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Title / Implement electricity supply power network asset owner's load management policy
Level / 4 / Credits / 10
Purpose / People credited with this unit standard are able to: monitor network configuration and keep within design limitations; implement load management operating policy; manage power system security; and action bulk customer connection and/or disconnection policy.
Classification / Electricity Supply > Electricity Supply - Power System Management
Available grade / Achieved
Entry information
Critical health and safety prerequisites / Unit 16281, Maintain and update operating log for electricity supply operational purposes, or demonstrate equivalent knowledge and skills.
Explanatory notes
1This unit standard can be assessed against in a workplace environment, or in a training or educational environment if simulated equipment response and examples are able to be provided, or in a combination of both environments.
2Performance and work practices in relation to the elements and performance criteria must comply with all current legislation, especially the Electricity Act 1992, and any regulations and codes of practice recognised under that statute; the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992; and the Resource Management Act 1991. Electricity supply industry codes of practice and documented industry procedures include the Safety Manual – Electricity Industry (SM-EI)Wellington: Electricity Engineers’ Association. A full list of current legislation and industry codes is available from Connexis Infrastructure ITO,
3The phrase in accordance with industry requirements is implicit in all elements and performance criteria in this unit standard.
4Reference to terms, procedures, and specifications in this unit standard may be taken as including industry documented procedures and specifications relevant to the workplace in which assessment is carried out.
5Industry requirements include all asset owner requirements; manufacturers’ specifications; and enterprise requirements which cover the documented workplace policies, procedures, specifications, business, and quality management requirements relevant to the workplace in which assessment is carried out.
6The following terms and abbreviations relate to this unit standard:
Asset owner refers to the owner of an electricity supply network that takes its point of supply from Transpower NZ and delivers electricity to industrial, commercial, and residential customers.
Integrity is the ability of an asset owner to maintain or integrate the unity of the sum total of components in an electrical power system to deliver electricity to its customers.
Data refers to information in a written or numerical form. The latter may include summary statistics, information in tables, and numbers displayed in a variety of graphs.
Network configuration status is the shape and external form of the electrical network generated by the arrangement and inter-relationship that exists between the various power system route ways, circuits, electrical components, plant, and equipment.
SCADA is the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition system, a computer system that is used to operate equipment and monitor the performance of the electrical power system and/or network, gather data for analytical purposes, and generally assist the operation and delivery of electrical network functions concerning the supply of electricity to customers.
Status refers to the operational condition or state of any or all of the components of an electrical power system relative to its expected or required performance level.
The terms power network and power system have the same meaning.
Outcomes and evidence requirements
Outcome 1
Monitor network configuration and keep within design limitations.
Evidence requirements
1.1The impact of making changes to network configuration status on capacity to deliver electricity and meet customer needs is considered and described according to established operating practice.
Rangemay include but is not limited to – new connections, disconnections or reconnections, modified connections, new supply points, upgrade supply points, system equipment limitations, system faults, engineering design.
1.2The operational implications of making design changes to the network configuration are considered and identified.
Rangemay include but is not limited to – staffing impact, impact on existing network, customer expectations, commercial negotiations, rationale for making changes outlined.
1.3Documented changes to network configuration are identified and outlined on all network reference drawings.
Rangemay include but is not limited to – availability and understanding of ‘as built’ drawings, asset records, operational reference folders, special instructions, staff training and familiarisation, single line diagrams, mimic displays.
1.4Integrity of network configuration is maintained.
Rangemay include but is not limited to – keeping single line diagrams up to date.
1.5Changes to network configuration status and network diagrams are reported to affected parties.
Rangemay include but is not limited to – operations staff, contractors, supervisory staff, control centres, senior management, design staff, asset owner representatives, changes applied to ‘ready to liven notices’ for distribution.
Outcome 2
Implement load management operating policy.
Evidence requirements
2.1The amount of load required to sustain customer needs is identified.
Rangemay include but is not limited to – nominal load, seasonal variations and periods.
2.2Maximum demand variations in the network electricity demand level are noted and documented.
Rangemay include but is not limited to – peak load by time of day and date, weather reference, special factors.
2.3Load of network transformer equipment is monitored to ensure maximum load levels are not exceeded as specified by asset owner’s load management policies.
