Aesthetic Reliability: Designing Xcel Energy's New Substation in Downtown Denver

When a legacy air-insulated substation with a straight bus and aging metal-clad switchgear could no longer meet the capacity demands and NERC reliability requirements, Xcel Energy built a new gas-insulated substation (GIS) that would meet system protection and reliability requirements in a compact space as well as provide considerable visual appeal to the everyday passerby.

The utility partnered with Burns & McDonnell to use 3D modeling to build within the strict confines of the property size, existing equipment and required balance-of-plant equipment for the 115-kV GIS.

The team faced extreme challenges but accomplished the mission, and now Xcel Energy can move forward with the final phases of transitioning the 115-kV elements into the GIS. Following are images from the project, featured in the cover story of the March 2018 issue of T&D World. 

Xcel Energy and Burns & McDonnell will host a tour of the substation on April 18 during the 2018 IEEE PES T&D Conference & Expo. Registration is limited. This project also will be presented during the IEEE Young Professionals Project panel session at the conference.