Engineering Distribution interview prep.

Behavioural questions to expect

1. Walk me through your background + distribution engineering experience.
2. Tell me about a distribution project you've led.
3. Why distribution engineering vs transmission planning, grid ops, or generation engineering?
4. Why this discipline - distribution planning, design, protection + automation, DER hosting, AMI / ADMS?
5. Why the firm?
6. What's your read on our distribution capital plan + recent rate case or DSP?
7. Tell me what you understand about our reliability + DER posture.
8. Walk me through a distribution planning or capacity study you've done.

Technical concepts to master

• Distribution planning + load forecasting

  Spatial + temporal load forecast · Feeder + transformer loading · Voltage regulation + reactive support · Contingency + transfer planning · Long-term scenarios + IRP / DSP integration

• Distribution design - feeders, transformers, NESC

  Voltage class + system grounding · Conductor + structure selection · Distribution transformer sizing + loading · NESC clearances + structural loading · Underground vs overhead

• Distribution protection + coordination

  Substation feeder breaker + overcurrent · Reclosers + sectionalisers · Fuses + fuse-saving vs trip-saving · DER impact on protection · Tools + studies

• DER hosting capacity + IEEE 1547 + grid-mod stack

  Hosting capacity analysis · IEEE 1547 smart inverter functions · FLISR + smart reclosers · ADMS + DERMS · AMI + smart-meter analytics

Practical drills

• A 12.47 kV feeder serves 2,400 customers at peak load of 8 MVA on a 7.5 MVA conductor. Load is forecast to grow 3% per year, plus a 1.5 MW data centre coming online in year 2. Walk through your planning study + capital options.
• A 12.47 kV feeder has a substation breaker, a mid-line recloser, and 40 lateral fuses. Customer complaints about momentary outages have risen 35% since last year. Walk through your coordination review + recommended changes.
• A 12.47 kV feeder has SAIDI 200 min (vs system 110) and rooftop solar queued to push DER to 40% of feeder peak. The interconnection queue is stalling on hosting studies. Walk through your reliability + DER plan for this feeder.

Smart-question anchors

• Distribution capital plan + DSP / IRP - signature programmes + non-wires alternatives
• Reliability indices + drivers - SAIDI / SAIFI / MAIFI / CAIDI trend + storm hardening
• DER posture - hosting capacity maps + IEEE 1547 transition + interconnection queue
• Grid-mod stack - AMI + ADMS + DERMS + FLISR maturity
• Engineering org + tool stack - CYME / Synergi / OpenDSS / ASPEN + planning / design / protection / DER groups

Sourced from

IEEE 1366 Guide for Electric Power Distribution Reliability Indices · IEEE 1547 + 1547.1 Interconnection + Interoperability of DER · IEEE / NESC C2 National Electrical Safety Code + ANSI C84.1 voltage ratings · EPRI Distribution Modernization + Hosting Capacity research (DRIVE / OpenDSS) · T&D World + Utility Dive + state PUC distribution system plan dockets