Rangemay include but is not limited to – maximum current, maximum temperature, special de-rating features.
2.4Load is shed in accordance with asset owner’s load shedding schedule when maximum demand levels for electricity are exceeded.
Rangemay include but is not limited to – selected customer voluntary load shedding, enforced customer load shedding, automatic load shedding, recognised medical alert and community sensitive power supplies preserved where possible, ripple control system.
2.5SCADA pre-set procedures are applied to shed load within timeframe specified by asset owner guidelines.
Rangemay include but is not limited to – selected network feeders being programmed for tripping at pre-set load levels on the whole network, extent of load loss.
2.6Trends in demand for electricity are noted and documented.
Outcome 3
Manage power system security.
Evidence requirements
3.1Abnormal conditions that put equipment and plant at risk of tripping are recognised and identified.
Rangemay include but is not limited to – conditions such as weather, animal strikes, traffic hits, equipment failure.
3.2Equipment scheduled outage times are adhered to and/or minimised.
3.3Remedial actions are instigated to ensure abnormal conditions do not disrupt supply any longer than necessary.
Rangemay include but is not limited to – finding alternate sources of supply, customer priorities, contractor availability.
3.4Entry to carry out work on network equipment is restricted to authorised and declared competent contractors.
Rangemay include but is not limited to – competent staff who understand the work and duties, other staff under supervision, maintenance contractors, sub contractors, ground maintenance, fire service.
3.5Data is collated and analysis undertaken to establish equipment and plant at risk, or reduced performance.
Rangemay include but is not limited to – trees near lines, routine inspections, fault tripping, customer reports.
3.6Network operating remains under operational control or delegated authority of asset owner control centre.
Rangemay include but is not limited to – access permits, equipment release, work control authorities.
3.7Actual damage to asset owner’s plant and equipment is recorded and details immediately forwarded to supervising officer.
Rangemay include but is not limited to details of – equipment failure, storm damage, vehicle hits, flooding, earthquake damage, contractor or third party damage.
Outcome 4
Action bulk customer connection and/or disconnection policy.
Evidence requirements
4.1Customers and/or customer area requiring connection and/or disconnection are identified as per asset owner’s requirements.
Rangemay include but is not limited to – avoidance of unnecessary disconnection of customers, planned public notices, mail out, letterbox drop, notice of any delays, documented connections and/or disconnections.
4.2Connection and/or disconnection work is monitored until work is complete.
Rangemay include but is not limited to – job recorded, customer responses, operating network standards.
4.3Connection and/or disconnection work is checked for compliance with asset owner specifications.
Rangemay include but is not limited to – re-livening notice, network operating standards, electricity supply industry codes of practice.
4.4Switching to facilitate connection and/or disconnection of customers is carried out in accordance with network operating standards.
Rangemay include but is not limited to – notification, coordination.
Replacement information / This unit standard was replaced by unit standard 30512.This unit standard is expiring. Assessment against the standard must take place by the last date for assessment set out below.
Status information and last date for assessment for superseded versions
Process / Version / Date / Last Date for AssessmentRegistration / 1 / 3 August 1999 / 31 December 2019
Revision / 2 / 11 February 2004 / 31 December 2019
Rollover and Revision / 3 / 26 November 2007 / 31 December 2019
Review / 4 / 16 April 2010 / 31 December 2019
Review / 5 / 28 September 2017 / 31 December 2019
Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR) reference / 0120
This CMR can be accessed at
Please note
Providers must be granted consent to assess against standards (accredited) by NZQA, before they can report credits from assessment against unit standards or deliver courses of study leading to that assessment.
Industry Training Organisations must be granted consent to assess against standards by NZQA before they can register credits from assessment against unit standards.
Providers and Industry Training Organisations, which have been granted consent and which are assessing against unit standards must engage with the moderation system that applies to those standards.
Requirements for consent to assess and an outline of the moderation system that applies to this standard are outlined in the Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR). The CMR also includes useful information about special requirements for organisations wishing to develop education and training programmes, such as minimum qualifications for tutors and assessors, and special resource requirements.
Connexis Infrastructure ITOSSB Code 101813 / New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2018 / / New Zealand Qualifications Aut