# Relay Technician



## knowledge29

Hello, Can someone please tell me what does a relay tech do and how to become one. Thanks


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## micromind

Assuming said relay tech works for the POCO, he is the guy who installs, programs and troubleshoots protection and control relays.

There are a bunch of different relays, some protect transformers, some protect circuit breakers, some protect lines.

Sometimes, the settings of these relays are either too tight and cause breakers to trip when there are no actual faults, sometimes they are too loose and allow damage to other parts of the system that could have been prevented. 

The relay tech needs to understand the overall system well enough to get the relays dialed in properly. 

Most of the relays around here communicate with the central control room, some of them via radio. Most of the relay techs around here understand this communication system as well as the relays themselves.


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## Zog

micromind explained it perfectly, most of my relay guys are EE's but that is not a requirement. Relay techs have always been in high demand and even more so now with the new NERC reporting requirements.


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## Legion

An associates in electronics is generally the bare minimum to start, with a pretty strong suggestion to continue onwards to your EE for the younger people. From there, it's generally like its own apprenticeship - assuming POCO. There are a few community colleges that have Relay Tech programs but I'm not familiar with their quality or job placement effectiveness. If anything I would think they'd just give you a foot into the T&D industry.


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