Transmission, Distribution, and Substation Engineering
From design through construction and commissioning, our multidisciplinary teams ensure the cost effectiveness, quality, and overall success of your transmission, distribution, and substation projects. SEL Engineering Services (ES) provides development, modernization, and maintenance solutions to ensure your power systems are safe, reliable, and economical.
SEL ES provides electrical, civil, and structural engineering services for power delivery projects of any size and voltage, from targeted upgrades and retrofits to full greenfield packages for complete substation design. We can work alongside your project team or provide comprehensive substation solutions.
Contact Us
Let us schedule a time for you to talk with one of our team members about how we can meet your needs.
Our Services
SEL ES electrical and civil engineers have extensive experience creating and implementing substation solutions. Our engineering teams work closely with each other and with you to ensure that the structural design and protection, control, and automation systems in the substation meet the standards and requirements of both the industry and the project owner.Our teams of licensed engineers help you design your stations by providing:
- Front-end engineering design studies, equipment specifications, initial cost estimates, and conceptual designs.
- Tailored midstream review sessions focused on your needs and satisfaction.
- Issued-for-construction packages complete with bills of materials and construction specifications.
SEL ES delivers transmission line engineering solutions customized to meet each client’s unique specifications and project goals. SEL solutions include:
- Route and structure planning—Optimized routing and structure placement using advanced tools, such as PLS-CADD, for efficient, reliable design.
- Overhead and underground design—Complete engineering for pole lines, duct banks, vaults, and cable systems, tailored to site and system needs.
- Custom structures and foundations—Site-specific design of steel, concrete, or hybrid structures, with engineered foundations for all terrains.
- Performance modeling—Thermal and electrical analysis to ensure system reliability, ampacity, and compliance under all conditions.
- Permitting and project support—End-to-end support, including permitting, environmental coordination, construction documentation, and as-built drawings.
SEL ES delivers end-to-end overhead and underground distribution engineering solutions that support a wide range of clients, including developers, electric cooperatives, investor-owned utilities, and municipal providers. Whether managing expansive, multijurisdictional initiatives or focused infrastructure upgrades, we follow a proven methodology that aligns seamlessly with your operations and goals.SEL ES teams offer distribution services that include:
- Comprehensive utility design—Expertise in large-scale distribution improvements, underground networks, and utility pole relocations.
- Technical and regulatory leadership—Department of Transportation coordination, responsible charge engineering, and full project management support.
- Advanced mapping and drafting—Integrated gas-insulated switchgear, GPS, work management systems, and full-service CAD capabilities.
SEL provides substation civil and structural engineering services designed to meet the highest standards of quality for both air- and gas-insulated substation configurations. We adhere strictly to industry codes, ensuring that all designs are structurally sound and compliant with regulatory requirements. We tailor each project to utility standards, site conditions, and the specific operational needs of the client, with a focus on long-term performance and safety. Our team emphasizes precise design of foundations and steel structures and seamless integration with electrical systems.Our engineering and design services include:
- Structural analysis for seismic, wind, and thermal load resistance.
- Foundations for substation steel structures, electrical equipment, and transmission and distribution structures.
- Site development, including grading, drainage, and access roads.
- Compliance with IEEE, American Society of Civil Engineers, American Concrete Institute, American National Standards Institute, Rural Utilities Services, and the National Electrical Safety Code standards and customer standards.
- Geotechnical investigation and topological survey coordination support.
- Environmental and permitting support.
SEL Solutions in Action
Our Approach
SEL ES engineers have extensive experience with power engineering and protection, automation, and control systems. We fully integrate SEL devices with third-party devices and switchgear from nearly any manufacturer, ensuring a smooth commissioning process and on-time project delivery.SEL also designs, manufactures, tests, and delivers custom protection, control, and metering panels, control cabinets, and retrofit doors. Learn more about SEL panels and enclosures.
All of our products are designed, tested, and manufactured in SEL-owned and -operated facilities in the United States.The SEL ES team follows rigorous engineering procedures for design, development, testing, and commissioning of electric power systems. We continually identify, monitor, and improve best practices to ensure your satisfaction.We practice secure supply chain management, including verified chains of custody, responsible sourcing, and keeping quantities of critical parts in reserve. Our quality management system is certified to ISO 9001 requirements.
SEL ES approaches all projects with an unwavering commitment to safety.Employees working in the field receive comprehensive safety training that includes real-world scenario exercises, hands-on performance, and thorough review from qualified individuals.We also integrate human performance improvement tools into our everyday work practices and have a comprehensive event reporting and investigation process to bolster safety procedures and promote awareness among employees.Learn more about safety and procedures.
Our Support
When you choose SEL, you get more than products and services—you get a partnership. Our customer support teams are experts in power system products and applications, and they’re available for the entire life of your SEL solution.SEL ES project engineers are ready to assist you in various project stages, from planning through final commissioning of the system. Afterward, ES teams around the globe will assist with any ongoing needs, and you have access to no-cost product support from highly skilled SEL application engineers.More about SEL quality and support
Every device we manufacture comes with free lifetime technical support. SEL application engineers are stationed around the world and are ready to provide support and expertise for virtually all power system applications. No matter how often you need to call or how long your SEL products have been in service, our customer service and technical support professionals are ready to help.
Security Bulletins and Updates
We notify product owners of updates and security patches for the full life of the product. We distribute software and firmware updates directly to our customers via a secure file transfer. The authenticity and integrity of the updates are verifiable through digital signatures and cryptographic hashes.More about security notificationsSEL provides complete cybersecurity support for every solution, system, and product we create.
Cybersecurity Bulletins and Updates
We thoroughly review and test the code in our products, which gives us greater control over their quality, security, and functionality. Customers are notified of updates and security patches for the full life of every SEL product.Cybersecurity Services and Support
From system assessment and baselining to cyber-defense solution development and ongoing system management, our full suite of security services can help strengthen your defenses and streamline the demands of maintenance and compliance.Cyber services support contracts include incident response, audits, system hardening, patch and update management, and more.SEL meets your workforce training and continuing-education needs through seminars, conference and tradeshow presentations, and SEL University courses.SEL University courses and many of our seminars provide Professional Development Hours (PDHs) for maintaining Professional Engineering licenses. Courses and seminars can be delivered in various formats, including self-paced online learning, virtual classrooms, live and recorded webinars, and in person.We can also work with you to develop training that is customized to the specific needs of your workforce.Training and Education offeringsSEL University CoursesConferences and TradeshowsSeminars and Webinars