Protection engineer

[Locchamp1]

Does anyone have an opinion on the future of protection engineering? Mid it a good field to be in?

 

[essellsee]

Do you mean protective relaying?

 

[Locchamp1]

Yes

 

[Matt Bellott]

I worked at a large utility. And Protection Engineering was a really good field to be in. Most of the folks in the field are either very experienced, or they are fairly fresh out of school. If you do this sort of work you will either be a relay a design engineer concerned primarily with the AC and DC circuits that function for the protection. Or you will be a relay settings engineer and you are concerned with developing fault models and relay set points based on the fault model calculations. Overall it's a very interesting field. I would suggest however you try to find a mid-sized a small utility workers do both relay design and relay settings. The field is growing because of the attrition of the older workers and it's pretty hot right now. If I could I would move back to Jackson Mississippi where I work in relay settings and work there. But now I work at a independent system operator in that pay is fairly lucrative and my wife doesn't want to move back. Best of luck!

 

[essellsee]

For a few years I have been at a mid-sized consulting firm that designs all facets of substations and transmission lines and there hasn't been any real shortage of work since I have been there.

 

[Dark Knight]

Does anyone have an opinion on the future of protection engineering? Mid it a good field to be in?

GO FOR IT!!!!!!!! That is THE FIELD!!!!!!!

 

[JB66money]

That is a very interesting field, I have been wanting to get into that field myself. I am praying and hoping that I will have the opportunity to get into and learn more about system protection soon.

 

[Ken PE 3.1]

Interesting line of work.

 

[AG PE]

In the FRCC (Florida) Region this is a huge area of need. There is a lot of experience leaving/retiring and the NERC reliability standards (specifically PRC standards) are rapidly growing. This will put a lot of pressure on utilities to hire & train engineers in this area. If you can get hired in this area, it can be a really good thing for your career. Once you are trained in this area you definitely will be in demand. It's also a very interesting area where you will always be learning. Even if you end up in management, you'll always be glad you started in protection, because you[ll have a very solid knowledge base. Best of luck!

 

[iwire]

Don't know about that but I know a lot substation works for electrification of rail and upgrading as well as scada work associated with it

 

[Ken PE 3.1]

Somehow along the path, I became the resident protection engineer. Don't understand most of it, but I get by. Thankfully, we don't write the specs. Just interpret them.

 

[iwire]

Somehow along the path, I became the resident protection engineer. Don't understand most of it, but I get by. Thankfully, we don't write the specs. Just interpret them.

ya...Wing it power is a great skill to have...wing it but yet does not sound bullshitting is a good skill engineer should have IMHO..especially those in the consultant world...

 

[Ken PE 3.1]

Yeah, consulting can lead to a more well rounded career.

Fake it til you make it.