Prefabricated Substations: Advantages and Application Scenarios

Nowadays, reliable and efficient power solutions are more crucial due to the speed of advancements made in technology. Space limitations, deadlines, limited budgets, and powerful yet economical systems make substations an important thing. This is why prefabricated substations are useful.

These types of subsystems are quick to install and flexible. In this blog, we will explore prefabricated substations thoroughly, covering its basics, advantages, applications, and how to choose one that is suitable for your application. So, stay connected!

1)  What Is A Prefabricated Substation?

“A pre-fabricated substation is like a built-to-order power station that comes cased and pre-packaged with a transformer. It consists of switch-gears, protection setups, alongside section box plug configurations that fit within the compact, sturdy enclosure.”

The purpose of pre configured substations is to aid faster and more optimized power to aid easier power distribution services. There is no need to plan for aggressive construction timelines to enable new substations to come into service. They can simply be transported via truck and set up onsite as soon as they arrive, greatly minimising service delays.

These substations are constructed with quality materials that can endure harsh outdoor conditions. They prevent the electrical apparatus from being damaged by water, dust, heat, and minor mechanical shock. They also make sure that the other systems remaining internally are shielded and functioning without halts of any kind.

Additionally, prefabricated substations are designed and manufactured with stringent safety and quality standards. They undergo testing in the factory before shipping, which aids in preventing issues in the future. This enhances their dependability in case of critical services such as aviation, manufacturing, oil, gas, real estate, and renewable energy projects.

Based on the requirements of the projects, these substations are offered in various configurations and sizes. Some are designed to be compact, while some can be used to accommodate larger energy requirements for bigger operations.

2) Advantages of Prefabricated Substations

There are a lot of advantages of a prefabricated substation. Let’s discuss some most highlighting ones of them;

+ Quick Installation: Prefabricated substations come fully assembled. Only placement and connection are required for installation. So, installation saves large amounts of time in comparison to groundwork building.

+ Cost Effectiveness: Reduced cost of labour as minimal personnel are required for the setup. You know, separate devices for installation are not needed. The design of the building is factory optimised, leading to minimal material wastage and construction errors.

+Compact Design: These substations are compact in size. So, they are great for factories, urbanised cities, and any other area where space is tight. Reduces the chances of electrical failures as well as weather-induced damage.

+High Safety Standards: Protection from weather obstructions and equipment damage. Well, it gives a complete guarantee for the safety of both equipment and personnel when being housed in an enclosed structure.

 + Durability: Long periods of usage and the ability to withstand harsh extremes like heavy rain, dust, and corrosion. Moreover, minimal maintenance or repair needs over time.

+ Easy Relocation: Relocation can happen without the need for downtime or further intensive work. It has an additional level of quality assurance, along with post-installation issues.

3) Application Scenarios of Prefabricated Substations

Prefabricated substations are widely used in many industries. Let’s discuss the common uses of them.

• Urban Power Supply

Fit in rough spaces like busy streets or even at an underground level. They are perfect for modern cities where real estate is hard to find. Moreover, they help improve the efficiency of power distribution and overall issuance while lessening the obtrusive power supply.

•  Industrial field

Prefabricated substations have a high capability of withstanding heavy power loads. They offer fast installation for modern constructions in the industrial field.

• Renewable Energy Projects

The incorporation of renewable sources of energy, like solar and wind, requires the use of Prefabricated substations. They guarantee the secure and proper flow of energy to the main grid. Such structures can be set up in remote locations due to their strong designs.

• Construction Sites

Portable power solutions that are simple to set up are required at temporary construction sites. Relocatable prefabricated substations allow for the swift movement of power tools when the project shifts locations. They ensure prompt power delivery without lengthy installations.

• Transportation Projects

Airports, railways, and highways require substations to deliver smooth and reliable power flow. Prefabricated substations offer prompt service without unnecessary hindrances. Alright! They serve well where there is minimal time and space.

• Residential Areas and Housing Developments

New subdivisions are looking for reliable and swift power access to serve their clients.  With a compact substation, builders can complete projects in a fraction of the time. They guarantee the flawless and smooth delivery of electricity to the new neighbourhoods.  

