The Need for a Whole Life Framework in Electrical Power System Asset Management and the Problems with Individual Silo like Asset Management System Contributions

Abstract

The asset management of electrical power systems both in industry and academia currently offers up a wide spectrum of engineering practices and guidance to detect, diagnose and to combat asset deterioration. In doing so research largely aims to better enable enhanced decision or prediction making in single engineering applications such as partial discharge or dielectric condition measurements. This paper reviews the current state of the art as related to electrical asset management and sets out how todays engineering and maintenance heavy approaches are insufficient to meet the nature of the complex adaptive (Generation, Transmission & Distribution) systems. Furthermore this paper explains the need for a truly holistic governance framework capable of managing such complexities for power companies by using complex adaptive system science whilst grounded in the engineering, business and socio-technical attributes that applied engineering makes possible. In addition this paper outlines how utilising retroductive case study with hypothesis framework represents the best approach in creating such a fully holistic asset management capability for power companies.