NZQA registered unit standard
15575 version 5
Page 1 of 6
Title
Operate hydro-electric generating plant from enterprise control room
Level
6
Credits
16
Purpose
People credited with this unit standard are able to: demonstrate
knowledge of the principles and technologies of hydro-electric
plant and electricity generation; identify and communicate
hydro-generation plant status and parameters; operate and
control hydro-generation plant from a control terminal; respond
to events that impact on the operation of hydro-generation; and
report on the operation of hydro-electric generating plant.
Classification
Electricity Supply > Electricity Supply - Power System
Management
Available grade
Achieved
Entry information
Recommended skills
and knowledge
Unit 12385, Operate hydro-electric generating plant on site;
and Unit 12392, Demonstrate knowledge of principles of
electricity generation prime movers; or demonstrate equivalent
knowledge and skills.
Explanatory notes
1
This unit standard is intended for, but not restricted to, workplace assessment. The
range statements across the unit standard can be applied according to enterprise
specific equipment, procedures and processes.
2
Safety of personnel and plant must be a priority throughout the assessment. If the
safety requirements are not met the assessment must stop.
3
Performance and work practices in relation to the outcomes and evidence
requirements 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 current version of the Safety Manual – Electricity Industry
(SM-EI) Wellington: Electricity Engineers’ Association. A full list of current legislation
and industry codes is available from the Electricity Supply Industry Training
Organisation, PO Box 1245, Hamilton 3240.
Electricity Supply Industry Training Organisation
SSB Code 101813
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA registered unit standard
15575 version 5
Page 2 of 6
4
Industry 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.
5
Practical exercises should be used for training and assessment where possible.
Outcomes and evidence requirements
Outcome 1
Demonstrate knowledge of the principles and technologies of hydro-electric plant and
electricity generation.
Range
civil and hydraulic structures, turbines, valves and gates, governors, bypass and
relief valves, generators, exciters, transformers, control and protection,
batteries, communications, auxiliary plant.
Evidence requirements
1.1
Theory of mechanical and electrical power and energy is described.
Range
1.2
The principles of electrical power systems and hydro-generating plant are
described.
Range
1.3
includes but is not limited to – potential and kinetic power and
energy, moment of inertia, rotational energy, electrical active
power and energy.
includes but is not limited to – ac systems, dc systems, voltage,
frequency, power balances, dc and ac generators, excitation
systems, reaction and impulse hydro-turbines.
Principles of efficient resource use are defined and explained.
Range
includes but is not limited to – turbine efficiency curves, available
static and operating heads, generator capability diagrams,
resource consent obligations and limitations, minimisation of
spilling, storage, storage inflows, generation and spillway flows,
use of auxiliary generators.
Electricity Supply Industry Training Organisation
SSB Code 101813
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA registered unit standard
15575 version 5
Page 3 of 6
Outcome 2
Identify and communicate hydro-generation plant status and parameters in accordance
with industry requirements.
Range
may include but is not limited to – log contents, permits and work authorities in
force, voltage, active power (MW), reactive power (MVAr), generating and
spillway flows, headwater levels, tailwater levels, canal flows.
Evidence requirements
2.1
Plant and equipment status is identified.
Range
2.2
Planned events that impact on plant and equipment status are identified, and
their impact is determined and recorded.
Range
2.3
may include but is not limited to – indications, alarms, protective
relay flaggings, reported information, Supervisory Control and
Data Acquisition (SCADA), operating restrictions, plant availability.
may include but is not limited to – maintenance, outages,
recreational user constraints, transmission constraints, weather
predictions.
Relevant information is communicated to the new shift controller at shift change.
Outcome 3
Operate and control hydro-generation plant from a control terminal in accordance with
industry requirements.
Range
a minimum of six of – headgate, bypass valve, butterfly inlet valve, jacking,
start, stop, braking, wicket and spear operation, governing, frequency,
excitation, voltage, phase and speed matching, synchronising, active power
setting, reactive power setting, tailwater depression, spillway operations,
SCADA operation, local operation, emergency operation.