• Mining and Oil Fields

Places like mining sites and oil fields require Prefabricated substations that can face extreme environments. Such devices are specially designed for harsh conditions and ensure constant power, helping in energy dependability in remote and tough locations.

4) Comparison with Traditional Substations

Traditional and prefabricated substations differ in a lot of aspects, like;

i) Construction Time

Prefabricated Substations: Due to their short construction time, these types of substations are ideally tailored for a site. Once the site is ready, it only takes installation of the substation modules, which marks the completion of assembly, and usually results in a 30 - 50% reduction in construction time with respect to other methods, well.

Traditional Substations: Every component needs to be manually assembled for every single substation prototype. So, this gives birth to time-consuming processes that require considerably extended construction periods.

ii) Installation Process

Prefabricated Substations: These substations are directly delivered and modularly tailored as a unit, prior to any form of work done onsite. All labour and time are removed.

Traditional Substations:  Even one component, such as a transformer, requires unique steps, including transforms and waiting for time-consuming work to be done. All the work has to be performed for every additional step required at the site, creating delays.

iii) Space Requirements

Prefabricated Substations: Their design is somewhat different from traditional design, these compactly tailored models are vital for soil/ land lacking an ideal area, needing 30-50% less room.

Traditional Substations: Housed outside within expansive land, where each unit of equipment can be placed individually without any special arrangements needing to be made.

iv) Cost

Prefabricated Substations:  Under a wide scope of prefabricated substations, units with the highest upfront tailored construction have high prices. Well, due to construction time, labour, and civil works costs incurred for wall-mounted devices, it cuts down the overall expenses.

Traditional Substations: Due to construction, allocated labour, and preparing the designated area, these substations pose an extra cost. Moreover, they also require maintenance costs often.

v) Quality Control

Prefabricated Substations: They are manufactured in control environments, quality assurance is higher, reducing installation defects and retaining consistency.

Traditional Substations:  Quality is subject to the state of the site, interruptions from weather, and it also depends upon the handling level of workers.

vi) Customisation

Prefabricated Substations:  Alterations can be made, but not to the level of complete redesign, due to the limits of transport and factory production.

Traditional Substations: Those who wish to cater for specific application requirements, dimensions, and local site conditions will have complete freedom, as no factory limitations will apply.

vii) Mobility and Expandability

Prefabricated Substations: These are suitable for relocation when necessary, and further expansion by adding extra modules is easier. Thus, they are flexible for temporary projects.

Traditional Substations: Once built, easy relocation or alteration is very difficult and expensive.

viii) Environmental Impact

Prefabricated Substations: Disturb sites less because there is a reduction in construction activity and excavation that happens on-site, resulting in a smaller environmental footprint.

Traditional Substations: Significant levels of site work will need to be done, causing greater site disturbance during the construction process.

ix) Safety

Prefabricated Substations:  With all components pre-installed and tested at the factory, installation and operational safety risks are reduced.

Traditional Substations: Manual wiring, handling of equipment, and open construction activities at the site, so there are more safety risks.

x) Aesthetic Appearance

Prefabricated Substations:  Consist of reasonable enclosures, looking tidier and more appropriate for city areas.

Traditional Substations: More bulky and less pleasing because of the visible equipment and wiring.

5) How to Choose the Right Prefabricated Substation 

It is important to choose the right prefabricated substation because it guarantees safe and good operations. Here are a few essential pointers, so you can make a wise decision:  

• Understand Your Power Needs: Determining the power requirement of your site. Make sure the rated capacity of the substation aligns with the voltage and loading requirements of the your system.  

• Inspect the Site Conditions: Well, consider the location where you will be installing the substation. Take note of the climate as well as the local physical and spatial environment. Some units are better suited for extremely hot areas, and some others cope better with humidity or dust.

• Prioritise Objectives: The substation must be made of high-quality materials. It also needs to comply with safety standards like IEC or ANSI.  

• Ensure Project-Specific Customisation: Every project is unique. Select a substation fabrication that caters to additional safety considerations or specific other design layouts.  

• Custom selection:  Custom select a substation that comes with the option for future changings or expansions. This creates ease in time and cost in the long run.  

• Think about ease of service: Go for a design that employs ease of maintenance.  

