CIGRE’s international Study Committees facilitate international knowledge sharing and development for the advancement of power system engineering. This results in the publication of a wide range of technical resources available here on eCIGRE.org. The Study Committees span the end to end scope of power system and are divided into Groups A, B, C, and D.
Group B (Technologies) has five study committees within it below (B1 to B5).
Their scope encompasses the full life cycle of equipment including:
- Theory, principles, functionality, research, development, planning, design, and specification
- Manufacturing, construction, installation, quality assurance
- Operation, performance, efficiency, reliability, availability, diagnostics, and monitoring, maintenance, testing, restoration, and repair
- Upgrading, uprating, refurbishment, re-deployment, and disposal
It also includes the complex interactions, demands, and integration into the evolving global power system.
All aspects are addressed throughout, including technical, safety, economic, environmental, and social issues.
B1 – Insulated cables
B2 – Overhead lines
B3 – Substations and electrical installations
B4 – DC systems and power electronics
B5 – Protection and automation
Learn more about the 5 Technologies Study Committees
B1 - Insulated Cables
The scope of SC B1 covers the whole Life Cycle of AC and DC Insulated cables for Land and Submarine Power Transmission, which means theory, design, applications, manufacture, installation, testing, operation, maintenance, upgrading and uprating, diagnostics techniques.
B2 - Overhead lines
Study Committee B2 covers the design, construction and operation of overhead lines. This includes the mechanical and electrical design and experimental validation of new line components (e.g. conductors, ground wires, insulators, accessories, structures and their foundations), the study of in-service line performance and assessment of aged line components, line maintenance, the refurbishment and life extension as well as upgrading and uprating of existing overhead lines. Overhead lines play an important role for the Power System of the Future and its challenges. The activities of SC B2 are full in line with this important aspect of CIGRE´s mission.
B3 - Substations and electrical installations
Study Committee B3 (or SC B3) addresses a wide range of topics that apply to the entire life cycle of substation assets; from conception, through research, development, design, production, deployment, maintenance, operation, and end-of-life and emission management.
B4 - DC systems and power electronics
The scope of Study Committee B4 includes the applications of Direct Current (DC) and Power Electronics (PE) in both transmission and distribution systems. The study committee also addresses DC Converters for the integration of distributed renewable (PVs) and energy storage as well as power quality control. SC B4 covers the full spectrum of DC systems and PE devices including specification, design, implementation, operation, maintenance, refurbishment of DC, FACTS and power electronic devices from transmission to distribution systems.
B5 - Protection and automation
Focuses on Protection, Control, Monitoring and Metering, and aims to cover the whole Power system, end to end related to this topic, from transmission, to distribution systems, including generation and HVDC systems.