From delivery to decommissioning: a strategic look at comprehensive testing for electrical assets

Testing throughout the asset life cycle

Electrical assets can last anywhere from 10 to 60 years, with some remaining in service even longer than expected. Regardless, all assets undergo the same stages: manufacturing, operation and retirement. Each stage requires specific testing to ensure reliability and safety.

Factory testing verifies the asset’s integrity after manufacturing and before it ships to the site. It also establishes baseline data for future reference, such as sweep frequency response analysis (SFRA) results for transformers.

Commissioning testing is designed to detect any damage that may have occurred during shipping, storage or installation. This testing happens before energization and serves as the final check to confirm the asset is ready for operation. Early-life failures have been common in the past and could have been mitigated with more thorough commissioning testing. Like factory testing, commissioning also provides crucial baseline data for future reference.

Although commissioning testing usually takes place after installation, pre-commissioning testing is becoming more common; for example, testing cables while they’re still on the reels before pulling. Since shipping and installation are often handled by different parties, installers typically won’t take responsibility for damage that occurred during transport.

Maintenance testing assesses asset condition throughout its operational life. One objective is to estimate how much useful life remains. This helps asset managers prioritize replacements, plan repairs as well as update their maintenance and contingency plans. Even assets with identical designs and installation dates may degrade differently based on how they’re used.

It’s essential not to rely on pass or fail results alone. For instance, while both 90% and 51% may count as passing scores, a score of 51% clearly requires more attention than a 90%.

Forensic testing provides extensive information after an asset has been retired, whether due to failure or early removal. It often involves destructive testing in a high-voltage testing lab to assess the condition of each subcomponent. When an asset fails, forensic testing looks for the root cause, considering both apparent and contributing factors.

For retired assets that didn’t fail but showed signs of degradation, testing aims to assess their true condition at retirement and identify patterns linked to specific operating conditions. These findings help asset managers apply lessons to similar equipment still in use.

Select the right test based on your needs

Understanding electrical assets requires careful selection of the right tests. Due to their complexity, no single test can evaluate every part of an asset.

Contact us to connect with a BBA subject matter expert and develop the suitable testing plan and testing team for your assets.