The Future of Protection Engineering Is Digital | Andrea Bonetti, Megger & Cédric Harispuru, Siemens

The Future of Protection Engineering Is Digital | Andrea Bonetti, Megger & Cédric Harispuru, Siemens

by Andrea Bonetti & Cédric Harispuru · View the channel on PSI

Applied Sciences & Engineering Energy THEnergy technology and engineeringTHRElectrical engineering
🎙 Andrea Bonetti & Cédric Harispuru 👥 606 📅 October 6, 2026 ⏱ 15 min 👁 172 📄 expert opinion 🧭 2026-10-15
Available in: English (current) Français

Keywords

digital twinvirtual testingprotection relayIEC 61850power grid

Summary

In this interview recorded at CIGRE 2026 in Paris, Andrea Bonetti from Megger and Cédric Harispuru from Siemens discuss their joint development of high-fidelity digital twins for protection relay testing. They explain how their two companies have created interoperable virtual models of a protection relay and a test set, enabling a fully virtual closed-loop testing environment. This innovation eliminates the need for physical hardware in many testing and training scenarios, significantly reducing costs, space, and setup complexity. They highlight a real-world outcome where a third-party training institute in Sweden used both digital twins to give every student their own virtual relay and test set, achieving zero crashes and no hardware constraints. The speakers emphasize that this technology is still nascent – only their two companies currently offer released digital twin products – but they foresee a future where interoperability based on IEC 61850 standards allows digital twins from different vendors to work together seamlessly. They also discuss the importance of scaling current usage to shorten project timelines and support faster grid integration, particularly for data centers. The interview concludes with reflections on CIGRE’s role in facilitating knowledge sharing and cross-committee collaboration.

191 words

Critical Evaluation

Value of the Information & Strength of the Argument

The value of the information lies in its practical, industry-centric perspective on a cutting-edge technology. Both speakers argue convincingly that digital twins for protection testing provide a scalable, cost-effective alternative to traditional hardware-based methods. They support their claims with a concrete example (the training institute in Sweden) and emphasize the evolution from proprietary solutions toward open interoperability. The argumentation is coherent and grounded in their direct experience, though it lacks quantitative metrics or comparative data to fully substantiate the performance advantages.

Scientific Rigor, Source Quality, Title Accuracy

The rigor of the discussion is high given the seniority and expertise of the participants. They reference a joint CIGRE paper and over 20 co-authored publications over five years, but no specific citations or URLs are provided in the video or description. The only sources are the company website and LinkedIn pages, which are not academic references. The title is accurate and aligns with the content. The discussion is non-commercial in tone, though both speakers represent their companies’ products, which could introduce a promotional bias, but they remain focused on technical and practical aspects.

190 words

Title / Content Match

The title accurately reflects the content: the discussion focuses on how digital twins and virtual testing are transforming protection engineering, making it more digital and scalable.

Quality & Reliability

7/10

Informative interview with two senior industry experts from Siemens and Megger, referencing a joint CIGRE paper and a real-world training implementation. No specific data or technical details are disclosed, but the credibility of the speakers and the mention of published work support a moderate-high reliability score.

Chapters

Cited Sources

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External References

Contribution & Novelties

The interview provides an industry perspective on the practical implementation of digital twins in power system protection, highlighting a unique collaboration between a relay manufacturer and a test equipment vendor. It brings attention to the feasibility of virtual closed-loop testing and its benefits in training and scalability, a topic that is still emerging.

Pour aller plus loin :

  • Digital twin (Wikipedia) — Foundational concept of virtual replicas of physical systems, directly relevant to the discussed technology.
  • IEC 61850 (Wikipedia) — The standard for communication in substations, which the speakers identify as key for future interoperability of digital twins.
  • Protection relay (Wikipedia) — The equipment being digitally twinned; understanding its function is essential to grasp the value of virtual testing.

119 words

Radar Profile

The radar profile shows high technical level and good information quality, with slightly lower scores on quantity and reliability due to limited concrete data and lack of cited sources. Overall, a competent but not exhaustive technical discussion.

Reliability 7/10