This professional training course is designed for relay technicians, electrical/power plant technicians, engineers and protective relay test specialists offers students the opportunity to exchange ideas, resolve problems in open forums, and learn preventative and corrective methods through hands-on labs. Eight tracks are available: Basic, Distribution, Transmission, Generation, Electromechanical, Computerized Relay Testing, Automation/Integration, and Theory. Students also attend six hours of open classroom lectures covering system protection topics, where they can select from 12 topic choices. The school is sponsored by Western Energy Institute. CEU credits available through Eastern Washington University.
Program Location
Eastern Washington University
526 5th St
Cheney, Washington 99004
Who Should Attend
• Relay technicians
• Electrical/power plant technicians
• Engineers
• Protective relay test specialists
Learn more about the upcoming Hands-On Relay School by reviewing the event brochure and detailed schedule for the week.
Application Information
Students can submit their applications here.
Facilitators can submit their applications here.
Cancellation Policy
Your full registration fee will be refunded if WEI receives your written cancellation notice by March 3, 2023. Cancellations made after March 3 are subject to a processing fee of $350. Students who do not attend and have not cancelled by March 17 are responsible for the full application fee. Substitutions may be made at any time. Cancellations and substitutions should be emailed to Diana Zoren.
Participation Policy
Western Energy Institute programs and events are open to energy companies (including gas production and electric generation, gas and electric transmission and gas and electric distribution utilities). Select programs and events are open to energy industry product and service suppliers. Programs and events are closed to all media representatives and to the general public. Recording is not permitted for any portion of the event.
Find a copy of the detailed schedule for the week here.
3:00 PM – 6:00 PM.
Facilitator Lab Station Set-up
5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Registration + Reception
7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Facilitator Meeting
6:45 AM – 7:30 AM
Registration + Refreshments
7:30 AM – 7:40 AM
Welcome + Announcements
7:40 AM – 8:00 AM
Safety Moment
8:00 AM – 9:40 AM
Track Overview Lectures and Introduction to System Protection Lecture Series
9:40 AM – 9:50 AM
Break
9:50 AM – 10:50 AM
Concurrent Open Lectures
10:50 AM – 11:00 AM
Break
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Concurrent Open Lectures and Introduction to System Protection Lecture Series
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Lunch on your own
1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Hands-on Experience in the Lab
3:00 PM – 3:10 PM
Break
3:10 PM – 5:00 PM
Continue Laboratory Testing
7:30 AM – 8:30 AM
Concurrent Open Lectures
8:30 AM – 8:40 AM
Break
8:40 AM – 9:40 AM
Concurrent Open Lectures
9:40 AM – 9:50 AM
Break
9:50 AM – 10:50 AM
Concurrent Open Lectures
10:50 AM – 11:00 AM
Break
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Concurrent Open Lectures
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Lunch on your own
1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Hands-on Experience in the Lab
3:00 PM – 3:10 PM
Break
3:10 PM – 5:00 PM
Continue Laboratory Testing
5:00 PM
Adjourn
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Supplier’s Showcase
7:30 AM – 9:50 AM
Hands-on Experience in the Lab
9:50 AM – 10:00 AM
Break
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Continue Laboratory Testing
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Lunch on your own
1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Hands-on Experience in the Lab
3:00 PM – 3:10 PM
Break
3:10 PM – 5:00 PM
Continue Laboratory Testing
5:00 PM
Adjourn
6:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Social Dinner and Entertainment
7:30 AM – 9:50 AM
Hands-on Experience in the Lab
9:50 AM – 10:00 AM
Break
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Continue Laboratory Testing
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Lunch on your own
1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Hands-on Experience in the Lab
3:00 PM – 3:10 PM
Break
3:10 PM – 5:00 PM
Continue Laboratory Testing
5:00 PM
Adjourn
7:30 AM – 7:45 AM
Closing Remarks
7:45 AM – 9:15 AM
Feature Lecture: Transformations of the Northwest Electric Grid (1880 – Present)
9:15 AM – 9:30 AM
Break
9:30 AM – 11:00 AM
Feature Lecture: State of the Industry
11:00 AM
Adjourn
• Priority is given to utilities providing Lab Facilitators, Lecturers, Steering Committee Support, and Western Energy Institute member utilities, if the Application is received by January 15, 2023. The remaining slots will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Applicants select which track they wish to attend in order of preference. Every effort will be made to place students into their preferred track, but track placement is by availability and subject to the priorities as described above. Many tracks will fill up and students may not be able to get their preferred track.
• Students will be notified in writing no later than February 10, 2023, of their acceptance into the school and track placement. You are not accepted to attend until you receive the confirmation of acceptance from WEI which you will have two weeks to complete your registration and make payment to keep your spot in the school.
• School fee of $700 includes electronic copies of lecture notes, Sunday night reception, Tuesday night Suppliers’ Showcase, Wednesday night social meal, break refreshments, and EWU offers free parking in designated areas.
• Payment is due at the time of registration. Once invoiced you will have two weeks to secure a spot in the school. If payment is not received the school reserves the right to fill your spot with other applicants.
Call for Lab Facilitators
If you are an experienced relay technician who is willing to share your knowledge with others, you can attend the Hands-On Relay School as a Lab Facilitator. Lab Facilitators work with groups of three students testing relays and may attend all classroom lectures and school activities. Lab Facilitators are not required to pay the application fee and their company receives priority points for students applying for the school. Learn more and apply here.
