#134: Trustworthy Timing Tests on Both-Sides-Grounded Circuit Breakers

In this episode of Energy Talks, we dive into high-voltage and circuit breaker testing under Latin America's unique field conditions. OMICRON power system testing expert Yefersson Cañon shares first-hand experience working with regional utilities and industrial plants. He explores local maintenance requirements, technical standards, and safety practices. Discover real-world problem-solving strategies, the role of grid diagnostics in disaster recovery, and the future trends shaping the region’s power sector.

In this episode of Energy Talks, OMICRON Cybersecurity Expert Simon Rommer launches an essential new mini-series focused on operational technology (OT) cybersecurity countermeasures in the power industry. Instead of just chasing the latest tech trends or treating security like a generic checklist, this series takes a step back to ask a fundamental question: Countermeasures—what for, and against what?

This Energy Talks episode explores using dynamic resistance measurements (DRM) for safe, accurate timing tests on circuit breakers grounded on both sides. OMICRON circuit breaker testing expert Andreas Nenning shares practical insights on why this method is essential for grounded conditions, the impact of grounding resistance, and how to avoid critical threshold errors.

In this episode, OMICRON's OT security expert Simon Rommer, along with security research experts Andreas Happe and Siegfried Hollerer, discuss their work and experience with the open-source OWASP OT Top 10 Project, which addresses critical industrial cybersecurity challenges affecting OT environments. Simon and his guests describe how critical cybersecurity risks are mapped directly to global frameworks like IEC 62443 and NIST, providing actionable countermeasures and a shared vocabulary for improved industrial resilience.

Every diagnostic test leaves a digital history—from settings and firmware to maintenance documentation. As substations modernize, preserving this contextual history becomes vital for engineers, cybersecurity teams, and auditors years down the road. This episode of Energy Talks kicks off a new miniseries exploring how software supports compliance readiness in power system testing and digital substation operations. In Part 1, OMICRON Regional Training Manager Will Scheibe explains why preserving device history matters and how OMICRON’s ADMO software with its InSight data visualization platform supports structured data across the asset lifecycle.

Bushings are critical power transformer components, responsible for nearly 40 percent of failures. In this Energy Talks episode, OMICRON experts Hannes Rothleitner and Jakob Hämmerle explain how modern bushing diagnostic methods detect early insulation degradation. They highlight the industry shift toward combined testing techniques to uncover hidden flaws and discuss the future of the field, emphasizing high-quality data interpretation for better decision-making.

Reclosers have long been essential for protecting distribution networks and restoring power after faults. Today, they are evolving from standalone protection devices into coordinated system actors that combine protection, automation, communication, and control. In this episode, OMICRON application engineer Alex Auman, who specializes in reclosure and protection testing, explains how reclosers help utilities integrate distributed energy resources (DER), improve reliability, and enable self-healing grid concepts. Alex describes various automation schemes that help utilities keep more customers energized during faults and disturbances and highlights the growing importance of comprehensive testing and validation.

In this episode of Energy Talks, OMICRON application engineer Alexander Herrera discusses the basics of rotating machine testing, covering diagnostic procedures for stator cores, windings, and rotors to ensure the reliability of motors and generators. He explains how data-driven insights assist in identifying defects early, optimizing condition-based maintenance, and highlights essential safety procedures during testing.

In this episode of Energy Talks, OMICRON OT Cybersecurity Consultant Simon Rommer speaks with Benjamin Floriani and Patrick Pongratz, founders of SecCore GmbH, about how penetration testers identify vulnerabilities, develop exploits, and assess real-world cyber risks. They discuss why context matters more than vulnerability scores, the growing role of AI in offensive security, and practical measures, such as network segmentation, least privilege, and regular penetration testing to strengthen cyber resilience.

Join OMICRON experts Daniel Gebhardt and Hendrik Schleifer for Part 2 of our Energy Talks mini-series on continuous online PD monitoring. Discover how these systems track insulation issues 24/7, filter noise using PRPD and 3PARD technology, and integrate into SCADA networks. Learn how continuous defect tracking and automated alerts deliver the trend analysis needed to optimize asset planning, ease workloads, and ensure greater peace of mind.