High Tech

Industrial

Monitoring

Utility

Institution

Industry Applications

Distributed Generation     ...details With changes in the energy marketplace, concerns over grid reliability and security, and increased interest and cost advantages for some facilities in generating their own power, a diverse set of distributed generation and alternative energy solutions have emerged. Those solutions include new reciprocating engines, microturbines, fuel cells, photovoltaics and wind farms. These solutions are used for primary power, premium power, peak shaving, green power, cogeneration and backup power. Additionally, a new opportunity exists for the aggregation of multiple distributed generation devices to participate in today’s energy markets.

Customer Service     ...details Power quality is a key customer service issue for investor-owned utilities, municipal utilities and rural cooperatives. From supermarkets and retail operations, to manufacturing and high-tech facilities, customers expect a certain level of power quality and reliability delivered from their local utility. Education and power quality monitoring have been effective tools in developing trusted, cooperative relationships between the utility and their customers.

Substation Monitoring     ...details The restructuring of the electric utility industry has placed a premium on distribution system reliability and operational efficiency. Customers are increasingly sensitive to power system interruptions and transmission and distribution system constraints. Monitoring is a critical component in ensuring substation performance and uptime. Key objectives are to monitor changes in output to evaluate transformer loading, enabling you to plan transformer servicing and upgrades before problems occur; conduct performance monitoring for breaker operation, providing information on current and impedence during operation to determine how the system protection circuitry is performing; and measuring and analyzing fault condition to determine current characteristics.

Military / Government     ...details It is estimated that three percent of every sales dollar in the US is spent on power quality problems. 75% of all power quality problems occur inside customer facilities, requiring governmental power engineers and electricians to diagnose and solve these problems themselves. Unfortunately, these percentages will only increase as loads become more sensitive to power quality events and the power utilities become more decentralized. For military and government facility managers and engineers, understanding and managing power system infrastructure is essential to ensuring public safety and security, optimizing equipment performance, and controlling escalating energy costs.