive and expensive, particularly due to the time it takes to travel between sites located across the region, covering Surrey, Sussex and Kent. The new system allows EDF to configure and conduct routine operations, such as software upgrades, remotely at scheduled times.

It also provides the company with security functions, such as an audit trail of events for each unit.  This is vital, given that the company operates a critical part of the national infrastructure.  

EDF Energy Networks opted for the Sarian offering based on its extensive security features and previous work in supplying secure and reliable routers for ATM machines and point of sales systems in the retail sector.

'The new management system means we no longer have to dedicate time and money sending out our staff to either fix problems or wait for external engineers at substations,' said Roger Yeo, senior project engineer with EDF Energy Networks. 'The Sarian solution has provided us with a lot more control. We can now either fix the problems ourselves remotely or make a more informed decision about whether an engineer is needed.'