5 smart new tools for building a better grid

If you're tired of fighting crowds at the mall, here's a shopping expedition you might enjoy – a chance to browse through five  interesting new products from smart grid vendors – with no parking lots to maneuver.

Surge arresters protect from TOV in renewable energy underground collector systems

Cooper Power Systems says its new 33 kV and 36 kV M.O.V.E. arresters provide the highest level of Temporary Overvoltage (TOV) protection available to underground collector systems in wind and solar applications, protecting against lightning and other surges. The company says ungrounded Delta collector systems can experience high levels of TOV, often up to 173 percent over normal grounded system voltage. But the uniquely high TOV characteristics of the M.O.V.E. arrester enable it to survive and continue to protect, increasing the reliability of the entire underground system. Learn more >>

With its Interactive Volt/VAR Control (IVVC) solution, Georgia-based Efacec  ACS says it is addressing the increased demand for Volt/VAR optimization with tools that calculate efficiency savings faster and more accurately than ever before. IVVC is designed to maximize distribution efficiency through coordinated control of all voltage and VAR devices. "We're making it very easy for utilities to see exactly how much they can reduce energy losses and optimize efficiency," said Jose Barbosa, Efacec ACS CEO. "Our IVVC application enables utilities to optimize the voltage profile along the feeder under all loading conditions, while also minimizing reactive power losses." Learn more >>