Best Western Plus Peppertree Airport Inn
3711 S Geiger Boulevard
Spokane, Washington 99224
Phone: (509) 624-4655
Make your reservations online or by calling the hotel directly at 509-289-2760. Identify yourself as being with the Western Energy Institute Hands-On Relay School to receive a special rate of $159/USD per night plus state and local taxes. This rate is guaranteed until February 28, 2023, or until the WEI room block is full.
Wingate by Wyndham Spokane Airport
2726 Flint Rd.
Spokane, WA 99224
Phone: (509) 343-2398
Make your reservations by calling the hotel directly at 509-343-2398. Identify yourself as being with the Western Energy Institute Hands-On Relay School to receive a special rate of $170/USD per night plus state and local taxes. This rate is guaranteed until Monday, March 6, 2023 or until the WEI room block is full.
The Centennial by Davenport Hotels
303 W North River Drive
Spokane, WA 99201
Phone: (800) 899-1482
Make your reservations online or by calling the hotel directly at 509-326-8000. Identify yourself as being with the Western Energy Institute Hands-On Relay School to receive a special rate of $169/USD per night plus state and local taxes. A nightly $20 nightly resort fee, plus a local $4 tourism assessment fee also apply and include access to hotel amenities. This rate is guaranteed until March 03, 2023, or until the WEI room block is full.
Registration Options
Vendor Display Only: $375 (6’ table space)
Vendor Double Display Only: $475 (12’ table space)
Vendor Display Only prices includes one representative, a skirted table in the display area, and food functions on Tuesday evening at the Centennial Hotel, Spokane, WA. You will need to bring your own power strips and extension cords. Space is assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. You must complete your registration online to hold space. Kris Taylor will reach out to registered vendors for final table selection. Coordinate with Jordan Piscopo, Prodigy Arrow for power, audio visual equipment, or other supplies.
Vendor Display Assistants will need to register at an additional cost.
Supplier Showcase Schedule
March 28, 2023, Tuesday
4:00 PM – 6:00 PM: Set-up
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM: Suppliers Showcase
8:00 PM – 9:00 PM: Tear-down
For more information on the Suppliers’ Showcase contact Kris Taylor at (971) 930-2033.
Shipping Information
1) Label and address to the Centennial by Davenport:
THE CENTENNIAL
303 W North River Drive
Spokane, WA 99201
EVENT: WEI Hands-On Relay School Showcase
Contact/Guest:
Event Dates: March 28, 2023
ATTN: Melissa Smith, Planning Manager
Box # of #
2) Call or email Western Energy Institute (WEI) to let them know what you are shipping, how many boxes, date of actual shipment, date of estimated arrival, and a contact number to reach out to if there are questions.
a. Diana Zoren, WEI at 503-318-1108
b. Beverly Woolf, WEI at 971-303-2294
3) Have your return labels ready prior to attending the school. When shipping materials from the hotel, shipping labels should be marked as follows:
The Centennial by Davenport Hotels
303 West North River Drive
Spokane, WA 99201
Phone: 509.789.0975
Number of packages: (i.e., 1 of 4)
The Hands-On Relay School is a professional development short course that trains protective relay technicians, electrical/power plant technicians, engineers, and protective relay test specialists.
Students are enrolled in one of eight tracks for the duration of the school:
• Basic
• Distribution
• Transmission
• Generation
• Electromechanical
• Computerized Relay Testing
• Automation & Integration
• Theory
Students participating in these tracks will:
• Become familiar with manual or computerized test methods for a variety of protective relays and test equipment.
• Gain valuable knowledge relating to relay applications and operating characteristics.
• Exchange ideas and resolve problems in an open forum.
• Learn preventative and corrective maintenance methods.
BASIC:
The Basic Track focuses on the fundamentals of protection systems, safe work practices, relay settings, calibration, maintenance, testing, and application of microprocessor and electromechanical relays.
DISTRIBUTION:
This track is for those students who wish to focus on the testing and understanding of multifunction microprocessor relays and recloser controllers used for distribution protection. The selection of relays may include overcurrent, transformer differential, reclosing, synch-check, and frequency protection.
TRANSMISSION:
This track features both electromechanical and microprocessor-based multifunction relays used for protection of transmission equipment, including distance and line current differential protection.
GENERATION:
This track features electromechanical and multifunction microprocessor relays used for transformer and generator differential, over-excitation, stator ground, reverse power, synch-check, negative sequence, and loss of field protection of generators.
ELECTROMECHANICAL:
This track focuses exclusively on electromechanical relays used for line, bus, transformer, or generator protection. More hands-on effort is spent on troubleshooting relay problems, calibrating relays, adjustment techniques, and verifying results.
COMPUTERIZED RELAY TESTING:
This track is intended for technicians who already understand relay operating principles, have experience in manual testing, and are ready to learn computerized testing methods. Student maximum varies.
AUTOMATION & INTEGRATION:
This track is intended for technicians who have basic familiarity with microprocessor-based relays and would like to learn more about their integration into substation automation and communications systems. This includes metering and alarming (SCADA), time synchronization, networking, and substation communications protocols. Student maximum varies.
THEORY:
This track provides more in-depth training on the application and theory of operation of protection systems utilized in the power system. This track does not normally include any hands-on training with relays. 30 students maximum. Note: The theory track is for the journeyman relay technician and relay engineer. It is NOT recommended for those relay technicians who are just starting out. Instructors and lecturers for the theory track are considered to be experts in their field.