Case Study: Pend Oreille PUD achieves RTU modernization and lower upgrade costs with Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL)

Pend Oreille Public Utility District cuts RTU upgrade costs by more than 50% with Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories

Pend Oreille Public Utility District (PUD) faced the challenge of upgrading its nearly 20-year-old remote terminal units (RTUs) at six substations. The electric utility's two initial options were either a costly and complex module upgrade for the existing RTUs or the daunting expense of replacing all the system's field wiring. Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL) contacted them with an offer for an innovative solution.

SEL provided a system that paired an SEL Real-Time Automation Controller (RTAC) with SEL-2240 Axion modular I/O and custom cabling. This solution retained all the existing field wiring, making it a simple plug-and-play upgrade that provided greater system visibility. The utility achieved improved reliability and tremendous savings, as the SEL solution cost less than half of the original module upgrade plan.

Pend Oreille Public Utility District (PUD)