Evidence requirements
3.1
The plant and equipment to be operated is identified and the procedures for the
operation of such equipment are complied with.
Range
3.2
may include but is not limited to – single line diagrams, dispatch
instruction, dispatch implementation plan, operating strategy.
Operating decisions are determined.
Range
may include but is not limited to – plant availability and service
condition, resource consent and loading limits, other operational
limitations.
Electricity Supply Industry Training Organisation
SSB Code 101813
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA registered unit standard
3.3
Responsibilities of hydro-generating plant operator are defined.
Range
3.4
may include but is not limited to – running up, speed governing,
excitation and matching voltage, matching speed and phase
voltage, synchronising, behaviour of speed and voltage control
before and after synchronising.
The plant and equipment is operated to gain maximum efficiency of energy
conversion and meet active and reactive dispatch power outputs.
Range
3.6
includes but is not limited to – controlling output power to dispatch,
efficient optimisation of resource, observing resource consent
limits, issuing and cancellation of permits, entry approvals and
work authorities.
The plant and equipment is operated.
Range
3.5
15575 version 5
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may include but is not limited to – resource consents, flow ramping
rates, measured turbine flow, turbine efficiency curves, generator
capability diagrams, hydrology charts, local standing instructions.
Plant and equipment is monitored.
Range
may include but is not limited to – indications, alarms, power
status, defects, action confirmation.
Outcome 4
Respond to events that impact on the operation of hydro-generation in accordance with
industry requirements.
Range
emergency, unscheduled event, abnormal condition, alarms, protective relay
operation, power system faults, forced outage.
Evidence requirements
4.1
System is stabilised.
4.2
The event and cause of event is identified using all available resources.
Range
may include but is not limited to – events lists, event recording
charts, SCADA.
4.3
The event is acknowledged.
4.4
Impact of event on generation is determined and responded to.
Range
may include but is not limited to – local control, contingency plans,
emergency operating procedures.
Electricity Supply Industry Training Organisation
SSB Code 101813
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA registered unit standard
4.5
The event reporting is conducted.
may include but is not limited to – local instructions, event
reporting standards.
Range
4.6
15575 version 5
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The event is analysed to identify options to remedy or mitigate undesired
conditions and identify future actions.
may include but is not limited to – event reporting procedures,
maintenance management systems, logbook, event lists, relay flag
sheets, plant history records, analytical tools.
Range
Outcome 5
Report on the operation of hydro-electric generating plant in accordance with industry
requirements.
Range
may include but is not limited to – service report, log book, test reports and
results, plant history, permits, entry approval, work authority, event lists,
generator availability data system, generation management system,
maintenance management system, electronic log, operating orders/switching
sheets, plant outage requests, data, check sheets, statistical log sheets.
Evidence requirements
5.1
Reported information is completed and actioned.
5.2
Dispatch instruction information is recorded in the required format and filed
within the scheduled time-frame.
Planned review date
31 December 2015
Status information and last date for assessment for superseded versions
Process
Version Date
Last Date for Assessment
Registration
1
20 December 1998
N/A
Review
2
20 September 2002
N/A
Revision
3
11 February 2004
N/A
Rollover and
Revision
4
21 November 2008
N/A
Review
5
19 November 2010
N/A
Accreditation and Moderation Action Plan (AMAP) reference
0120
This AMAP can be accessed at http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/framework/search/index.do.
Electricity Supply Industry Training Organisation
SSB Code 101813
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA registered unit standard
15575 version 5
Page 6 of 6
Please note
Providers must be granted consent to assess against standards (accredited) by NZQA, or
an inter-institutional body with delegated authority for quality assurance, 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.
Consent requirements and an outline of the moderation system that applies to this
standard are outlined in the Accreditation and Moderation Action Plan (AMAP). The
AMAP 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.
Comments on this unit standard
Please contact the Electricity Supply Industry Training Organisation info@esito.org.nz if
you wish to suggest changes to the content of this unit standard.
Electricity Supply Industry Training Organisation
SSB Code 101813
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016