• Review Supplier Experience: Also, check the market reputation of different manufacturers. Collaborate with manufacturers who have an established market reputation, as other clients enable you to learn if they deliver quality services.

• Safety Features: Take into note that predefined advanced safety measures are installed with the substation. In addition to having good ventilation, proper insulation, along with fire protection, can be added.  

Informed choice of prefabricated substations guarantees the best operational control at the least expense. So, making a commendable decision ensures construction investment protection for many years to come.

6) Delixi Prefabricated Substation

Delixi’s prefabricated substations are very strategically placed and guarantees constant power distribution constantly meeting the requirements for efficiency and reliability in various applications, in multiple businesses.

a) High Quality Materials: Delixi's prefabricated substations are designed to face the challenges of power systems and industrial regions because they are crafted with robust materials of high-quality, further increasing their performance and lifespan, serving residential and rural regions too.

b) Compact and space saving: Despite the size Delixi's substations have compared to similar devices, their performance matches or surpasses expectation. Delixi's substations are the foremost choice for projects when there is little room as the smaller footprint does not compromise excellence.

c) Reliable performance: Reliability, steadfastness, and continuity are the most crucial components of a substation, and the reason why Delixi excels. Their exceeding expectation on consistent power distribution and service even during tough conditions leads to a drop in downtimes and enhancement in productivity.

d) Easy installation: Units come pre-assembled and only need fast setup at the specified areas, which simplifies the schedule while progressively reducing costs. These designs are best suited for urgent needs as the pre-assembled strategized ensures tasks are completed quickly.

e) Advanced Safety Features: Delixi focuses on protecting personnel by integrating safety measures for equipment such as overload, electrical fault, and overheating protection. These systems will prevent accidental injury ensuring safety for personnel.

f) Tailor-Made Solutions: Delixi understands very well that every single task has its unique requirements. To address requirements like sector needs, voltage, and dimensions, Delixi provides tailored solutions.

g) Affordable: Without obfuscating the quality provided, Delixi Substations can be acquired at less cost than their market rivals. This allows other businesses that aim to optimize their power systems to have peace of mind knowing that the substations they use are reliable.

With Delixi’s Prefabricated substations, customers can enjoy a reliable, efficient, and safe power solution which can be adapted to meet different industrial needs.

7) Future Trends in Prefabricated Substations

Prefabricated substations are changing with the growing need for effective, adaptable, and eco-friendly energy solutions. These are some of the trends that are defining the future of prefabricated substations.

•  Increased Automation

Subsequent models of prefabricated substations will have greater automation. The use of remote control and monitoring systems has become standard practice. These tools will allow operators to better perform power distribution management and troubleshoot challenges before service interruptions and downtimes occur.

• Smart Grid Applications.

Smart grids incorporate data and communication technologies for efficient electricity distribution, which will aid in the real-time flow control of power.

• Emphasis on Sustainability

Sustainability still matter as a priority. New designs and materials are being formulated to assist in mitigating the impact on the environment. Also, equipment will be powered using renewable resources including solar and wind energy to further lessen carbon emissions.

• Scalable Modular Designs

Future substations will emphasise modularity. Modular designed prefabricated substations are easily expandable and adaptable to changing requirements, making them cost-efficient.

• Enhanced Safety Features  

More sophisticated technologies will be integrated into prefabricated substations. Better fire protection systems, improved grounding methods, and reliable fault detection systems will also be custom features of the substations.  

• Reduction of Time to Install  

In the future, prefabricated substations will be much simpler to install. Faster installation will lead to reduced labour expenses as well as improved utilisation of the structures during emergencies or new construction.

The evolution of modular substations will continue to keep pace with the changes in business needs, providing flexible, affordable and dependable energy solutions.  

8) Conclusion  

So, fabricated substations can potentially serve the increasing energy requirements of a growing  society. The low requirement for installation in addition to the shielding provided makes them a favorable option for urbanized regions.

If you are looking to save on space or have tight deadlines to meet, the services offered by Delixi are unmatched. Improved service performance is enabled by Delixi Prefabricated substations that aid operations like never before. Explore the possibilities of simplified operations with prefabricated substations by clicking here to learn more!