FAT

Definition

A FAT is the formal test carried out at the supplier before equipment leaves the factory. The customer verifies that the delivery meets the specification while it is still where it was built, so faults can be corrected without transport and installation. In the grid sector, FAT typically covers protection, control systems, transformers and substations, and the test protocol builds on the requirements in the relevant REN standard. FAT is the first half of a pair: SAT is the second, performed once the equipment is in place.

In practice

In practice the FAT protocol is a document that must be archived and retrievable years later, often during an inspection or when the component is assessed for replacement. That is where it usually fails: the test is carried out conscientiously, but the protocol ends up in an email thread or a binder. RUNA attaches the FAT and SAT checklists to the component itself, so they follow it through its lifecycle instead of sitting apart from what they document.

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Definition

In practice

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